[{"id":55946,"date":"2026-07-14T15:01:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T22:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55946"},"modified":"2026-07-14T15:01:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T22:01:06","slug":"madden-daneault-eligible-34-games-2026-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/madden-daneault-eligible-34-games-2026-27","title":{"rendered":"Madden Daneault Eligible to Play Up to 34 Games with Rockets During 2026-27 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2013 The Kelowna Rockets announced today that 2026 WHL Prospects Draft first overall selection Madden Daneault is eligible to play up to 34 regular season games with the club during the 2026-27 season under Hockey Canada&#8217;s Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM).<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Daneault, selected first overall by the Rockets in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft, enjoyed a remarkable 2025-26 season with the Red Deer Rebels U15 AAA program, recording 149 points (65G, 84A) in just 34 regular season games. He also earned AEHL U15 First All-Star Team honours while leading the league in goals, assists, and points.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The Red Deer product also starred at the John Reid Memorial Tournament, where he was named Tournament MVP and Top Forward for a second consecutive season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The 2026-27 season will mark the beginning of Daneault&#8217;s WHL career as one of the league&#8217;s most highly anticipated young prospects.<\/p>\n<p>The Rockets open their home schedule on Saturday, September 26 against the Penticton Vees at Prospera Place.<\/p>\n<p>2026-27 season tickets are on sale now at kelownarockets.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2013 The Kelowna Rockets announced today that 2026 WHL Prospects Draft first overall selection Madden Daneault is eligible to play up to 34 regular season games with the club during the 2026-27 season under Hockey Canada&#8217;s Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM). Daneault, selected first overall by the Rockets in the 2026 WHL Prospects&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/07\/14150017\/Daneault-scaled.jpg",2560,1440,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55946"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55946\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55949,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55946\/revisions\/55949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55943,"date":"2026-07-14T11:41:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55943"},"modified":"2026-07-14T11:41:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:41:28","slug":"will-kelts-hockey-canada-u17-development-camp-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/will-kelts-hockey-canada-u17-development-camp-2026","title":{"rendered":"Rockets Prospect Will Kelts Invited to Hockey Canada&#8217;s National Under-17 Development Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kelowna Rockets prospect Will Kelts is one of 80 players invited to Hockey Canada&#8217;s National Under-17 Team Development Camp, set for July 17-21 in Oakville, Ontario.<\/p>\n<p>Kelts, a 16-year-old defenceman from Consort, Alberta, was selected by the Rockets in the first round, 20th overall, in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft. The 6&#8217;3&#8243;, 198-pound left-shot blue-liner spent the 2025-26 season with the Northern Alberta Xtreme U18 Prep program in the CSSHL U18 league, posting six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 28 regular-season games and adding one assist in six playoff appearances.<\/p>\n<p>The 80-player roster, which includes eight goaltenders, 24 defencemen, and 48 forwards, was selected by Program of Excellence general manager Alan Millar, alongside POE head scout Byron Bonora and U17 assistant general manager Mike Johnston, with input from Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy, director of hockey operations. Hockey Canada&#8217;s network of regional scouts and member representatives also assisted in the selection process.<\/p>\n<p>All 80 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League clubs \u2014 31 from the Ontario Hockey League, 29 from the Western Hockey League, and 20 from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The players will be split into four teams for the five-day camp, which features two days of practice and six games from July 19-21.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are excited to unveil the top Canadian under-17 players who have earned invitations to our development camp this week, and to introduce these young players to Hockey Canada&#8217;s Program of Excellence,&#8221; said Millar. &#8220;This is a very talented and exciting group that will be surrounded by world-class coaching and support staffs, and we look forward to introducing them to our program, setting the expectations for the season and preparing for the U17 World Challenge later this year.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Following camp, players will continue to be evaluated through the beginning of the 2026-27 season before the Canada Red and Canada White rosters are named ahead of the 2026 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, scheduled for November 1-7 in Oakville.