It was a good two days at the WHL draft but Rockets GM says it could have been better

Rocket draft highs and lows

Photo: Calgary Hitmen

Carson Wetsch

The Kelowna Rockets went into the 2025 Western Hockey League draft with a shopping list of things to get done.

And, for the most part, it was mission accomplished.

Rockets president and GM Bruce Hamilton got the type of leader and talent he was looking for in right winger Carson Wetsch from the Calgary Hitmen, a beast of a defenceman in first round pick Will Kelts and winger Joel Ngandu who they are extremely high on after trading back into the second round to select.

But, he also rued losing out on a pair of deals with the Swift Current Broncos.

“The (Rylan) Gould deal blew my mind last night,” said Hamilton.

“I thought we had a deal.”

Gould, who put up 66 points last season, was dealt late Thursday night to the Everett Silvertips for a prospect and a first round pick in 2026.

“We were in on (Clarke) Caswell, but when he decided to go to (University of) Denver, that changed it.

“We’ve been very active. There will be more stuff now that (the draft) is over.”

While many teams will take the next week or so to re-evaluate where their roster sits following the draft, Hamilton expects the Rockets to keep moving forward looking for ways to reshape next year's roster.

“We will keep shopping and bothering people.

“An older centre would be ideal. Then we would have Poppy (Hayden Paupanekis and one more there, and for sure an overage defenceman.

“The problem with all of this is the guys we want to go after who are overages are waiting to see what happens with contracts, tryouts and school.”

They will also be preparing for the CHL import draft July 2.

The Rockets pick seventh in that draft and should get a high end talent at that spot.

“We need to get two for sure out of there that can play. If we do it makes the number of guys we need to add a lot smaller.”

As for the prospects draft, Hamilton says he is delighted with the mix of five defencemen, five forwards and a goaltender.

He is extremely high on goaltender Logan German, taken in the sixth round out of Winnipeg.

He was the fifteenth goaltender taken but had the best numbers of any of them, posting an 18-0 record and a 1.18 goals against average.

The Rockets had defenceman Dylan Veroba, taken in the eighth round, rated as a third round pick.

As for Kelts, taken 20th overall, Hamilton says they would have taken him third if they had kept that pick.

“We couldn’t believe he was still around at 20,” he said.

“This kid hadn’t played at a high level until this year.

“He’s a farm kid and until this year hadn’t left the farm. He’ll leave this year and train in the city probably. He’s going to be a big, mean big.”