Things that make me go hmm…

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THE TRANSITION

Notes, quotes and anecdotes

Things that make me go hmm...

21h ago

The tournament is done. The hard part isn’t.

After the Memorial Cup: Rockets head into another big offseason

Jun 11, 2026

Holding the key to the first-overall pick

Rockets searching for their next game-breaker

May 06, 2026

For Reagan, joining Martin’s staff is about bringing his experience while supporting the new head coach’s vision. “I’m coming there just to try to bring some experience in. I’m not looking to step on any toes.” After 19 seasons as a head coach, Reagan understands the importance of building trust within a coaching staff. “I’m there to be a support system and help the players, help the staff.” That sounds like exactly what Martin will be looking for from an experienced assistant.

WHO WEARS THE C?

The Rockets have a pretty significant leadership question to answer following the departure of Carson Wetsch. Wetsch was the team’s captain last season before signing a professional contract with the San Jose Sharks organization. Of the returning players, only Nate Corbet wore a letter last season. The overage defenceman was an assistant captain. That makes him an obvious candidate. Rowan Guest is another name worth watching. Guest was part of the Rockets’ leadership group last season, although he didn’t wear a letter. He’s also competing for one of the team’s three 20-year-old spots. If Kelowna keeps two 20-year-old defencemen, Corbet and Guest could both be wearing letters. The last Rockets captain to play defence was Tyson Feist in 2021-22. So, who gets the “C”?

POLETIN ISN’T COMING — YET

The Rockets expected goaltender Frantisek Poletin to join the organization this season. That isn’t happening. At least not yet. The talented Czech netminder has decided to continue his development in Finland. Assistant general manager Curtis Hamilton says the Rockets were under the impression Poletin would make the move to Kelowna after visiting during the 2026 Memorial Cup to watch his older brother, Tomas. “We were under the impression he was coming, or we were planning on that. He came over for the Memorial Cup to watch Tommy, and we had good discussions with him.” Poletin missed time last season after undergoing surgery, and Hamilton says the young goalie believes another year in Finland will benefit his development. “I think he believes he needs another year over there to work on his game, play, and get a little bit more experience. He doesn’t quite feel he’s ready.” The Rockets aren’t closing the door. “I’m not going to force him or rush him. He can go back and play, and then we’ll evaluate that as it goes.” Poletin turns 18 on September 13th and is expected to play this season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league. He’s still on Kelowna’s radar.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT POLETIN OR CIHAR

Don’t worry if you don’t see Tomas Poletin or Vojtech Cihar at Rockets main camp. The belief is both players will head directly to NHL training camps with the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings. And don’t forget, the two of them, along with newly acquired Jakub Frolo, are playing at the Five Nations tournament. There hasn’t exactly been a shortage of hockey for those guys. When you consider how short their summer has been, that’s pretty remarkable.

MY BREAKOUT PLAYER: OWEN FOLSTROM

I’m going with Owen Folstrom. Don’t let me down, Folly. Let’s call it untapped potential. Folstrom went from three goals to 15 last season. That’s a pretty significant jump. Now comes the next step. For me, anything less than 20 goals in 2026-27 would be a disappointment. How does he get there? Pretty simple. Shoot the puck more. Funny how that works. Folstrom had 75 more shots last season than he did the year before. And guess what? The puck started finding the back of the net a lot more often. This season he is going to find he is stronger than most, and in a lot of cases faster. Foot speed was never an issue. An uptick in composure with the puck and an increased role has him finding the back of the net for 20+ goals in year three.

A NOTE TO THE VETERANS

Something popped into my head the other day while watching a marquee baseball player with some pretty poor body language. A note to any veteran player coming into Rockets training camp. Check yourself in the mirror. How you carry yourself matters. A lot. Don’t be the guy who looks miserable. Bring energy. Be engaged. Show your teammates you’re excited to be there. That’s the kind of leader I want to follow. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t show emotion. Absolutely not. Get angry when an opponent pushes your buttons. Show your frustration when you lose. That competitive edge is part of what makes great players great. But there’s a difference between being passionate and dragging the group down. That’s something I’ll be watching closely at training camp.

AUGUST 26th

Training camp opens August 26th with registration. And again, there will be no rookie camp. The new faces and the veterans will compete against one another right from the start. Which means there won’t be much time for anyone to ease into things.