By Regan Bartel

Confident in trajectory at Xmas break

Derrick Martin sees growth beyond results

Dec 23, 2025 | 11:08 AM

As the Kelowna Rockets head into the Christmas break, head coach Derrick Martin believes his team is laying the foundation for what matters most in the second half of the season.

The Rockets close the book on a six-game East Division road trip with a 3-3-0-0 record, a demanding stretch that saw the team away from home for nearly two weeks. While Martin admits he always wants more wins, he says the group “gave everything they had in the tank” and showed growth that goes beyond the standings.

“There’s always the good and the bad of going on the road,” Martin said. “You miss your family, you miss your own bed, but there are memories that you make that last a lifetime. Those are teachable moments we’ll be able to reflect on in the second half of the season.”

At the Christmas break, the Rockets sit fifth in the Western Conference and third in the B.C. Division with a 16-12-3-1 record. Martin says the position reflects a team still evolving, but one that is steadily moving in the right direction.

“I’d always like more wins,” he said. “But I’m seeing a lot of things that equate to being a national-championship-calibre hockey team. It’s not just one game in May. It’s a whole bunch of things that have to take place, and I think we’re putting those puzzle pieces together.”

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That progress has come despite the Rockets navigating significant lineup challenges. Kelowna has played without its top forward, Tij Iginla, its top rookie, Tomas Poletin, and its best shutdown defenceman, Peyton Kettles. The club has also been forced to rely heavily on young defencemen after veteran blueliners Nate Corbet (missed 10 straight) and Gabriel Guilbault (missed 7 straight) were sidelined with injuries, pushing first- and second-year players into major minutes throughout the trip.

Martin said the road swing tested the group’s depth, mindset, and ability to stay connected through adversity. He acknowledged there were nights the team wasn’t fully satisfied with its performance, but he never felt shortchanged by the effort.

“I don’t feel cheated as a coach,” Martin said. “Our fans shouldn’t feel cheated by what the group has brought in. We had a chance to play some really good opponents in really difficult buildings, and that’s important as we head into the second half.”

One of the themes Martin returned to repeatedly was consistency — not just from game to game, but shift to shift and day to day. He said strong teams show up regardless of the date on the calendar or the circumstances surrounding a game.

“There’s always enough excuses in the tank not to show up,” he said. “If you want to justify it, you can find it. Good hockey teams, good hockey people, professionals, they show up every single day. It doesn’t matter what the date is.”

That mentality, Martin said, will be critical as the Rockets transition from the road back into home games, beginning Saturday night when Kelowna opens a three-game homestand against the Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place.

The Giants matchup marks the start of the second half of the season and a reset point following the Christmas pause. Martin said the challenge now is simple, but not easy.

“The challenge is to just keep going,” he said. “We’ve got to stay where our feet are at and keep building.”

Martin also pointed to the group’s growing professionalism as a key takeaway from the first half. He said early in the season, managing focus was sometimes an issue, but he’s seen noticeable progress as the year has gone on.

“I think the group has really become professional,” he said. “They know when it’s time to have fun, and they know when it’s time to be dialed in.”

That professionalism, Martin said, has shown itself not only in preparation, but in how the team handles expectations — particularly as the host team for the 2026 Memorial Cup.

“We don’t hide from it,” Martin said. “Our challenge right now is to be world-class today — the best we can be on the day we’re in.”

He added that hosting status means the Rockets see every opponent’s best effort, every night.

“We know we’re going to get everybody’s best every single night,” Martin said. “That’s a privilege. Over the course of a season, that prepares you for the next step.”

As the Rockets return home, Martin said the focus will be on continuing to refine habits and maintain the identity the team is building.

“We can’t run away from who we are trying to chase something else,” he said. “We’ve got to play really good Kelowna Rockets hockey.”

Saturday’s game against Vancouver opens a three-game homestand and offers Kelowna a chance to set the tone for the second half in front of the home crowd.

“Let it play out,” Martin said. “Take it a minute at a time.”