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kelowna Rockets prospect Will Kelts is one of 80 players invited to Hockey Canada&#8217;s National Under-17 Team Development Camp, set for July 17-21 in Oakville, Ontario. Kelts, a 16-year-old defenceman from Consort, Alberta, was selected by the Rockets in the first round, 20th overall, in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft. The 6&#8217;3&#8243;, 198-pound left-shot blue-liner&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/07\/14113527\/20250903PSPrinceton-0128-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55943"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55945,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55943\/revisions\/55945"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55940,"date":"2026-07-14T11:08:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55940"},"modified":"2026-07-14T11:08:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:08:39","slug":"kelowna-rockets-prospects-usa-hockey-national-development-camps-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/kelowna-rockets-prospects-usa-hockey-national-development-camps-2026","title":{"rendered":"Five Rockets Prospects Named to USA National Development Camps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets are proud to announce that five prospects from the organization have been invited to attend USA Hockey&#8217;s 2026 Boys National Player Development Camps this summer in Amherst, New York. These highly regarded camps serve as a cornerstone of USA Hockey&#8217;s elite player development model and function as evaluation platforms for future international competitions, including the Four Nations Tournament and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"><strong>Boys National 15 Player Development Camp (2011 birth year)<\/strong><br \/>\nJuly 15 \u2013 21 | Amherst, N.Y.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Focused on long-term athlete development, the National 15 Camp introduces the top 2011-born American players to USA Hockey&#8217;s high-performance training model and lays the foundation for the next generation of elite American hockey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Kelowna Rockets participants:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\">\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Zachary Martin (D)<\/strong> \u2014 Drafted 6th round, 122nd overall in 2026 WHL Prospects Draft<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"><strong>Boys National 16 Player Development Camp (2010 birth year)<\/strong><br \/>\nJune 25 \u2013 July 1 | Amherst, N.Y.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">The National 16 Camp identifies and trains the top 2010-born players in the United States and serves as a key evaluation event for the U.S. Under-17 Select Team, which will compete at the Four Nations Tournament later this summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Kelowna Rockets participants:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\">\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Charlie Marvin (F)<\/strong> \u2014 Listed by Kelowna during 2025-26 season | 1G, 3A, 4P in 4GP<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Drew McDevitt (F)<\/strong> \u2014 Drafted 1st round, 9th overall in 2025 WHL US Prospects Draft | 2G, 0A, 2P in 4GP<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"><strong>Boys National 17 Festival (2009 birth year)<\/strong><br \/>\nJuly 7 \u2013 13 | Amherst, N.Y.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">The National 17 Festival features the top 2009-born players competing in a district-based format and is instrumental in the selection process for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Camp, where the U.S. Under-18 Team will be finalized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Kelowna Rockets participants:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\">\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Colton Lien (F)<\/strong> \u2014 Drafted 1st round, 11th overall in 2024 WHL US Prospects Draft | 1G, 1A, 2P in 6GP<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Drew Larioza (F)<\/strong> \u2014 Drafted 2nd round, 33rd overall in 2024 WHL US Prospects Draft | 0G, 4A, 4P in 6GP<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">The Kelowna Rockets congratulate all five players on their selection to these prestigious events and commend them for their continued commitment to development and excellence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets are proud to announce that five prospects from the organization have been invited to attend USA Hockey&#8217;s 2026 Boys National Player Development Camps this summer in Amherst, New York. These highly regarded camps serve as a cornerstone of USA Hockey&#8217;s elite player development model and function as evaluation platforms&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55941,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/07\/14110449\/CharlieMarvin.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55940"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55942,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55940\/revisions\/55942"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55929,"date":"2026-07-13T09:32:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T16:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55929"},"modified":"2026-07-13T09:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T16:32:03","slug":"kelowna-rockets-sign-minnesota-forward-cole-braunshausen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/kelowna-rockets-sign-minnesota-forward-cole-braunshausen","title":{"rendered":"Rockets Sign Forward Cole Braunshausen to WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets have signed 2007-born forward Cole Braunshausen to a WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement. Braunshausen was listed by the Rockets earlier this season.