Rockets Make Splash With Trio Of Trades And First-Round Selection Of Will Kelts

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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Rockets Make Splash With Trio Of Trades And First-Round Selection Of Will Kelts

May 7, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


The Kelowna Rockets were busy on the first day of the Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, as the Rockets made a flurry of moves over the course of Wednesday.

The Rockets made three trades, acquiring both picks and a key player, while also making a selection in the first-round of the WHL Prospects Draft.

EXPANSION DRAFT TRADE WITH PENTICTON

The action got started early in the afternoon, as the Rockets traded a fifth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft to the Penticton Vees in lieu of having the Vees select player from the Rockets roster in the WHL Expansion Draft ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Western Hockey League teams were permitted to protect either:

16 players aged 17 to 20 years old (born in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005) appearing on their 50-player, Injured, Suspended, Graduate, Special Import, and 20-year-old Lists, plus an additional six (6) players appearing on their College List.

OR

14 players aged 17 to 19 years old (born in 2008, 2007, 2006) and three (3) 20-year-old players (born in 2005) appearing on their 50-player, Injured, Suspended, Graduate, Special Import, and 20-year-old Lists, plus an additional six (6) players on their College List.

Players aged 16 (born in 2009) are exempt from the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft for all WHL Clubs.

Penticton was eligible to select one (1) player from each WHL Club for a total of 22 players, with trades between Penticton and WHL Clubs for a player(s) and/or draft picks permitted in place of the expansion pick.

Full details on the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft can be found HERE.

ROCKETS ACQUIRE SHARKS PROSPECTS CARSON WETSCH FROM HITMEN

The Rockets made a big splash to help build out the roster ahead of the 2026 Memorial Cup when the team acquired San Jose Sharks prospects Carson Wetsch and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for defenceman Ben MacBeath, a first-round pick in 2027, as well as a second and fourth round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

"Adding a player like Carson to our team is huge," said Rockets President and General Manager Bruce Hamilton.

"He is a big winger who can skate, score, and has a physical presence. He has outstanding leadership qualities which will help us build towards the Memorial Cup next season. The Kelowna Rockets are happy to welcome Carson, to the club and we look forward to seeing him in the fall."

Wetsch, who was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks, has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Hitmen. In 68 games this season, he had 33 goals and 52 points. He also added five goals and six points in 11 playoff games. Wetsch served as Calgary's captain this past season.

Over his WHL career in Calgary, the recently turned 19-year-old has suited up in 181 regular season games, posting 68 goals and 124 points. He has added six goals and seven points in 16 playoff games. Wetsch was selected by the Hitmen in the first round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft at 12 th overall.

ROCKETS ACQUIRE TWO FUTURE FIRST ROUND PICKS FROM THE REGINA PATS

The draft day dealing wasn't done there, however, as the Rockets made a deal with the Regina Pats to acquire the 26 th overall pick in the 2025 draft as well as two first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 for the third overall selection this year.

"It was a good trade for us because we're building towards the Memorial Cup and so you need to have assets to use moving forward," said Rockets Director of Player Personnel Terry McFaul. "We now have those assets to be able to do some more shopping in order to potentially acquire a couple more guys that we might need."

KELOWNA SELECTS DEFENCEMAN WILL KELTS WITH 20 TH OVERALL PICK

After dealing away third overall, the Rockets made their first selection of the Prospects Draft, selecting defenceman Will Kelts at 20 th overall.

Kelts spent this past season with Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep where the six-foot-two, 192-pound defenceman played in 35 games, scoring 13 goals and adding 26 assists for 39 points.

It becomes the second consecutive year that the Rockets took a defenceman in the first round, as the club selected Owen Hayden with their first pick, eighth overall in 2024.

"He's a big, strong, defenceman who plays a physical game," McFaul said of Kelts. "But he's got a ton of offensive abilities ... this was a bit of a transition year for him, and he stepped up so much. It was incredible to see the improvement from the beginning of the year to the end and his ceiling is super high. We think he'll be a stud for us."

The Rockets front office will be back at it tomorrow with the U.S. Priority Draft as well as the remaining rounds of the Western Hockey League Prospects Draft. Make sure you follow along on social media and check back on the Kelowna Rockets website for all of tomorrow's updates.

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