Photo credit: RocketFAN

By Regan Bartel

WHL executive is changing with the times

Rockets’ Bruce Hamilton is bending, not breaking with tradition

Sep 16, 2024 | 7:00 AM

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 

The phrase’s origin dates back to the 16th century and is attributed to John Fitzherbert, who wrote in one of his many books – you can’t make an old dog bark. 

The modern definition of the phrase suggests the resistance to change that comes with getting older. 

Kelowna Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton admittedly likes things a certain way. He has found a winning formula that has brought the franchise great success over the decades, so old habits would understandably die hard. 

The 67-year-old, who doesn’t cower to outside pressure on suggestions on how to run his hockey club, has shown this season that he can be persuaded in making tweaks to how he does business. That included opening training camp workouts this fall to the general public for the first time in franchise history. 

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“You can credit Curtis [Hamilton] for training camp,” Hamilton said with a chuckle. “Old school sticks with old ways, and he wanted some changes, and we did.”  

Curtis Hamilton has made huge strides in his role as assistant general manager. While only in his second season as his father’s right-hand man, after being hired in December of 2022, the 32-year-old is fast tracking his way to being one of the smartest evaluators of young hockey talent in Western Canada.

“When it comes to the 6:05 pm Saturday start times at home, it makes sense,” Bruce Hamilton continued. “I think Vancouver is the only team that hasn’t gone to that. The American teams went [changed] a few years ago. It really helps for Sunday travel if you are playing three-in-three. 

“I think people are going to enjoy this because they can get downtown, have dinner and come to the games or, the games are going to be done at 8:30 pm, so they will be able to go out for dinner if they want to after. I think it will do what we really want in the downtown core. We want to keep the people downtown and enjoy all of the amenities we have around this facility.” 

So, before we move forward, let’s review. Training camp was open to the public for the first time – ever – and Saturday home games will be played an hour earlier with 6:05 pm start times.

Could there be a third significant change that fans will notice? Wait and find out when the team opens the regular season this Saturday night (104-7 – The Lizard pre-game show starts at 5:35 pm) against the Portland Winterhawks. 

“I think we are going to be an entertaining team,” Hamilton said when looking at his roster’s composition. “When you look at the quality players coming back,  [Tij] Iginla, [Andrew] Cristall, [Caden] Price and [Hiroki] Gojsic, they are all good players. They are all at NHL camps now. I am optimistic. I think our division is going to be good though.  

“I think Prince George is going to be a really good team and I think Victoria is going to be a better team than a lot of people think.”

The Royals, Seattle Thunderbirds and Kamloops Blazers all missed the playoffs in the Western Conference a season ago. 

“Kamloops is coming out of where they were re-tooling,” Hamilton added. “Vancouver is much the same. It is going to be competitive. I like our team going in and we will have to make some decisions along the way probably.” 

Despite a large number of marquee veteran players away at NHL training camps, Hamilton isn’t concerned that they won’t be back for opening night. 

“I am pretty sure we will have most of them here,” he said. “Sometimes the first rounders, they are going to play them, and we don’t know if Tij Iginla is going to get games or not. He is a little scuffed up. Maybe Andrew Cristall gets an NHL exhibition game.” 

Iginla is signed by the Utah Hockey Club, as is Andrew Cristall by the Washington Capitals and Caden Price by the Seattle Kraken. 

“All these other guys are playing in these [rookie] tournaments,” Hamilton added. “They won’t play any NHL pre-season games unless they are signed, and the majority of them outside of Max Graham are 18 at least.” 

With European Marek Rocak returning as a 19-year-old d-man, Hamilton is now awaiting word on fellow Czech countrymen Jakob Stancl, a rookie chosen in the first round – 12th overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. 

“I know that the St. Louis Blues will send [Jakob] Stancl back to us,” he concluded.  

“I think early this week, so that is a guy that will need some time with us to figure out what type of team we will have and where he fits in.”

Editors note: Part two of our conversation with Bruce Hamilton will appear Wednesday. The entire interview can be heard Saturday on our 104-7 The Lizard broadcast in the first intermission.