<\/p>\n<p>Braunshausen, 18, is a 5&#8217;9&#8243;, 176-pound right-shot winger from Lake Elmo, Minnesota. He served as captain of St. Thomas Academy in 2025-26, posting 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points in 28 games, a season that established him as one of the top players in Minnesota high school hockey and earned him a nomination as a finalist for the Mr. Hockey Award, presented annually to the outstanding senior high school player in the state of Minnesota by a panel of NHL scouts, junior scouts and coaches, and media members. He also appeared with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL this past season, recording four goals and two assists in seven regular-season games and adding four points in eight playoff contests.<\/p>\n<p>Braunshausen is a dynamic, high-compete player whose game is built around speed and instincts. He uses his quickness and agility to navigate through traffic and find open ice, and his fast hands and accurate passing allow him to set up teammates consistently. He is also a tenacious defensive player, willing to block shots, kill penalties, and strip pucks from opponents, and he transitions immediately into offence. Despite his size, Braunshausen plays a physically engaged game and his compete level stands out at every level he has played.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Cole is the type of player who makes your team better in all three zones,&#8221; said President &amp; General Manager Bruce Hamilton. &#8220;He&#8217;s quick, he&#8217;s smart, and he competes hard every shift. We&#8217;re excited to have him in Kelowna.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Braunshausen becomes the second Rockets forward from Minnesota on the roster, joining Ryan Oothoudt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets have signed 2007-born forward Cole Braunshausen to a WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement. Braunshausen was listed by the Rockets earlier this season. Braunshausen, 18, is a 5&#8217;9&#8243;, 176-pound right-shot winger from Lake Elmo, Minnesota. He served as captain of St. Thomas Academy in 2025-26, posting 30 goals and 37&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/30153531\/Cole-Braunshausen-signed-horizontal.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55929"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55932,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55929\/revisions\/55932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55923,"date":"2026-06-30T13:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55923"},"modified":"2026-06-30T12:57:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:57:33","slug":"kelowna-rockets-2026-27-schedule-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/kelowna-rockets-2026-27-schedule-release","title":{"rendered":"Kelowna Rockets Release 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2013 The Kelowna Rockets have announced their schedule for the 2026-27\u00a0season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The Rockets open the season on the road against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday, September 19th. Kelowna&#8217;s home opener follows one week later on Saturday, September 26th, when the Rockets host the Penticton Vees at Prospera Place in the annual Battle of the Okanagan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The 2026-27 schedule features several key divisional matchups, including eight meetings with the Penticton Vees, Victoria Royals, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars while only having seven meetings with the Vancouver Giants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Kelowna\u2019s first home game against Kamloops is set for Friday, October 2, 2026, while the Rockets will host Penticton four times throughout the season, including December 27 2026 and the regular season finale on Saturday, March 27 2027.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Other notable home dates include Family Day on Monday, February 15, 2027 against the Tri-City Americans, as well as visits from East Division opponents Swift Current, Brandon, Moose Jaw, Regina, Prince Albert, and Saskatoon.<\/p>\n<p>One of the defining stretches of the Rockets&#8217; 2026-27 schedule is a demanding five-game Alberta road trip from January 16th through January 22nd, which will see Kelowna play five games in seven days against the Edmonton Oil Kings, Calgary Hitmen, Red Deer Rebels, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Lethbridge Hurricanes. It is the Rockets&#8217; lone trip into the Eastern Conference this season and stands as the longest single road trip on the schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Fans can secure their seats online at kelownarockets.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2013 The Kelowna Rockets have announced their schedule for the 2026-27\u00a0season. The Rockets open the season on the road against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday, September 19th. Kelowna&#8217;s home opener follows one week later on Saturday, September 26th, when the Rockets host the Penticton Vees at Prospera Place in the annual Battle of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/30125558\/26-27-schedule-cover-horizontal.