‘I’m just thankful it wasn’t career ending’ – Ty Halaburda

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One month later, the 21-year-old is finally beginning to feel like himself again.

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Today, almost exactly one month after being separated from his teammates following the injury, Halaburda will return to Kelowna and rejoin the Rockets.

“I’m feeling really good,” Halaburda told RocketFAN from his home in Victoria. “Just recovering every day and taking it day by day. I’m on the road back.”

That road has not been easy.

Doctors later discovered Halaburda suffered a small brain bleed from the impact. Thankfully, it began improving quickly.

“By the second day it was already dissipating and going away,” he explained. “That’s kind of why I got released from the hospital.”

Still, the injury ended his season instantly.

For a player who spent the year helping drive the Rockets toward the Memorial Cup they will host later this month, the timing could not have been worse.

“It’s really tough,” Halaburda admitted. “I’d love to play in the Memorial Cup and win with the boys. But now I’ll just be watching them.”

That reality is still sinking in.

For the first few weeks after the injury, even basic daily life felt strange. Hockey players are conditioned to move constantly, practices, workouts, games, travel, and routines. Suddenly, Halaburda was being told to slow everything down.

“The first couple of weeks were really slow,” he said. “You’re tired all the time, and you can’t do too much. You’re basically just recovering.”

Doctors wanted him to avoid physical activity. No workouts. No contact. No pushing himself.

For someone used to the pace of junior hockey, it felt foreign.

“This whole thing made me appreciate playing a lot more,” he said.

These days, recovery looks much different than playoff hockey.

Instead of battling along the boards or chasing down loose pucks, Halaburda spends time going for walks, getting fresh air, and slowly rebuilding his strength. He has also tried something unexpected during all the downtime.

Reading.

Kind of.

Halaburda laughed when asked about becoming a “book guy” during recovery.

He picked up Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey and another book written by legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick, though he admitted neither has exactly turned him into a library regular.

“I’m trying to get into reading,” he joked. “But I’m not a huge reader.”

What has helped most, though, has been hearing from teammates and the hockey community.

The frightening nature of the injury sparked an outpouring of support across social media and throughout the WHL. Messages flooded in from Rockets fans, opponents and people throughout the hockey world.

“It makes you feel really good,” Halaburda said. “The hockey community is awesome. We compete hard against each other, and everybody wants to win, but when something like that happens, people really care.”

His teammates have been especially important.

“They’ve all told me to take my time and make sure I’m good,” he said. “They’ve been really supportive. I’m thankful for all of them.”

Now, for the first time since that frightening night in Everett, Halaburda will once again be around the team daily as the Rockets prepare for the Memorial Cup.

He will be back in the dressing room – laughing, joking and supporting teammates – even if he can’t join them on the ice.

It will still feel strange.

“There’ll definitely be moments where you wish you were out there,” he said.

Then, with a grin, he added: “Maybe I’ll throw my gear on and sneak out for a couple shifts undercover.”

That humour has helped carry him through the hardest parts of recovery.

Because, despite the progress, there are still reminders of what was lost.

When the Memorial Cup opens May 22 at Prospera Place, Halaburda knows exactly where he was supposed to be.

In the lineup.

Instead, he will be watching from the sidelines while teammates chase the biggest prize in Canadian junior hockey.

But perspective has changed everything.

Asked if there was ever a “why me?” moment after learning his season was over, Halaburda paused.

“You play a contact sport,” he said. “Things can happen.”

Then came the part that mattered most.

“I’m just thankful it wasn’t career-ending.”

That thought stays with him every day now.

The recovery continues. Contact is still months away. But Halaburda has already returned to light workouts and skating on his own. The future remains bright.

And for the Rockets forward, that is more than enough.

A month ago, an arena held its breath.

Today, Ty Halaburda finally comes back to the team he has badly missed.