Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Rockets record about to fall

‘Gabby’ on the cusp of greatness

Jan 17, 2024 | 8:00 AM

When the Kelowna Rockets selected a 17-year-old forward by the name of Gabriel Szturc 44th overall in the CHL Import Draft in the summer of 2021, he was a virtual unknown on this side of the ocean.

It was like pulling teeth to obtain a photo of him from the Internet, going essentially on hearsay from a scout on the qualities that would make him an impactful junior player. And don’t get us started on the pronunciation of his unusually spelled last name.

At the time, it would have been ambitious to suggest he would one day captain the Kelowna Rockets and to think he would become the highest-scoring European-born player in franchise history was unthinkable.

Here we are today, and the player known as ‘Gabby’ to his teammates is knocking on the door of greatness. Szturc has 173 career WHL points, which is tied with Vaclav Varada for the all-time club lead in points by a player born in Europe.

One more goal. One more assist. Just one more point and the record is his.

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“Of course I am happy with the offensive success,” Szturc’s voice downplaying the impressive accomplishment. “It is always good to see, but now that I am more mature, it is all about winning the games. That is what it is all about.”

Understated as much today as when he made his WHL debut with the Rockets on October 10, 2021, with a two-assist effort on the road in Victoria, Szturc has always put his teammates before himself.

“I don’t think about it [the record] to be honest,” he added, instead eying a win tonight when his team hosts the Portland Winterhawks at Prospera Place (104.7 The Lizard has the pre-game show at 6:35 pm). “My focus is on winning hockey games. It is really good when the team wins some games. The mood is better, so the plan for the next one is to win a game.”

Coming off a career-high 79 points (24+55=79) a season ago, where in February of 2022 he was named the first European captain in franchise history, Szturc has 21 goals in just 34 games this season. The numbers are staggering, with 132 points in his last 90 games played. It is that type of scoring prowess that has Szturc surpassing Varada and rewriting the record books.

“He [Varada] has had a lot of success as a head coach in the last few years in the Czech pro league,” he said, speaking glowingly about the player that wore the same number – 22 – in his time with the Rockets. “A lot of hockey guys know him.”

Now 47, Varada played two seasons in the Western Hockey League, one in Tacoma and another in Kelowna from 1994-1996. Eventually chosen in the 4^th round of the NHL Draft in 1994, he would play 493 games with the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. Varada’s last season in the NHL was in 2005-2006.

Now in his final season of major junior hockey, Szturc has shown great strides in his overall game. You will notice his ability to play a more physical style, which includes pinning opponents against the boards, placing strategic open ice hits, and becoming more North Americanized both on and off the ice.

“I do like the smaller ice surface than the bigger ones in Europe,” he admitted. “Anytime you can play physically and fast, I like that more.”

Put yourself in his shoes for just a second. A teenager, in a new country, a new city, a new language, and now being asked to be an impactful hockey player as one of two imports, playing alongside fellow countrymen Pavel Novak at the time.

“It was a tough decision [coming over to Canada] for sure, and I was young,” Szturc said honestly. “It is pretty far from my home, but after discussing it with my family, and my close friends, I decided it would be best for me and it has been the best for me.”

Not if but when he leapfrogs over Varada for the most points, by seasons end he could also chase down and surpass Tomas Soustal (175) for most games played by an import player.

“We want to prepare ourselves for the playoffs,” Szturc said. “With lots of talent on the team, we must show it on the ice. Sometimes we don’t play the right way [to their strengths], but the last fifteen games we are playing more as a team.”

When asked what he wants to accomplish before his major junior eligibility runs out, he didn’t blink an eye to the question.

“The jobs not done.”