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55923"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55925,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55923\/revisions\/55925"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55918,"date":"2026-06-30T10:39:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55918"},"modified":"2026-06-30T10:42:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:42:40","slug":"rockets-add-two-forwards-in-2026-chl-import-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/rockets-add-two-forwards-in-2026-chl-import-draft","title":{"rendered":"Rockets Add Two Forwards in 2026 CHL Import Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets selected two forwards in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, using their first-round pick to select 2007-born Jakub Frolo 33rd overall before adding 2009-born Petr H\u00f6rnig in the third round, 173rd overall.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"pick-tag\">Round 1 #33 | <\/span>Jakub Frolo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Frolo, 18, is a 6&#8217;2&#8243;, 194-pound right-shot forward from Vsetin, Czechia. He spent the 2025-26 season with Ilves&#8217; U20 program in Finland&#8217;s U20 SM-sarja, recording 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points in 37 games, the highest points-per-game average among all draft-eligible skaters in the league with at least 10 games played. He carried that production into the playoffs, adding nine points in eight games as Ilves&#8217; U20 squad claimed the silver medal, and also made one appearance with Ilves&#8217; senior team in Liiga. Frolo was eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and was ranked as high as 32nd among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n<p>A highly regarded passer and playmaker, Frolo is known for his hockey sense and ability to find teammates from difficult angles, frequently setting up scoring chances from the half-wall and across the slot. He plays with an edge and is not afraid to get under the skin of opponents. Frolo is expected to join the Rockets for the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"pick-tag\">Round 3 #173 | Petr<\/span>\u00a0H\u00f6rnig<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>H\u00f6rnig, 16, is a 5&#8217;8&#8243;, 163-pound right-shot forward from Liberec, Czechia who played for B\u00edl\u00ed Tyg\u0159i Liberec&#8217;s U17 program in 2025-26, posting 23 goals and 25 assists for 48 points in 33 games to go along with 14 points in 9 playoff games. He also saw action with Liberec&#8217;s U20 squad. H\u00f6rnig is eligible for the 2028 NHL Draft and is expected to continue his development in Europe for the 2026-27 season, with the possibility of joining the Rockets in a future season.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re excited about the players we were able to add today,&#8221; said President &amp; General Manager Bruce Hamilton. &#8220;Jakub is a highly skilled, intelligent player who can make plays at a high level, and we expect him to step right into our lineup this season. Petr is a younger player with real offensive upside, and we&#8217;ll continue to monitor his development as he gets closer to making the jump to North America.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets selected two forwards in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, using their first-round pick to select 2007-born Jakub Frolo 33rd overall before adding 2009-born Petr H\u00f6rnig in the third round, 173rd overall. Round 1 #33 | Jakub Frolo Frolo, 18, is a 6&#8217;2&#8243;, 194-pound right-shot forward from Vsetin, Czechia. He&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/30103717\/Draft-Recap-CHL-Import.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55918"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55922,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55918\/revisions\/55922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55903,"date":"2026-06-26T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55903"},"modified":"2026-06-24T16:04:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:04:42","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-profile-owen-folstrom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/2026-nhl-draft-profile-owen-folstrom","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Profile: Owen Folstrom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"3:1-4:67;41-199\"><strong>Position:<\/strong> Forward | <strong>Height:<\/strong> 6&#8217;0&#8243; | <strong>Weight:<\/strong> 185 lbs | <strong>Shoots:<\/strong> Right | <strong>Date of Birth:<\/strong> March 21, 2008 | <strong>Hometown:<\/strong> Calgary, AB, CAN<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"8:1-8:97;206-302\">Owen Folstrom&#8217;s second WHL season looked nothing like his first and that is precisely the point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"10:1-10:362;304-665\">The 18-year-old right-shot centre from Calgary went from six points in 57 games in 2024\u201325 to 19 points (14G, 5A) in 65 games this season, more than tripling his offensive output. Fourteen goals against WHL-level goaltending, as one of the younger players in the league, is a genuine marker of development.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"12:1-12:564;667-1230\">Folstrom&#8217;s game is built around compete and effectiveness in the hardest areas of the ice. He goes to the net, wins puck battles, and drives through traffic. Neutral Zone Scouting described him as a player who &#8220;excels at going to the net, winning puck battles, and driving through traffic&#8221; with &#8220;excellent skating ability&#8221; and &#8220;strong edge work&#8221; that allow him to get to those areas and stay there. His release is heavy for his age, his defensive awareness is noted as a strength, and his right shot adds flexibility that NHL teams value at the centre position.