(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Regan Bartel

Terrorizing goalies one goal at a time

Mr. 100: Ty Halaburda reaches milestone

Feb 5, 2026 | 7:47 AM

Ty Halaburda has scored a lot of goals in the Western Hockey League.

Some have been clean finishes. Some have been rebounds. Some have come off quick releases from the slot. But goal number 100 came in a way that fit his career perfectly. It came from hard work, timing and feel around the net.

Halaburda reached the 100 career goal milestone Tuesday night at Prospera Place, batting a puck out of mid-air on a shorthanded chance in front of the Portland Winterhawks net. The milestone moment came in a 4-3 overtime loss to Portland, but the night still belonged to one of the most consistent scorers the Kelowna Rockets have had in recent seasons.

For Halaburda, it also came against a familiar opponent.

No team has seen more of his offence than the Victoria Royals, who have allowed 15 career goals to the Kelowna forward. Portland sits right behind them. With Tuesday’s marker, the Winterhawks became the team Halaburda has hurt second most in his WHL career.

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It was his 12th career goal against Portland.

It was also his sixth against the Winterhawks this season alone.

That combination makes the milestone even more fitting.

When he actually looked at how his goals were spread out around the league, one team in particular stood out.

“It’s funny you say that. I’m kind of surprised,” Halaburda said when told that Victoria was the team he had scored on the most in his career. “I know it’s a B.C. team, but it doesn’t really feel like that. But once you look at the stats and realize you play them eight times a year, it makes sense.”

Asked why he seems to score so often against the Winterhawks, Halaburda didn’t make much of it.

“No, I just try to go out there and play every night,” he said. “I guess that’s just how it’s worked out.”

On Tuesday, it certainly looked that way.

The puck dropped into the crease on a Rockets penalty kill, and Halaburda showed quick hands and awareness to swat it out of the air and past the Portland goaltender. It was a highlight moment, but it was also a very Halaburda goal. He has built his career by being around the net, reading plays early and finding soft spots before defenders can react.

It was not just a milestone goal. It was a shorthanded one. It was a momentum play. And it was another reminder that Halaburda’s value goes well beyond the power play.

The journey to 100 goals started in a strange place.

His first WHL goal came on October 29, 2021, against the Kelowna Rockets. At the time, Halaburda was wearing a Vancouver Giants jersey. The goal came on the power play in Vancouver, and even now, he remembers it clearly.

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “It was on the power play in Vancouver. It was a special one for sure.”

Three seasons later, he is now scoring milestone goals for the very team he once scored against.

That first season with the Giants gave only a small glimpse of what was to come. Halaburda scored five goals in 45 games as a 16-year-old, learning what it took to survive in a league filled with older, stronger and faster players.

The growth since then has been steady and unmistakable.

He followed that rookie season with 21 goals. Then another 21. Then a breakout 29-goal campaign last year. This season, split between Vancouver and Kelowna, he arrived on Tuesday night with 23 goals and was closing in on a career milestone that very few players ever reach.

What has mattered most to him over the years isn’t one big season, but showing up the same way every night.

“It’s something I really pride myself on,” he said. “Just trying to be as consistent as possible every game. If I do the right things defensively and I’m in the right spots, then my game is going to stay consistent.”

That mindset has shaped the player he is today.

A lot has changed since he broke into the league at 16.

“I was smaller. I’m still smaller,” he said with a smile. “But I definitely feel stronger now and I can hang on to pucks longer than I could when I was 16. And the confidence has grown every year. I feel more confident with the puck and in my abilities.”

This season, a lot of that offence has come while playing alongside Tij Iginla.

“Playing with Tij is really special,” he said. “He makes it easy for me to go out and play my game. Obviously, you want to get guys like him the puck. With his shot and his playmaking ability, he can do it all. It’s really fun playing with him.”

Reaching 100 goals has also made him look back to where it all started.

He remembers being drafted into the WHL and being featured in interviews as a 15-year-old, long before anyone was talking about milestone goals.

“I didn’t really think about it too much,” he said. “When I was younger, I never really thought I’d be scoring goals in the WHL. It’s crazy how fast time flies.”

Even with 100 goals behind him now, Halaburda says he isn’t finished yet.

“There’s always more to give,” Halaburda said. “I still feel like I have more to give and more to prove.”

Tuesday night’s overtime loss to Portland will be remembered by the Rockets for another missed opportunity in the standings.

But for Ty Halaburda, it will always stand as the night he joined the 100 goal club.