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.
Following a lengthy run on the business side as a member of the management team with the Saskatoon Blades and professional scouting positions with the Hartford Whalers and Washington Capitals, Bruce Hamilton and family received approval from the Western Hockey League to begin operation of the Tacoma Rockets franchise.
Hamilton shared some background associated with the franchise acquisition, some successes and challenges in the Tacoma area, the rivalry with the Seattle Thunderbirds and ultimately the decision to relocate to Kelowna, B.C.
Life as an ownership group wasn’t an easy proposition. The Memorial Arena in Kelowna was a temporary home for the team but would not be sufficient long-term.
It took awhile for the new facility in Kelowna – what is now known as Prospera Place – to surface, giving the Hamilton family pause to seriously consider selling the franchise to the Vancouver Canucks.
When the new facility in Kelowna was finally approved and built, it provided the opportunity for ownership to generate incremental revenues and make significant hockey operations improvements.
In Part Three, we’ll learn about some interesting history between Hamilton and Marc Habscheid in Saskatoon with the Blades, a few personal experiences in the Saskatoon Arena, Hamilton’s relationship with Ed Chynoweth, and his experiences in his role as Chairman of the Board.
We also learn how Lorne Frey was able to broaden coverage as a scout and build a scouting group that began to spread the word about life and junior hockey in the city of Kelowna. Hamilton also hired Habscheid, who came in and worked with the management team to build a culture of commitment, expectation and excellence that has led to many years of winning hockey in the Okanagan Valley.