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"14:1-14:185;1232-1416\">He added a goal in nine playoff appearances and was in the lineup for all three of the Rockets&#8217; Memorial Cup games, a meaningful experience for a player in his second year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"16:1-16:197;1418-1614\">Folstrom could potentially hear his name called on June 26-27 in Buffalo at the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"20:1-23:41;1621-1833\"><strong>2025\u201326 Regular Season:<\/strong> 65 GP | 14 G | 5 A | 19 PTS | 27 PIM | -10 | <strong>Playoffs:<\/strong> 9 GP | 1 G | 0 A | 1 PTS | 4 PIM | <strong>Memorial Cup:<\/strong> 3 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 2 PIM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Position: Forward | Height: 6&#8217;0&#8243; | Weight: 185 lbs | Shoots: Right | Date of Birth: March 21, 2008 | Hometown: Calgary, AB, CAN Owen Folstrom&#8217;s second WHL season looked nothing like his first and that is precisely the point. The 18-year-old right-shot centre from Calgary went from six points in 57 games in 2024\u201325&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/24160117\/Folstrom-Draft-Eligible-Horizontal.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55912,"date":"2026-06-25T14:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55912"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:52:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:52:58","slug":"rockets-trade-owen-hayden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/rockets-trade-owen-hayden","title":{"rendered":"TRADE: Rockets acquire two first-round picks from Seattle in exchange for defenceman Owen Hayden"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets have traded 2009-born defenceman Owen Hayden, a 2026 CHL Import Draft second-round pick (112th overall), and a 2028 fourth-round pick to the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a 2026 CHL Import Draft first-round pick (33rd overall), a 2028 first-round pick (PA), and a 2027 third-round pick (PA).<\/p>\n<p>Hayden, 17, is a 6&#8217;7&#8243;, 216-pound left-shot defenceman from Calgary, Alberta. Selected by the Rockets with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, he appeared in 44 regular-season games for Kelowna in 2025-26 and was part of the Canadian Red team that captured gold at the 2025 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Owen approached us looking for a new opportunity and we were able to find the right deal for both sides. We feel good about what we were able to bring back in return.&#8221; said Rockets President &amp; General Manager Bruce Hamilton.<\/p>\n<p>The Rockets thank Owen for his time with the organization and wish him well in Seattle.<\/p>\n<p>With the addition of the #33 import pick from Seattle, combined with the #178 pick previously received from Edmonton as part of the Parker Alcos acquisition at the trade deadline, the Rockets head into the 2026 CHL Import Draft holding three selections.<\/p>\n<p>With veterans Vojtech Cihar and Tomas Poletin both expected to return to the organization for the 2026-27 season, the Rockets will evaluate their import roster needs heading into the import draft, where they could potentially bring in a third European player.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets have traded 2009-born defenceman Owen Hayden, a 2026 CHL Import Draft second-round pick (112th overall), and a 2028 fourth-round pick to the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a 2026 CHL Import Draft first-round pick (33rd overall), a 2028 first-round pick (PA), and a 2027 third-round pick (PA). Hayden, 17,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/24145713\/hayden-trade-horizontal.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55902,"date":"2026-06-25T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55902"},"modified":"2026-06-25T09:05:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:05:35","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-profile-dawson-gerwing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/2026-nhl-draft-profile-dawson-gerwing","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Profile: Dawson Gerwing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"3:1-4:70;42-193\"><strong>Position:<\/strong> Forward | <strong>Height:<\/strong> 6&#8217;4&#8243; | <strong>Weight:<\/strong> 231 lbs | <strong>Shoots:<\/strong> Left | <strong>Date of Birth:<\/strong> July 12, 2006 | <strong>Hometown:<\/strong> Meadow Lake, SK, CAN<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"8:1-8:247;200-446\">Dawson Gerwing is not a subtle player. The 19-year-old power forward from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, stands 6&#8217;4&#8243; and 231 pounds, plays in the game&#8217;s hardest real estate every shift, and has drawn the attention of NHL organizations because of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"10:1-10:686;448-1133\">Gerwing posted 24 points (11G, 13A) with 127 penalty minutes across 63 regular season games in 2025\u201326, adding two goals in nine playoff appearances and suiting up for all three of the Rockets&#8217; Memorial Cup games. His value goes well beyond the point totals. He drives to the net, wins board battles, applies relentless pressure on opposing defencemen in the offensive zone, and makes the team around him genuinely harder to play against. Neutral Zone Scouting described him as a player who &#8220;excels in his role as a net-front presence, consistently bringing energy and compete to every shift,&#8221; with the ability to &#8220;leverage his size and speed to deliver punishing hits when in stride.