SAS –
BDN –
RD –
CGY –
MH –
LET –
REG –
PA –
PEN –
PG –
MJ –
SC –
EDM –
VIC –
KAM –
SEA –
WEN –
SPO –
TC –
By Arik KrauseEditorEdited by Arik Krause
The Kelowna Rockets have unveiled their opening-night roster for the 2026–27 Western Hockey League season, officially beginning a new chapter after loading up for last season’s Memorial Cup.
Kelowna’s initial roster includes 13 forwards, eight defencemen and three goaltenders. Forwards Tomáš Poletín and Vojtěch Čihař, along with defenceman Nate Corbet, are listed separately while attending NHL main camps.
The immediate availability of those three players remains dependent on decisions made by their NHL organizations.
After finishing 2025–26 with a 38-21-6-3 record, advancing beyond the opening round of the WHL playoffs and hosting the Memorial Cup, the Rockets enter this season with considerably less established scoring but several intriguing pieces around which to build.
An almost entirely new offensive hierarchy
The scale of Kelowna’s turnover is impossible to ignore.
The Rockets’ five leading scorers from last season were Tij Iginla, Carson Wetsch, Shane Smith, Mazden Leslie and Ty Halaburda. Together, they produced 362 regular-season points.
None appears on the opening-night roster.
Iginla led Kelowna with 41 goals and 90 points in only 48 games. His 1.88 points per game led the WHL and earned him a place on the CHL Second All-Star Team.
Wetsch contributed 22 goals and 72 points while serving as Kelowna’s captain. Smith added 33 goals and 68 points, Leslie produced 68 points from the blue line and Halaburda finished with 29 goals and 64 points.
The departures extend beyond those five. Hiroki Gojsic, Hayden Paupanekis, Keith McInnis and Parker Alcos were also among Kelowna’s more productive players last season and are absent from the new roster.
The result is a team without an established 40-, 50- or 60-point returning scorer currently in camp.
That does not mean Kelowna lacks high-end offensive talent. It means the players most capable of driving the offence are beginning the season at NHL camps.
Čihař could become Kelowna’s offensive leader
If he returns from Los Angeles Kings camp, Vojtěch Čihař is the most likely candidate to emerge as Kelowna’s offensive leader.
The Czech winger joined the Rockets midway through last season after being named the Most Valuable Player at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. He adjusted to the WHL immediately, recording 12 goals and 31 points in only 31 regular-season games.
Čihař then elevated his production in the postseason. He led Kelowna with six goals and 13 points in nine WHL playoff games, outperforming several of the club’s more experienced offensive players.
That combination of regular-season production, international experience and playoff performance makes him the clearest candidate to take over as Kelowna’s primary offensive driver.
Čihař was selected 59th overall by Los Angeles in the 2025 NHL Draft and has already signed his entry-level contract with the Kings. His exact return date cannot be assumed while he remains in NHL camp, but his presence would dramatically change the ceiling of Kelowna’s forward group.
Poletín brings proven scoring ability
Tomáš Poletín is the other obvious candidate to lead the Rockets offensively.
Poletín scored 20 goals and recorded 35 points during his first WHL season. His eight power-play goals ranked among the best totals on the team, trailing only Kelowna’s established veteran scorers.
The New York Islanders prospect possesses one of the most dangerous shots on the roster and should receive substantially more offensive responsibility if returned to Kelowna.
With Iginla, Smith, Halaburda and the rest of last season’s veteran core no longer occupying the top power-play opportunities, Poletín could challenge for the team lead in goals.
Kelowna’s ideal scenario would be building its top six around the complementary strengths of Čihař and Poletín. Čihař can create offence through transition and distribution, while Poletín provides a finishing threat capable of converting those opportunities.
Returning forwards must take another step
Until Kelowna’s NHL camp assignments are resolved, the offence will be led by a collection of returning depth players receiving expanded roles.
Dawson Gerwing is the most productive returning forward presently with the team. He recorded 11 goals, 13 assists and 24 points last season while also leading the Rockets with 127 penalty minutes.
Gerwing provides size, physicality and experience, but the Rockets will need him to maintain that edge without sacrificing availability through unnecessary penalties.
Owen Folstrom scored 14 goals and 19 points in 2025–26. His goal total is notable because it came without consistent top-line usage. More ice time and an increased role on special teams could make him one of Kelowna’s most important breakout candidates.
Ryan Oothoudt, Jaxon Kehrig and Eli Barrett are also back after contributing in depth roles. Each should receive more opportunity than was available on last season’s veteran-heavy roster.
