Photo credit: RocketFAN

By Regan Bartel

Rockets DOA. Dominate. Overcome. Achieve

Things that make me go hmm….

Feb 2, 2026 | 11:00 AM

Bus Travel Drama

Bus travel is a staple of WHL life. All 23 teams do it, and most of the time, everyone arrives on time and without drama. But every team eventually gets its first real road story of the season. For the Kelowna Rockets, that moment came this past weekend.

It had nothing to do with snow, ice, or the Okanagan Connector. This one was mechanical. As the Rockets climbed the first mountain pass on the way to Langley, the bus’s cooling system reached its limit. Temperatures rose, warning lights flashed, and a routine road trip suddenly turned into a roadside attraction near Brenda Mine.

Game day, on the side of the highway. Players, coaches, equipment and even hope waited for a rescue bus. Ninety minutes later, help arrived, and the team transferred its gear from one bus to another in what looked like a highly organized, hockey-themed pit stop.

Eventually, the Rockets pulled into the Langley Events Centre at 6:30 pm. It was not ideal. The game was pushed back 30 minutes, pre-game routines were disrupted and meal plans disappeared. But the Rockets adapted, stayed focused and showed up on the scoreboard. Sometimes, the hardest part of a road trip is not the opponent.

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Blowout Win vs. Giants

A blowout win is never a bad thing. It shows focus, discipline and a team willing to take advantage of every opportunity. That is exactly what the Kelowna Rockets delivered Saturday night, rolling past the Vancouver Giants 9–2 in Langley.

Yes, the Giants were missing three of their top players. But strong teams do not wait for perfect circumstances. They take control and finish the job, and the Rockets did exactly that by jumping on Vancouver early and never giving them a chance to climb back into the game.

The night carried extra meaning for Ty Halaburda and Mazden Leslie, both facing their former team, as part of a Rockets attack that produced a season-high nine goals. Halaburda also scored the 99th goal of his WHL career, inching closer to the century mark. Saturday’s win was more than a result. It was a statement, and the Rockets were ruthless and ready for whatever came next.

Ty Halaburda and Milestones

It is only a matter of time before Ty Halaburda scores his 100th career WHL goal. When he does, it will be a significant milestone and one that places him among the league’s most productive scorers this season.

Halaburda is closing in on a short list already celebrating the century mark. Seattle’s Cameron Schmidt has 105 goals, Victoria’s Logan Wormald has 102, Brandon Wheat Kings forward Luke Mistelbacher is close with 98 and Prince George’s Terik Parascak sits at 92.

Halaburda will reach the mark as a 20-year-old, following a familiar path for several former Rockets. Cam Paddock reached 100 and finished with 107 goals, Kiel McLeod scored his 100th and closed out with 123, Jesse Schultz reached the milestone as an overager and Myles Bell hit 100 during his 20-year-old season before finishing with 113. Other Rockets, including Tyson Baillie and Geordie Wudrick, played at 20 but reached 100 as 19-year-olds and went on to finish with 138 goals.

Tij Iginla is also closing in on the milestone, sitting at 90 career goals. For Halaburda, every game and every shift now brings him closer to joining a group of players who left a lasting mark on Kelowna history at the same age he is today.

Dawson Gerwing Emergence

Dawson Gerwing is starting to redefine his role with the Rockets. Acquired from Swift Current last January, Gerwing has now played 73 games in Kelowna, surpassing the 69 he played with the Broncos.

Saturday night against the Vancouver Giants was a breakthrough moment, as Gerwing recorded a career-high four points with two goals and two assists. Long known for his size and physical presence, he is now consistently showing what he can contribute offensively.

He battles along the boards, gets to the front of the net and protects the puck while creating space for his linemates. The Rockets still want him to be hard to play against, but the focus has shifted toward efficiency. By cutting down on trips to the penalty box and staying on the right side of the whistle, he is making a larger impact. Gerwing gives Kelowna something every team values: a big body who can generate chances, wear down defenders and make life uncomfortable in front of the net.

Power Play Success and Threat

Every top team has a dangerous power play, and the Rockets believe they now have the pieces to build exactly that. Since the January 9 trade deadline, Kelowna has scored 14 power-play goals on 41 opportunities, a success rate of 34.1 percent, which sits firmly in elite territory.

