Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

European forward focuses on playoff push

Jakub Stancl caught in the crossfire of trade deadline rumours

Jan 17, 2025 | 6:00 AM

As the WHL trade deadline approached last Thursday, rumours swirled like wildfire. 

This frenzy has only intensified with the rise of social media. Anonymous keyboard warriors, many using pseudonyms to protect their identities, can easily spread misinformation or fabricate trades. This leads to confusion and speculation, with players being linked to teams based on little more than hearsay. 

While there are reputable reporters with strong journalistic backgrounds and reliable sources in the know about player movement, some so-called ‘media members’ insert themselves into the trade chatter without having a real pulse on what’s happening. 

This year, the Kelowna Rockets were caught in the crossfire of these rumours. A trade involving 19-year-old forward Jakub Stancl was reportedly in the works, with the Calgary Hitmen as the destination. But the deal never materialized. Was it ever close to happening, or was it just baseless speculation? The player felt the anxiety of the situation, enduring several tense moments as the rumours swirled around him. 

“It’s just rumours,” Stancl told RocketFAN with a chuckle, now relieved he wouldn’t need to pack his bags, unlike his countryman Marek Rocak, who was traded to the Swift Current Broncos. “You see it [trade rumours] but you try not to focus on it, and instead focus on the present. I tried not to think about it and kept my attention on Kelowna.” 

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A trade between the Rockets and Hitmen first emerged two days before the WHL deadline, with a tweet on X sparking speculation among the media and fans. The post created a buzz, racking up 40 retweets and 281 likes, but ultimately, the source was proven wrong.  

Was there a retraction or apology for the error? No, because who is the individual accountable to? He doesn’t know the player involved, nor does he have to face the general manager the next time he enters an arena.

“He wanted to stay here all along,” Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton told RocketFAN. “I felt bad, but this is the reality of the world today. It’s sad because these are teenagers who are being subjected to this.”

When Stancl came over from Europe after a year of professional hockey, his goal was to stay in one Canadian city, allowing him to focus on adapting his game to a more North American style in preparation for playing in the St. Louis Blues system next year. 

“For a European player, I would have to move, meet new guys, and it would be an uncomfortable situation too,” Stancl explained, noting his desire to stay in Kelowna despite the team moving assets to build for the 2026 Memorial Cup. “I was a little nervous to be honest, but only good news followed. I’m happy to be here and playing for Kelowna.” 

To ease Stancl’s concerns, management assured him that a trade was not imminent. Hamilton, in particular, expressed deep sympathy for the player’s emotional resilience, especially after the tragic car accident last October that claimed the life of his father, Michal, while he and his mother were visiting him in Sweden. 

“He was the happiest guy when we called him and told him he wasn’t going anywhere, so don’t worry about it,” Hamilton added. “We had great offers for him, but I believe this hockey club still needs guys like him to help carry us over the hump and get us going.”

Now with the trade deadline in his rearview mirror, Stancl can focus on being a leader on and off the the ice. 

“You want to make it easier for them, right,” he said, referring to the four new players acquired in separate trades with Lethbridge, Spokane, Swift Current, and Everett. “You want to make them feel comfortable, and they want to help us have success, so it’s important to make them feel welcome and be nice to them.” 

Now the Rockets’ leading scorer with 38 points, Stancl was named assistant captain upon his return from the World Junior Hockey Championships and the trade of assistant captains Caden Price and Andrew Cristall. 

“We are strong [physically], so I think that will help us for sure,” he said entering tonight’s home game against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

“The goal here is to make the playoffs, so we’re going to try our best.”