Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Rising on draft radar

WHL rookie Harrison Boettiger gaining draft buzz

Nov 7, 2025 | 6:00 AM

For Kelowna Rockets rookie goaltender Harrison Boettiger, the upcoming CHL-USA Prospects Challenge is more than a showcase. It’s a reunion with his past.

The 17-year-old from Colorado will suit up for Team CHL later this month when the league’s top draft-eligible players face off against the U.S. National Under-18 Team. The two-game event goes November 25th in Calgary and November 26th in Lethbridge.

For Boettiger, it’s a familiar stage, only this time he’s standing in the opposite crease.

“I was on the other side last year,” he said, recalling his stint with the U.S. National Team Development Program. “I played in game two of the showcase, and it’s cool to see both sides of it. Last year, being with the USA side, there wasn’t a whole lot of attention. But the CHL side? You get more of the spotlight. It’s kind of like a Canada vs. USA thing, and last year was one of the most competitive games I’ve been in. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Boettiger started in the second game of last year’s inaugural event, where the CHL swept the series by scores of 6-1 and 3-1. Despite the loss, he was credited with keeping the second game close, turning aside several high-quality chances and earning praise from scouts for his poise under pressure.

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The CHL-USA matchup has quickly become a highlight for NHL scouts, pairing the best of major junior against the top American prospects. For Boettiger, it’s another test in a season already full of firsts — his first year in the WHL, first taste of Canadian hockey culture, and now a return to the international spotlight.

“The WHL has met or exceeded everything I thought it would be,” he told RocketFAN. “Every player can score, everyone’s got a good shot. It’s hard to win, but we’re figuring that out as a team.”

Earning his first WHL win Wednesday night in Penticton, Boettiger isn’t measuring his rookie campaign in numbers.

“It’s been up and down,” he admitted. “I’ve had two stronger games for sure, and a couple that turned into track meets. But I like that I’ve given my team a chance to win every night.”

On game days, Boettiger keeps things light, a rare trait for someone whose job is to stare down 100-mile-an-hour pucks.

“I don’t think locking in too early does much,” he said with a grin. “I keep it light in the morning. I don’t play my best when I’m too serious. I wouldn’t care if you talked [interviewed] to me before a game.”

Still, a few quirks sneak in.

“After a period, I’ll unbuckle my helmet straps and then buckle them back up, like I’m letting it go and resetting,” he said. “If things are going well, my stick goes in the same spot. If not, I’ll move it somewhere else, like that’ll fix it.”

And then there are the suits.

“I’m really weird with them,” he laughed. “If we keep winning with one, I’ll keep wearing it. If we lose a couple, I’ll switch it up. I’ve only got four right now, ripped a few over the years. Hockey legs… it’s a nightmare.”

For all the easygoing humor, Boettiger takes the mental side of goaltending seriously.

“I’ve worked with mental coaches over the years,” he said. “Everything’s about perspective. If you give up an early goal, it’s a chance to get stronger mentally. Even a bad game is an opportunity to bounce back. The best goalies in the world don’t have two bad games in a row.”

That perspective will serve him well when he faces the U.S. NTDP again, this time as their opponent.

“It’ll be fun,” he said. “There are a few guys I still know over there. But once the puck drops, you forget all that. You’re trying to stop everything that moves.”

Boettiger’s new mask, featuring a teal base, twin Ogopogo’s and the Rockets’ 30th anniversary logo, will debut soon, just in time for another milestone moment in his young career.

“I’m focused on giving my team a chance to win,” he said. “You’ve gotta be a winner to move on to the next level. I want to win the Memorial Cup. That comes first. But yeah, hearing my name called in June’s draft would be surreal.”

For now, though, it’s about the next challenge, and a familiar set of stars wearing red, white and blue on the other side of the ice.