Winning one in Wenatchee

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

“It took us a little while to will ourselves into the game, but once we got going, I thought we played solidly above the puck,” Rockets assistant coach Derrick Martin told RocketFAN after the game. “There are always things you want to pick apart as a coach, but on nights like this when your goaltender gives you an effort like that, you tip your hat to him and say congratulations because it was well deserved.” 

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

Rockets face road test in games 3 and 4

Goaltending, discipline and depth driving 2-0 series lead over Blazers

Mar 30, 2026

Road wins are never easy. Shutting out the opposition in their building is even more difficult. Before last night’s whitewash, the Rockets hadn’t kept the home team at bay since a 4-0 road win last season against the Vancouver Giants.  

After being out-shot 9-5 in the opening period, for a third time this season the Rockets were able to turn the red light on first when Kayden Longley finished off a nice give-and-go with teammate Jakub Stancl.  

“They play really well together,” Martin added. “It has probably been four games now [where you see chemistry]. They play well off each other. They seem to replace each other in both zones really well, and they are getting rewarded on a nightly basis. They are both low maintenance players and demand the best out of themselves, and when you have players that are motivated intrinsically like that, they find chemistry with more players quickly.” 

Longley has eight points in the opening 9 games of the season, which is a significant uptick from the 14 points he earned in 45 games as season ago. The pride of Wainwright, Alberta is riding a five game point streak, with his previous high being only two games.

“We are talking a lot lately about Kayden [Longley], and that is a testament to a young man who puts in a lot of work on his craft, works hard at practice and shows up and does things the right way.” 

The second-period surge was aided by Tij Iginla’s shorthanded goal by stripping a puck from an unsuspecting d-man before rookie Kalder Varga would score his first career WHL goal with a brilliant individual effort.  

“His dad [John Varga] played here and wore that jersey and now he is doing it as a 16-year-old, Martin continued. “What people maybe don’t understand is how difficult it is for any 16-year-old that is going to go through some growing pains, and when you’ve been a scorer your entire life and the puck doesn’t seem to go in, it can feel like the walls are closing in on you. He needed a break, and he took advantage of it. The whole bench was really happy for him.” 

The Rockets have now scored 21-second period goals, the most of any team in this young season. While unable to pin-point the reason why, Martin is hoping the trend continues. 

“I think it suggests we need to start better,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s where a coach’s head is at finding a flaw in that statistic. It isn’t a trick we are pulling off.  

“Games are won early, and games are won late, so we want to make sure we clean up both sides of that.”