With the sixth-most power-play chances in the WHL this season, the Rockets’ man advantage has quietly become a game-changing weapon. But there is another side to it. In the team’s two regulation losses since the deadline, the power play went a combined 0-for-7. At five-on-five, the Rockets can compete with anyone. When the power play is clicking, they can beat anyone.

BC Division January Recap

When January ended, the BC Division standings told a clear story. Penticton dominated the month with a 12-1-0-0 record and 24 points. Kelowna followed with an 8-3-1-1 stretch for 18 points, while Kamloops stayed close at 7-2-3-0 and 17 points.

Prince George endured an uneven month at 6-6-1-0, while Victoria hovered around the break-even mark at 6-6-0-0. Vancouver struggled through January with a 2-8-0-1 record, collecting just five points, the lowest total in the division.

The month did not decide the BC Division, but it did reveal the separation. Penticton pulled away, Kelowna and Kamloops remained firmly in the race, Prince George and Victoria treaded water and Vancouver searched for traction. Now February arrives with a schedule packed with potential first-round playoff matchups.

Shane Smith, No Ordinary Overager

Overage forward Shane Smith continues to impress. Yes, his skill set is obvious and his shot is lethal, but when you look deeper you begin to understand what truly separates him.

Despite being sidelined with an upper-body injury following a fight with Seattle’s Ashton Cumby, Smith still travelled with the team to Vancouver for Saturday night’s game against the Giants. He could have stayed home, and most players in his situation would have. Instead, he chose to get on the bus and be with his teammates.

That decision reflects his commitment, his leadership and the standard he sets inside the room. Being injured did not remove him from the group, and it did not weaken his connection to what this team is trying to build.

He reinforced that impression off the ice as well. Smith was excellent in his interview this week, thoughtful, well spoken and clear about both his role and his responsibility as an overage player. There was no entitlement in his answers, only accountability. In a league built on development, Shane Smith is a powerful example of what a 20-year-old should look like.

Are Some Wins Bigger Than Others?

It was only one win. One win does not define a season, just as one loss does not. But the Rockets’ 4–2 victory over the Prince George Cougars on Friday night was a meaningful step forward for this group.

In truth, it was a game Kelowna could not afford to lose. There were no excuses available, no travel issues and no fatigue. They were at home and fresh, unlike earlier in the week when they were shut out 5–0 by Penticton after playing the night before in Seattle.

Prince George sits above Kelowna in the standings, and for weeks the message around this team has been about belief and about knowing they can compete with the best teams in the Western Conference. But belief only matters when it shows up on the ice, and Friday night finally delivered proof.

The Rockets have pushed top teams before. They were right there with Everett and they have flirted with statement games, but close still means nothing in the standings. A loss is a loss. This one was different.

This win showed the group, in real time, that they can beat teams above them in the standings, not in theory, not in short stretches and not through moral victories. They did it over sixty minutes against a divisional rival that matters. They can say they want to challenge the best in the conference. Now they can say they already have. Was it the biggest win of the season for this new group? For RocketFAN, it is hard to argue that it was not.

Fan Bases, Short Memories and Loud Timelines

Fan bases are funny. Win a little and they get loud. Lose a little and the interest fades. Timelines go quiet. As the old saying goes, fans are with you through a win or a tie. Lose, and some of them vanish.

What makes it even more entertaining is how bold some supporters become when their team is rolling. It is no longer enough to celebrate on their own team’s page. Now they wander into other markets, other fan bases and other comment sections, tossing shade wherever they can find an open reply box.

Confidence is contagious in hockey. So is selective memory.

It was not that long ago that Prince George Cougars fans had very little to say online, other than frustration with ownership and disappointment with what was happening on the ice. The conversation was not about playoff races or statement wins. It was about small crowds and ticket prices that felt too high for what was being delivered.

Those were not exactly glory days.

Fast forward to now and suddenly the keyboards are fearless. The chest is out. The comments are flying. Funny how winning changes the tone.

This is not a shot at the Cougars. Every fan base does it. Kelowna included. Success gives everyone a little swagger. But it also comes with a short memory.

Because hockey is cyclical. Always has been. Hot teams cool off. Quiet buildings fill up again. Loud voices eventually get tested by a rough stretch.

So enjoy the ride. Celebrate the wins. Chirp if you must. Just remember where the conversation used to live, back when the only thing louder than the complaints was the silence in the standings.