Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News' WHL 2025-26 preview series. Leading up to the start of the 2025-26 season, THN's WHL team will preview each Western Hockey League organization and provide a prediction on how each team will perform during the campaign. Today's edition will focus on the Kelowna Rockets who will be hosting the Memorial Cup this season.
The Rockets had a challenging 2024-25 as they missed the playoffs and traded away Andrew Cristall as well as Caden Price. Tij Iginla also was out of the lineup for a significant part of he season as he recovered from double hit surgery. While missing the post-season was not ideal, the Rockets were able to acquire significant draft capital that should help them build a powerhouse team this year.
Speaking of the 2025-26 season, this is the year for Kelowna to go all in. As mentioned, they are hosting the Memorial Cup, which means they will receive an automatic berth into the tournament. While there are still some moves on the horizon, the Rockets have already made some key trades, acquiring Mazden Leslie and Carson Wetsch this off-season.
Key Departures:
G Jari Kykkanen, F Max Graham, F Jakub Stancl, F Michael Cicek
This off-season, Kelowna lost a few key players as they aged out of the WHL. Graham, who was the team captain last year, as well as Cicek and Kykkanen, are all off to start their pro careers. As for Stancl, while he can return, he will most likely spend the season in the AHL.
Key Additions:
D Mazden Leslie, F Carson Wetsch, G Harrison Boettiger, F Daniel Pekař, F Tomáš Poletín
This off-season, Kelowna traded for two players with plenty of WHL experience in Leslie and Westch. The Rockets also added some intriguing import players from Czechia, as they drafted Pekař and Poletín. As for the goaltending position, Kelowna was able to sign Boettiger, who played for the U.S. National U18 Team last season.
2025-26 X-Factor:
A player who has the potential to be a breakout star this season is forward Kalder Varga. The 17-year-old had a productive rookie season in the WHL, recording 24 points in 58 games and recently won Gold at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. If Varga can take another step in his development, he could be a point-per-game player in 2025-26.
2025-26 Prediction:
The Rockets are committed to doing everything possible to be the top team in the WHL this year. This includes potentially pulling off some significant trades, according to GM Bruce Hamilton. Based on the players projected to return like Hayden Paupanekis, Will Sharpe and Levi Benson, as well as some of the additions Kelowna made this off-season, it should not be a surprise to see them at the top of the standings by the end of the campaign.
- First In the B.C. Division, Second In The Western Conference
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