Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Rockets ready to bounce back

Derrick Martin’s Mission: Win a Memorial Cup

Sep 10, 2025 | 6:00 AM

Derrick Martin is getting set for his first full season as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. He took over halfway through last year after Kris Mallette was let go in January, and now he’s got a team that’s older, tougher, and more experienced.

Last season wasn’t easy. The Rockets played a lot of close games but couldn’t finish, and some nights they got blown out. They won just nine home games, tied with Regina and Moose Jaw, two non-playoff teams, for a league low, and allowed a league-high 311 goals against. Martin says that the tough stretch actually brought the players closer together.

“I think you take a lot out of it,” he said. “Our guys will tell you, they feel a lot closer showing up here this year, and I think a large piece of that is because we had to get each other through it. There were a lot of tough days… and along the way, there were a couple of pretty significant blowouts, and those are tough nights.”

This year has a different feel around Prospera Place. There’s a new scoreboard hanging over center ice, and the team is skating with fresh logos on the jerseys and on the rink. For Martin, it feels like a clean slate.

“To come here and you see a new logo at center ice, you see a new logo on the jersey, you see a big new scoreboard, it changes the feel of the rink. When you talk about a blank canvas, it really feels like we have one this year.”

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The big key, he says, is to start strong. Last season, an early losing streak put the Rockets in a hole they couldn’t dig out of. That can’t happen again.

“You can’t have a five-game losing streak at the start of the year and then chase your tail for two months to try to get back to 500. That’s not a recipe for success… it’s a results-driven business, and so our start has to be good.”

One reason for optimism is the veteran lineup. This year’s Rockets don’t have many rookies, which means Martin can lean on guys who’ve played 50, 100, even more WHL games.

“You’ve got a dressing room full of guys that are all veterans,” Martin said. “There are expectations that they have on themselves as individuals, and it’ll be a team-first mentality around here. Because we’re not gonna have a lot of rookies, we’re gonna be pulling veterans out on a nightly basis.”

One of the big adds this summer was Carson Wetsch, a 19-year-old who brings grit and leadership after the team lost Max Graham, last year’s captain.

“We brought him in because he’s a leader,” Martin explained. “He’s going to replace some of that leadership and physicality that Max Graham had for us, and we really missed that last year. He can play offensively, he can get under a guy’s skin, and now being a 19-year-old and having been a captain for a year already, he’s going to have a huge impact in our room.”

Martin also pointed to players who need to step forward. Hiroki Gojsic is looking to rebound after a quiet year, while defenceman Rowan Guest has come back bigger and stronger.

“Hiroki Gojsic is a guy that needs to have a bounce-back season,” Martin said. “He’s a driver and he knows this isn’t a secret… he’s got a fresh canvas.”

On Guest: “He’s gotten bigger, put on some size, always had a leaderful character, and I’m really excited to see how he can start the season for us.”

You can listen to Regan Bartel discuss the upcoming season with HC Derrick Martin by pressing ‘play’ below:

The Rockets also have the 2026 Memorial Cup on the horizon, which puts extra heat on the group. Martin doesn’t shy away from that.

“If you don’t like pressure, then Kelowna, in a non-Memorial Cup year, isn’t the right place for you. If you’re serious about being in hockey, you want to be in a place where it matters. It matters to our fans, to the city… pressure’s a privilege. You earn that.”

He also knows Prospera Place has to be a tough barn for visitors. With the upgrades in the building, Martin wants the Rockets to own home ice.

“Our record at home has to be really important. We’ve got a new feel in this building… it has to become a tough place to play. You come into a proper place, you got to know you’re going to get hit for 60 minutes, and it’s part of the identity.”

Nine Rockets will leave for NHL training camps this fall, but the coaching staff isn’t letting that become a distraction.

“That’s fantastic. That’s why they’re here, but we don’t get to use that as an excuse. We’ll take care of business down here while we wait for them.”

Martin also credited his staff – Don Hay, Josh Gorges, and Brandon McMillan – for connecting with players early. Gorges, a former NHL player and captain of the 2004 Memorial Cup-winning Rockets, brings invaluable experience. Martin says that bond between staff and team will be important all season.

At the end of the day, Martin says it’s the older guys who will carry the Rockets. “Bottom line, we’re gonna win with the older players. For sure,” he said. “Carson Wetsch, Hiroki Gojsic, Rowan Guest – those are the three I’m really looking at to elevate this group.”

Martin’s excitement for the season, the organizations 30th in Kelowna, is obvious.

“We’re in it to win it this year, and you need that makeup, that DNA. There’s a lot to be excited about with the Kelowna Rockets, and quite frankly, it’s not even something I’m worried about right now.

“I’m only worried about this group in 2025-2026 and getting them ready for September 19th.”