Bruce Hamilton is best known these days as the owner and general manager of Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.
Perennially a top team in the WHL, the Rockets have struggled this season to a 12-15-2 record through early December.
What many current WHL followers may not know about is the path Hamilton has traveled to arrive at this juncture in what will be a storied junior hockey career once he steps aside.
DUBNetwork spoke at length with Hamilton at Prospera Place on Nov. 30. The Kelowna Rockets owner and general manager was engaging and informative throughout and offered opinions on many topics.
We complete our five-part series today, discussing the Rockets start to the current season. It began with only four wins in its first 14 games, an uncharacteristic run that had the local hockey community reeling.
However, the announcement on October 3 that the city will play host to the 2020 Memorial Cup seemed to deflect some of the concern for awhile.
For his part, Hamilton feels up to the current challenges, both short- and long-term and shared some insights about the work ahead and process of building a competitive team.
The importance of the 2019 National Hockey League draft is also on Hamilton’s mind, as the current roster contains three or four players that could be selected early.
Hamilton assured there will be no panic. Citing the recent trade between the Regina Pats and Lethbridge Hurricanes, he confirmed there are no blockbuster trades on the horizon involving the Rockets.
Hamilton also spoke to the Rockets coaching change in October that saw Adam Foote take over from Jason Smith, and the impact the move has had on the assistant coaches, Kris Mallette, Travis Crickard and Adam Brown.
