*The opinions of a Western Hockey League radio broadcaster*
Regan Bartel is a broadcaster for Pattison Media, covering the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League since 2000. His play-by-play career began in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, with the Broncos. Since moving to Kelowna, Regan has called games at five Memorial Cups (2003, ’04, ’05, ’09, ’15), the CHL Top Prospects Game (2012) and the Canada-Russia Subway Super Series (2009).
30 players, plenty to watch
Regan's Rant: What I'm seeing
There is a rite of passage every August when WHL training camps open. A massive influx of prospects arrives, some drafted, some invited, and suddenly there are bodies everywhere.In the Rockets' case, 60 players showed up for camp.Now we're down to 30.I could come on here and fool you into thinking I knew all 60 players...
Sep 02, 2026
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A changing of the guard
The view from down the hall
The title on the door may change, but the office likely won't.Curtis Hamilton is now the General Manager of the Kelowna Rockets, the second person in franchise history to hold the position.Walk into the Rockets' office at Prospera Place, and you'll find a workplace filled with history. But walk down the hallway, and th...
Aug 27, 2026
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Generating offense
The Rockets' biggest challenge heading into 2026-2027
When the Kelowna Rockets open training camp Wednesday at Prospera Place, there is one question that has to be asked: Where have all the goals gone? And perhaps just as importantly, who is going to replace them? Registration begins Wednesday, with the first on-ice sessions scheduled for Thursday. The Rockets are coming ...
Aug 24, 2026
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Notes, quotes and anecdotes
Things that make me go hmm...
HIROKI MOVING TO HIGHER GROUND?Hiroki Gojsic is going to get every opportunity to begin his professional hockey career this season. While the 20-year-old is eligible to return to the Rockets for his overage season, he's already a signed player in the Nashville Predators organization. Nashville selected Gojsic in the th...
Aug 10, 2026
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The tournament is done. The hard part isn’t.
After the Memorial Cup: Rockets head into another big offseason
It has been just over three weeks since the start of the 2026 Memorial Cup, and while the Kelowna Rockets did not get the results they wanted on the ice, this tournament is right up there for me as one of the more rewarding ones I have covered as a broadcaster, now six of them in the books.There is always a strange bal...
Jun 11, 2026
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Holding the key to the first-overall pick
Rockets searching for their next game-breaker
The Kelowna Rockets don't just need a good player. They need a difference-maker.Someone who walks in and changes the temperature of the room.They'll be young. There will be mistakes. But this has to be a player you grow through selection, not one you rent via trade.Every prospect has flaws. That's part of it. You live ...
May 06, 2026
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Rockets await start of Memorial Cup
Chances were there. Goals weren't
The Kelowna Rockets knew going in that a lot had to go right - and very little could go wrong - if they were going to beat the Everett Silvertips.Turns out... that wasn't just a theory.It was reality.Despite earning just one of a possible eight points against Everett during the regular season, there was some reason for...
Apr 20, 2026
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Enough talk. Time for action
As they say in Everett, 'Let's play hockey!
Welcome to Everett.Game 1 is set inside Angel of the Winds Arena, where the Kelowna Rockets meet the Everett Silvertips in a series that, honestly, has already told us a lot.Just not the ending.Because when you look back at the season series, the first thing you notice is the score. Everett outscored Kelowna 17-10.But ...
Apr 10, 2026
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Rockets face road test in games 3 and 4
Goaltending, discipline and depth driving 2-0 series lead over Blazers
The Kelowna Rockets head to Kamloops with a 2-0 series lead, but the scores don't really tell the full story. Even though it's been 3-1 and 5-1 on paper, both games have felt a lot tighter than that. Game 2 especially had Kamloops with more jump right off the opening faceoff.Right now, the biggest story has been Rocket...
Mar 30, 2026
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Rockets DOA. Dominate. Overcome. Achieve
Things that make me go hmm....
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 Okan...
Feb 02, 2026
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Too good to ignore, too hated to care
Kelowna Rockets: The team the Internet loves to hate
For a team that's currently winning hockey games, the Kelowna Rockets sure seem to spend a lot of time being told they're not good enough. Not good enough to host the 2026 Memorial Cup.Not good enough on paper.Not good enough in the standings.Not good enough, apparently, for people who don't live in Kelowna but do have...
Jan 13, 2026
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Notes, quotes and anecdotes
Things that make me go hmm...
Good morning from chilly Brandon, Manitoba, the site of game two of the Kelowna Rockets Eastern Division road trip. Outside of the excellent hockey in arenas visited only once every two seasons, the weather dominates the headlines. It's the coldest day of the trip, with temperatures expected to drop to -23 and the wind...
Dec 12, 2025
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