‘Today is Josh’s day’ – Rockets HC Derrick Martin

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

He is not the calm, robotic-style goalie who makes every save look effortless. Banini competes. He scrambles. He battles through screens and traffic with an edge that teammates feed off. Shooters often have difficulty reading him because every save seems to come with a little bit of chaos.

Holding the key to the first-overall pick

Rockets searching for their next game-breaker

May 06, 2026

Rockets await start of Memorial Cup

Chances were there. Goals weren't

Apr 20, 2026

Enough talk. Time for action

As they say in Everett, 'Let's play hockey!

Apr 10, 2026

And sometimes chaos can be hard to beat.

Martin admitted the Rockets are fortunate to have two capable goaltenders, but on this night, Banini’s style fit the challenge in front of them.

“Today’s Josh’s day,” Martin said.

There was confidence behind those words.

Banini had already proven he could handle Everett’s attack during previous meetings. The Silvertips thrive on speed and puck movement, but Banini’s aggressive approach can frustrate skilled teams looking for clean finishes around the crease.

In elimination games, teams often look toward their goaltender for stability. Banini brings something slightly different. He brings emotion. Every desperation stop, every second effort, every battle in the crease can ignite a bench and a crowd inside Prospera Place.

And when the pressure is highest, Martin believes Banini embraces it rather than fears it.

“I think experience always serves you in scenarios like this,” Martin said. “Whether you’ve been through it or not before, you’re playing for your life.”

The Rockets entered the game knowing there would be no second chances left. After starting the tournament 0-and-2, another loss would end their season. Yet Martin never sounded defeated when discussing the situation his team faced.

Instead, he sounded energized by it.

“We’ve gone 0-and-2 and yet we still get to determine our own fate today,” Martin said. “There’s some excitement in that.”

That message became central inside the Rockets dressing room.

Martin believes difficult moments reveal the true identity of a team. He has watched this group fight through adversity all season long, and despite the pressure surrounding the Memorial Cup, he felt the Rockets had started to rediscover themselves in their previous game.

“I thought we got back to looking a lot more like ourselves in the second game of the tournament,” Martin explained. “Now we’ve got to get right back to it.”

For Kelowna, that identity starts with hard, physical hockey.

The Rockets are not built to play a soft game. Their success comes from winning battles below the goal line, forcing turnovers, and wearing opponents down physically. Martin believes the Memorial Cup itself has reflected that style more than many expected.

“Maybe a little bit surprised at how the event’s been,” Martin admitted. “The teams that we’re playing are all league champions, and what it takes to be a champion – you can’t just do it on skill alone. You got to do it on grit and tenacity.”

That description fits Banini as much as anyone on the roster.

“Certainly, you could say Harry’s a more technical goaltender,” Martin said. “Both guys are competitive, just a little more different in their approach to that competitiveness.”

Against an Everett team that loves to play fast and attack with speed, the Rockets knew they would need saves in difficult moments. They would need composure during momentum swings. Most importantly, they would need a goaltender willing to battle through traffic and chaos.

The Rockets coach also stressed the importance of puck management against Everett’s dangerous transition game.

“Our stickiness and holding on to pucks, not giving pucks back,” Martin said. “Everett wants to play high speed and skill, and we want to play a little bit more in the ditches and down low.”

That clash of styles would likely determine who survived the night.

Every save will matter. Every whistle will matter. Every second of belief will matter.

And standing in the middle of it all would be the goaltender Martin trusted most when the season was hanging in the balance.