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"12:1-12:157;1135-1291\">For a player his size, he moves well, effective in the forecheck, capable of getting to the right spots, and physical enough to stay there once he arrives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"14:1-14:411;1293-1703\">This is also not Gerwing&#8217;s first appearance on the NHL radar. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 99th among North American skaters ahead of the 2025 Draft. Following 2024\u201325, the Los Angeles Kings invited him to their Development Camp. He impressed enough to earn a return invitation to their Rookie Camp alongside Rockets teammate Nate Corbet.<\/p>\n<p data-sourcepos=\"14:1-14:411;1293-1703\">Gerwing could potentially hear his name called on June 26-27 during the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" data-sourcepos=\"18:1-22:62;1710-1987\"><strong>2025\u201326 Regular Season:<\/strong> 63 GP | 11 G | 13 A | 24 PTS | 127 PIM | -5 | <strong>Playoffs:<\/strong> 9 GP | 2 G | 0 A | 2 PTS | 10 PIM | <strong>Memorial Cup:<\/strong> 3 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 9 PIM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Position: Forward | Height: 6&#8217;4&#8243; | Weight: 231 lbs | Shoots: Left | Date of Birth: July 12, 2006 | Hometown: Meadow Lake, SK, CAN Dawson Gerwing is not a subtle player. The 19-year-old power forward from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, stands 6&#8217;4&#8243; and 231 pounds, plays in the game&#8217;s hardest real estate every shift, and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/24154008\/Gerwing-Draft-Eligible-Horizontal.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":55879,"date":"2026-06-24T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/?p=55879"},"modified":"2026-06-24T14:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:32:22","slug":"rockets-sign-dane-sorensen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/article\/rockets-sign-dane-sorensen","title":{"rendered":"Rockets Sign Defenceman Dane Sorensen to WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>KELOWNA, BC<\/strong> \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets have signed 2007-born defenceman Dane Sorensen to a WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement. Earlier this offseason, the Rockets acquired Sorensen&#8217;s rights from the Victoria Royals.<\/p>\n<p>Sorensen, 19, is a 6&#8217;1&#8243;, 183-pound left-shot defenceman from Los Angeles, California. He spent the 2025-26 season split between the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL and the Brooks Bandits of the BCHL.<\/p>\n<p>In Sioux Falls, the blue-liner established himself as a physical presence, posting 91 penalty minutes in 41 games. After moving to Brooks, he recorded a goal and eight assists for nine points in 12 regular-season games before taking his play to another level in the postseason. Sorensen added a goal and four assists for five points and 32 penalty minutes in 13 playoff games, averaging close to 19 minutes a night during the Bandits&#8217; championship-clinching final series against the Nanaimo Clippers, helping Brooks claim the 2025-26 BCHL title.<\/p>\n<p>The season prior, Sorensen won the US 18U National Tier I Championship with Shattuck-St. Mary&#8217;s 18U Prep, giving him back-to-back championship seasons entering his WHL career.<\/p>\n<p>Sorensen&#8217;s path to this point runs through one of the most respected development programs in North American hockey. He spent five seasons at Shattuck-St. Mary&#8217;s from the 14U AAA level through the 18U Prep program, accumulating 261 games of experience and consistent growth at each level before stepping into junior hockey. That foundation has produced a player who is reliable and detailed in his own end, strong on the puck, physical in front of the net, and difficult to play against. He is an effective penalty killer who uses his size, leverage, and active stick to disrupt opponents&#8217; plays. While his defensive game is his calling card, he has shown the ability to contribute offensively and move the puck efficiently out of his own zone.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Dane is the type of defenceman that makes your team harder to play against,&#8221; said President &amp; General Manager Bruce Hamilton. &#8220;He&#8217;s physical, he competes every shift, and he has a high hockey IQ in his own end. The experience he has from winning championships in back-to-back seasons tells you about the competitor he is. We are excited to get him to Kelowna.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sorensen previously played alongside Rockets goaltender Harrison Boettiger on the Shattuck-St. Mary&#8217;s 14U AAA program during the 2021-22 season, an existing connection that should help ease his transition into the organization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KELOWNA, BC \u2014 The Kelowna Rockets have signed 2007-born defenceman Dane Sorensen to a WHL Scholarship &amp; Development Agreement. Earlier this offseason, the Rockets acquired Sorensen&#8217;s rights from the Victoria Royals. Sorensen, 19, is a 6&#8217;1&#8243;, 183-pound left-shot defenceman from Los Angeles, California. He spent the 2025-26 season split between the Sioux Falls Stampede of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":580,"featured_media":55880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-55879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-595","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2026\/06\/15151034\/Dane-Sorensen-signed-horizontal.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/580"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rockets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]