Dark-horse candidate: Jakub Frolo
Jakub Frolo is the most compelling dark-horse candidate on Kelowna’s opening roster.
The Rockets selected the Czech centre 33rd overall in the 2026 CHL Import Draft after he went unselected in the NHL Draft. Frolo recorded 40 points in 37 games with Ilves U20 in Finland last season and subsequently earned an invitation to participate with the Carolina Hurricanes’ prospects.
Frolo has since returned to Kelowna and is available to begin the season.
At six-foot-one and approximately 194 pounds, he arrives with enough size to handle the physical adjustment to the WHL. His production in Finland suggests more offensive upside than his undrafted status might imply.
Frolo should not be expected to replace Iginla or immediately carry the Rockets’ offence. However, he has the experience and skill to move into a prominent role much faster than a typical first-year import.
If Čihař and Poletín return, Frolo could benefit from facing secondary matchups. If either remains in professional hockey longer than expected, Frolo may receive top-six and power-play opportunities almost immediately.
Madden Daneault represents the future
The most recognizable rookie on the roster is Madden Daneault, whom Kelowna selected first overall in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.
Because he did not receive exceptional-player status, the 15-year-old Daneault would normally face significant restrictions on his WHL participation. Hockey Canada has granted him permission to appear in as many as 34 regular-season games for Kelowna in 2026–27.
That makes Daneault more than a brief emergency call-up, although the Rockets will still need to manage his introduction carefully.
He should not be judged by whether he immediately becomes one of Kelowna’s leading scorers. His season will be about adapting to the speed and physicality of the WHL while showing why the Rockets made him the first selection in the draft.
William Matte, Drew Larioza, Colton Lien, Gabriel O’Brien and local product Von Lakovic give Kelowna several additional rookies to evaluate as the club shifts toward a younger roster.
Boettiger provides stability in goal
Kelowna’s greatest established strength may be in net.
Harrison Boettiger returns after posting a 25-win season with a 2.83 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. He handled the majority of the workload during the second half of the season and finished as one of Kelowna’s most dependable performers.
Boettiger attended NHL prospect camp before being returned to the Rockets. Although he went unselected in the 2026 NHL Draft, his performance last season gives him another opportunity to attract professional attention.
His presence will be particularly important behind a younger and less experienced lineup. Kelowna may not be able to dominate possession or outscore its mistakes as consistently as it did last season, placing additional pressure on its starting goaltender.
Overager Josh Banini also returns, providing Kelowna with an experienced second option. Banini went 12-10 last season with a 3.35 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.
Rookie Linden Sobocan gives the Rockets a third goaltender on the initial roster and a developmental option behind the two veterans.
A reconstructed blue line
Kelowna’s defence will also look dramatically different without Leslie, McInnis and Alcos.
Rowan Guest is the most productive returning defenceman currently available. He recorded one goal and 24 assists last season while contributing a physical presence that produced 99 penalty minutes.
Peyton Kettles gives the Rockets a major building block after returning from the shoulder injury that limited him during 2025–26. The six-foot-six Pittsburgh Penguins prospect has already signed an entry-level contract and should take on a much larger role during his final junior season.
Nate Corbet recorded 15 points and 118 penalty minutes last season, but remains at Los Angeles Kings camp. His potential return would add another experienced, physical defender to the group.
Kelowna has also added Dane Sorensen following a championship season in the BCHL. Sorensen produced five points in 13 playoff games and averaged close to 19 minutes per game during that postseason run.
Will Kelts, Dallen Antos and Remy Koch are rookies, while Jacob Henderson returns after producing 11 points last season.
A season of transition, not necessarily a rebuild
The Rockets are unlikely to reproduce last season’s offence immediately.
Kelowna has lost its top five scorers and a large portion of the roster assembled to pursue the Memorial Cup. The new team will be younger, less experienced and more dependent on players stepping into responsibilities they have not previously held at the WHL level.
However, there is enough talent to keep the Rockets competitive.
Čihař and Poletín could provide legitimate top-line production if they return from NHL camp. Frolo brings meaningful offensive upside. Kettles and Guest give the defence an experienced foundation, while Boettiger offers stability in goal.
The development of Kelowna’s rookies will determine how quickly the team can move beyond its transitional phase.
The 2025–26 Rockets were constructed around established stars and an opportunity to win on home ice at the Memorial Cup. The 2026–27 Rockets will be defined by which members of their new generation are ready to take control.
