Important off-season underway as Rockets look to retool for 2026 Memorial Cup run

Photo: Kelowna Rockets

To say this is one of the most important off seasons the Kelowna Rockets have faced in several years would be an understatement.

After missing the post season for the first time since 2019, general manager Bruce Hamilton and assistant GM Curtis Hamilton now have the task of not only retooling the roster ahead of hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup, but also finding a new head coach to lead that team.

So, just what does the retooling look like?

“Four or five (players), and that includes two or three Europeans if the rule changes to three,” Bruce Hamilton said following Tuesday’s awards ceremony.

“We certainly know what we need and what we want to get and now we are trying to make sure we are in the race early in the bidding process.

While not getting into names specifically, Hamilton says one of the top priorities is finding a centre to play with Tij Iginla, who should be ready to go following season-ending surgery.

That may be Hayden Paupanekis, acquired as part of the deal that sent Andrew Cristall to Spokane, or someone else.

Before he does anything, Hamilton says he wants to get a deal done with Penticton with regards to the expansion draft, whether that’s a player or a draft choice.

Following the trade deadline, and after losing both Max Graham and Michael Cicek to season-ending injuries, the Rockets managed to win just four of their last 33 games.

Those injuries gave the Rockets a chance to see what they had in the young men remaining on the roster, which featured nine rookies including four 16-year-olds.

He liked the progress he saw.

“I think Varga is going to be a really exciting player for us. I think Folstrom is going to be a real sound two-way player, Henderson is going to be a real good defenceman. He reminds me a lot of his father.

“(Hiroki) Gojsic has got some real bite to his game. It's just a matter of him maturing and understanding the game a little bit more.

With the injuries we had they played in situations they never would have played. They wouldn't have been on the penalty kill, they wouldn't have been on the power play.”

Many of those players will likely be contributors at the bottom of the roster next season as Hamilton looks to load up with 19-year-old talent for the Memorial Cup year.

“To play in the Memorial Cup you have to have a lot of 19-year-olds and we’ll have a lot of 19-year-olds.”

Hamilton says there is nothing to report on the coaching front.

While he wouldn’t exclude Derrick Martin, who led the team over the last 33 games, Hamilton says they are going to wait and see what becomes available.

“Ideally I would love to find a real experienced guy to give (Martin) a year of mentorship, but if that doesn’t happen we’ll do what we have to do.

“Number 1, our culture has to get back to where it was.

“That's an easy thing for everyone to say, but it's critical to me that we get to this being a very difficult place to play. We've lost that and that has to come back.

”It's critical we get somebody who brings a little bit of respect and has a little bit of bite to him too. Accountability is a big thing and I want that badly.”