Photo: Contributed

By Regan Bartel

Like father like son

Hard work, grit, and legacy: Inside the Corbets’ hockey journey

Sep 5, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Rene Corbet carved out an NHL career with skill, grit, and a knack for playing hard. Now the spotlight has shifted to his son, Nate, who is forging his own path with the Kelowna Rockets.

For Rene, watching from the stands brings pride and perspective. Seeing Nate develop on the ice, master the game’s intricacies, and handle the pressures of junior hockey is a reminder that every hockey journey is unique.

“It is a bit weird, but I have been involved from the very beginning,” Rene admits about the transition from player to hockey dad. “Walking on skates [in the house] when he was two years old with skate guards on, I was busy coaching and helping all three boys grow.”

Nate is the middle child, between 21-year-old Matt and 15-year-old Kade. Matt spent last season in the NCAA with Ferris State University and will suit up for the Calgary Dinos this fall. Kade was a seventh-round bantam pick of the Prince Albert Raiders in 2024. Hockey clearly runs in the family.

Two of the three boys were born overseas during Rene’s time with Adler Mannheim in Germany. “I was fortunate to play eight seasons there, where we did not have to move much,” he said. “The timing was right, with a light schedule in Europe to have kids, and two of my three were born in Germany.”

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Like his dad, Nate chose the major junior path. Rene starred with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, leading the QMJHL in scoring with 79 goals and 148 points in 1992-93. Nate, a defenceman, started in Medicine Hat before coming to Kelowna last season in the Ethan Neutens trade.

“When I coached them, they could decide if they wanted to play forward or defense,” Rene explained. “At the end of the day, two of the boys — Nate and Kade — chose defense, and one chose forward. I did not put any pressure on them. Nate likes to defend. He does not like to lose.”

That competitive streak has been obvious since day one. “Even in Timbits, Nate was a very intense player. He did not like to lose and got very emotional,” Rene laughed. “He saw what I did in the past, and when you play a hard game, you like to be intense and be in people’s faces. You are going to have to drop the gloves. It is not like we are looking for a fight, but if the fight comes to us, if it happens, it happens.”

Intensity clearly runs in the bloodline. Rene had 32 fighting majors in his NHL career, while Nate led the WHL in both penalty minutes and fighting majors (16) last season. It is a badge the Corbets wear with pride, even if it comes with a few bruises.

But the story is not just about toughness. It is about how hockey quietly shapes character. Rene sees in Nate a skater with hockey sense, work ethic, and a drive that reminds him of himself. “He is a very good skater. He has a good hockey IQ. Plays a hard game, and that is what I did to make it,” said Rene, who played 362 NHL games and won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. “One quote I like is hard work always pays off. If you have a good attitude, a good work ethic, and goals, along with discipline, you will achieve your goals.”

For Rockets fans, Nate is not just a young defenceman in the lineup — he is part of a living hockey story. His father skated in the 1991 Memorial Cup as a 17-year-old, and now, 35 years later, Nate gets the same opportunity as the tournament comes to Kelowna.

“It is a great opportunity and a wonderful experience for him,” Rene said of the upcoming 2026 Memorial Cup. “It is great for all the players and the city again, and for the organization it will be amazing. I think those kids are fortunate to be a part of this, and they have to enjoy every part of the Memorial Cup.”

So, can Nate follow in his dad’s NHL footsteps? Rene does not hesitate. “One hundred percent,” he says. “He has a lot of intangibles in his game with his leadership and his attitude, and that can help him become a pro someday.”

The Corbets’ story is a reminder that hockey is more than goals, assists, and fights. It is a family tradition, a classroom for life lessons, and, in their case, a stubborn refusal to back down from anyone.

And if Nate ever forgets that, his dad has 32 old fight tapes to remind him.