It started on September 19.
Eighty-four… no, scratch that – 184 days later, it was over.
That’s the window the Kelowna Rockets had to play 68 games, build a team, survive injuries, make changes, and figure out exactly who they were.
And somewhere along the way, it all started to make sense.
“You look at game one and ahead at 68, and it feels like it’s going to take forever,” head coach Derrick Martin told RocketFAN. “Then you get to this point, and it feels like you’ve blinked and you’re here.”
That’s hockey.
Long days. Short memories.
When it ended on March 21, the Rockets had 38 wins and 85 points. Good enough for fourth in the Western Conference. Seventh overall in the WHL.
Solid.
Not dominant. Not perfect.
But real.
And maybe more importantly, balanced.
This was a team that didn’t care where the puck dropped. Nineteen wins at Prospera Place. Nineteen more on the road.
“I don’t think our group really cares where the puck drops,” Martin said. “As long as there’s ice, blue lines and a red line, they’re going to play hockey.”
That identity didn’t show up right away.
In fact, early on, it was hard to even define the group.
“We never really got to see our whole team in the first half,” Martin admitted.
Injuries. Moving parts. A roster that kept shifting.
Then came the changes.
Deadline additions. New voices. Different personalities. And somehow, it all clicked.
“This group now… it feels like they’ve been together all season,” Martin said. “They feel like Rockets.”
That’s not something you can fake.
It showed up in the way they played – deeper, more stable, harder to handle.
It showed up in the standings.
And it showed up in moments – like a five-game winning streak that became their longest stretch of the season. Not overwhelming, but enough to prove they could string it together when things were right.
That’s what this team was.
Not a runaway train.
But a group that kept building.
“I think the difference is the age of the roster,” Martin said. “The maturity and experience have really served us well.”
This group didn’t panic as easily as a season ago. Didn’t ride the emotional rollercoaster the same way. And when things got tight, they found a way to stay level.
That starts in the room.
“There are not a lot of rookies in that dressing room,” Martin said. “These are veteran guys that know how to take care of their game day stuff.”
It also showed up in who led the way.
Tij Iginla didn’t just lead – he drove the offense.
Forty-one goals in just 48 games. Ninety points. A goal scorer, a playmaker, and a constant presence every time he stepped on the ice.
But even that didn’t define the entire team.
Because this wasn’t a one-line group.
It became deeper than that.
“They’ve helped make us a deeper hockey team,” Martin said of the additions made throughout the year.
And deeper teams tend to last longer.
That’s the hope now.
Because while the regular season told one story, it’s not the one that matters most anymore.
The next chapter starts Friday.
The Kamloops Blazers.
Round one.
And everything resets.
“I think it’s a privilege to play playoff hockey,” Martin said earlier this week. “You have to earn your right to be there.”
The Rockets did that.
Not in one stretch. Not in one moment. But over 184 days of figuring things out.
“There were times we looked too far ahead, and it cost us,” Martin admitted.
So the message changed.
“Be where your feet are.”
It sounds simple.
It’s not.
But it’s what this team learned over six months of hockey.
And now?
Now they get their shot.
Because the truth is, 68 games doesn’t define you.
It prepares you.
The real test is just beginning.
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