They say timing is everything in junior hockey.
For Von Lakovic, timing showed up fast. Really fast.
One minute, he was at home. Next, he was on a bus heading to Wenatchee.
Saturday night, the 16-year-old forward stepped into the Western Hockey League for the first time, making his debut with the Kelowna Rockets against the Wenatchee Wild.
There was no long buildup.
No countdown.
Just a late text and a packed bag.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Lakovic said before puck drop. “I was more excited. Curtis texted me and told me to be ready for the bus. The bus was waiting for me. I was honestly in shock. I packed my stuff and left.”
The message came from Curtis Hamilton.
That was it.
No time to think about it. Just go.
The opportunity came because the Rockets suddenly needed help up front. Four regular forwards were out with injuries. Shane Smith, Tomas Poletin, Vojtech Cihar and Hiroki Gojsic were all unavailable.
So the call went to a sixth round pick who had been quietly putting together a strong season back home with the Okanagan Rockets.
Lakovic had worked his way near the top of the team scoring, even though he is one of the youngest players in the league.
“It’s been a really solid year,” he said. “We were really hot at the start. Then we dropped a little bit. But we’re starting to hum again. We’ve got around 30 goals in our last three games. We’re playing well at the right time, heading into the playoffs.”
Just as important, the timing of the call did not hurt his own team.
“It’s a bye weekend for our league,” he said. “So it actually works out really well.”
The jump to the WHL is still a big one.
The pace is faster.
The bodies are bigger.
There is less time with the puck.
When asked what he expects to notice first, Lakovic did not hesitate.
“Definitely the pace,” he said. “That’s the main thing. But I think I’ll be just fine.”
It was quiet confidence. Not loud. Not forced.
It comes from a season where things have started to click and from what he experienced last year on a long playoff run with Okanagan.
“It was awesome,” he said. “The crowds, the run you go on, and the players you play against. The competition was way better. It was just super fun.”
For him personally, the numbers were not huge.
“I didn’t find a ton of success,” he said. “I was a really young guy on an older team and I wasn’t playing much. But whenever I got out there, I tried to do my best. I think I’ve come a long way since then.”
The Rockets clearly agree.
That growth is exactly why the call came now.
Draft day still feels fresh.
“I was at home with my mom, just watching on the couch and waiting to hear my name,” he said. “When it finally happened, it was a relief. Growing up watching the Rockets, it’s an honour to be selected by them.”
It meant more because of where he is from.
Lakovic grew up in West Kelowna before moving across the bridge to Kelowna.
These are the same colours he watched as a kid.
Now he is wearing them.
He finishes school online, balancing classes with the everyday routine of elite hockey.
And hockey has always been part of life at home.
His older brother, Lynden Lakovic, played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors and later became a first round pick in the National Hockey League.
The comparison is unavoidable.
“We’re pretty similar,” Von said. “I probably play with a bit more edge and physicality. But it’s hard to compare yourself to someone that skilled.”
What stands out more to him is the example his brother set.
“He’s super humble,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from him.”
Before his debut, the advice from home was simple.
Just enjoy it.
“Go have fun. Don’t be nervous.”
Lakovic also knew what his night was probably going to look like.
“I’m expecting a couple of shifts,” he said. “Whatever I can get, I’ll be happy with.”
And even though he has been around WHL rinks for years, this was still his first real taste of the league.
“This is my first WHL stuff,” he said with a grin.
He wore number 37.
He took the rookie lap.
And yes, he admitted he had been thinking about that moment all day.
“Hopefully I don’t stumble,” he laughed.
He did not.
He even created a good scoring chance in the third period.
One text.
One rushed bag.
One bus ride.
And suddenly, a first shift in the league he grew up watching.
Timing really is everything.
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