Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

A Rockets' journey as a student athlete

Eli Barrett: Balancing books and the WHL

Nov 26, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Eli Barrett is finally getting his first full season with the Kelowna Rockets, but the road here wasn’t exactly straight. A year ago, he could’ve cracked the WHL as a 16-year-old, just like a few of his peers. Instead, he went back to midget.

“I think it was a good thing for me last year,” Barrett says. “The year before at Yale I didn’t really get an opportunity to play much, but then coming back for training camp, getting a couple of preseason games, getting to know the guys—it helped. Going back to midget was the right thing. Long term, it’s worked out.”

That didn’t mean it was easy.

“Seeing a couple of guys the same age on the team obviously sucked because I wanted to be around them,” he admits. “I probably felt a little sorry for myself at times, but having hurdles in your hockey career helps you. Being cut at 16 is going to help me grow as a person and as a player.”

That attitude isn’t something he saves just for hockey. Barrett is one of those players who works just as hard in the classroom.

Notes, quotes and anecdotes

Things that make me go hmm....

Nov 14, 2025

The lost art of true sports storytelling

Why athlete stories should never fade

Jul 22, 2025

One call, one commitment

Luke Schenn's call, Mazden Leslie's answer

Jul 19, 2025

“School isn’t easy for me,” he says, “but my work ethic is huge, on the ice and off. I never want to be behind. I go to my teachers when I’m not at school, get assignments done, hand them in. I want to get my grades.”

Yale helped him get ahead academically, and he doubled down this past summer.

“Yale gets you decently ahead in school. I also took a couple classes online, so now I’m in Grade 12 with only two classes. Hopefully I’ll graduate by January.”

Those two classes? Foods and English.

“Foods is fun because we’re cooking—cinnamon biscuits, steak frites. Before this class, I don’t think I really cooked,” he laughs.

Even with the constant travel, he refuses to fall behind.

“We’re on the road a lot, but I never want to be behind. It sucks to be behind in school.”

He sees a direct link between school habits and hockey habits.

“Practice translates to everything. The same habits—showing up, putting in the work—they apply to school. You can’t get by without effort in either.”

And like any 17-year-old, he makes sure he still has some fun mixed in.

“If we don’t have a game the next day, I like to order in—Skip, Cactus Club, steak. That’s my go-to.”

On the road, Barrett says Victoria is his favourite stop so far. “The rink’s nice and the team atmosphere is awesome,” he says.

On the ice, he’s adjusting to playing wing after spending more time at center last season.

“I’m a big playmaker—more of a pass-first guy. I need to start being a little more of a shoot guy. There’s games where I have to work on defense too. Going back to wing is different, but I’m learning from the coaches and trying to dial in my game.”

He’s also picking up habits from some elite teammates.

“Watching Iginla compete in practice—it’s crazy. You see why he was drafted 6th overall. He’s a huge part of this team. You learn just by seeing how hard he works and how much he cares.”

Another focus: adding physicality.

“I’ve got to finish a couple more checks. I’m not a big hitter, but I have to learn how to. On the track, you lay a shoulder into a guy. Just keep the foot forward.”

Inside the locker room, he sees a group with plenty to work with.

“We’ve got depth, and we get along super well. Morale is huge. We’ve got speed, we’ve got tools. We just need to improve some things, like starting periods strong. The coaches are great, and we all push each other.”

Barrett’s first full WHL season is more than a hockey milestone—it’s a product of the habits he’s building every day, whether he’s on the ice, in the classroom, or figuring out how not to burn steak frites.

“Practice is where you learn. School is the same. If you put the work in every day, the game becomes easier. You’ve got to manage your time and stay disciplined.”

For Barrett, hockey and school go hand in hand. And both are laying the groundwork for wherever this game takes him next.