The month of March has been a whirlwind for the Golden Rockets, as they were locked into an exciting opening round of the playoffs against divisional rival Fernie. The Rockets began the series behind two games to none, after a pair of close losses in Fernie. Added to the mix was the fact that, while battling a Fernie club which had allowed the second fewest goals against in the regular season, just behind Revelstoke, the local stars were forced to play without the talents of two of their top four scorers, as both Hayden Iron Shirt and Cooper Thompson suffered upper-body injuries in the opening contest.
The third contest in Golden started out close-checking for the opening few minutes, but the visitors then began to take the play away from Golden, opening up a 3-0 lead.
The Rockets came out in the second period with some extra jump in their stride, and hit the scoreboard at 3:10, when Daniel Brown neatly dug the puck out of the corner and shuffled the puck to lineman Jackson Roberts, whose quick wristshot from the high slot found the mark. Ten minutes later, on a Golden power play, rugged forward Brayden Bissell finished off a pretty ‘give-and-go’ play with speedy Dawson Butler to run the score to 3-2.
The end-to-end high tempo continued throughout the final stanza. At the 11:50 mark, great pressure deep in the Fernie corner by Spencer Bates resulted in the puck sliding to Brayden Bissell, who spotted Brandon Spilchen all alone on the left side. The solid Golden defenceman made no mistake with a quick drive.
The two teams battled hard over the next few minutes until, at 16:43 on what proved to be the prettiest goal of the night, the Rockets finally took over the lead. Sharp, quick passing was in order on this highlight-reel tally, as Spencer Bates to Brandon Spilchen at the point, to a wide-open Austin Bruce on the right wing, ran the score to 4-3, rattling the Plywood Palace roof.
Golden would seal the deal in the final minute, fittingly with a Brayden Bissell empty-netter. Final score was 5-3. Fernie outshot Golden 38-29.
Game 4 saw a virtually identical script but with a late Fernie comeback this time. The opening period went scoreless with both clubs’ defensive game in the forefront.
In the second period, more of the same until, at 2:56, Golden broke the goose-egg with a slick Brock McIlwain redirect in front of a nice pass from linemate Jackson Roberts.
The Ghostriders came out in the third period firing on all cylinders. A pair of tallies early in the period moved Fernie into the lead, and an empty-net goal in the final minute led to the 3-1 win.
The two clubs headed back to the southern centre last Friday night, with Fernie looking to move to the second round with a win, while Golden was striving to bring the series back to the Plywood Palace for a Game 6. And, with a strong combination of grit, determination and teamwork, the Rockets stuck to a disciplined attack en route to an impressive 5-3 victory.
The KickingHorse crew was never behind in this game, needing only 1:16 into the first period to take the lead before the partisan Ghostrider crowd. Jackson Roberts and Brandon Spilchen combined to set up talented Dawson Butler for his first tally of the series. Roberts would later strike at 6:29 for one of his own, courtesy of Butler and Jake O’Keefe, to extend the margin. Fernie would reply just :27 seconds later.
The teams traded goals in the second period. Versatile Brock McIlwain connected with Brayden Bissell and Maddox DePasquale early, before Cole Serdachny found the back of the Golden net late in the frame.
In the final twenty minutes, lanky forward Easton Doan scored his first of the post-season at 6:09, with Brett Krawchuk and Rhys Wienke picking up assists. Fernie managed one goal midway through the session, but that was all they could generate, as Jackson Roberts’ fine play was rewarded when he hit for an empty-net goal in the final minute. Final score was 5-3. The solid win sent the series back into the friendly confines of the Plywood Palace for Game 6 on Saturday.
Again, as in the previous contest, the Rockets got on the scoreboard first, as fiery Brett Krawchuk found the back of the net late in the period.
The second period, however, belonged to the visitors.
Striking for no less than four goals in six minutes, Fernie opened up a comfortable lead quickly. Golden managed to get one back at 6:27 with Brock McIlwain hitting for his 4th marker of the series.
In the final period, the Rockets wasted little time closing the margin on a Jackson Roberts tally at :45 seconds. This was followed quickly, less than three minutes later, as Brayden Bissell evened the score at 4-4, with a solid wristshot that handcuffed the Fernie goaltender. No scoring the remainder of regulation time, as this contest went into overtime.
And in the extra session, Golden nearly ended the game in the first few seconds, as they just narrowly missed on two occasions. As the play moved to the Golden end, Fernie’s Jaden Piper fired the series winner, with a high shot just under the crossbar. Final score was 5-4.
The Ghostriders move on to tangle with the Kimberley Dynamiters in the divisional final starting Friday.
Despite the abrupt ending, the Golden Rockets‘ season will be looked upon as a good, successful rebuilding year, citing several improvements in many areas, which will certainly strengthen as the club moves ahead.
Rockets Recognize Standout Players at Season-End Awards
The Golden Rockets Junior Hockey team celebrated the end of their season with an awards dinner, bringing players, coaches, and supporters together for an evening of recognition and reflection. Awards were presented to players who excelled in various areas both on and off the ice, highlighting not only athletic performance but also leadership, teamwork, and commitment to the community.
Here is the list of award recipients for the 2025–2026 season:
Rookie of the Year (KIJHL): Hayden Iron Shirt
Top Scorer (KIJHL): Hayden Iron Shirt
Community Spirit Award: Cooper Thompson
Top Athletic/Academic Award: Simon Mendiola
Coach’s Cup Award: Maddox DePasquale
Most Inspirational: Dawson Butler
Most Sportsmanlike: Jackson Gair
Top Defenceman: Brandon Spilchen
Most Improved: Jackson Roberts
Rookie of the Year: Hayden Iron Shirt
Top Scorer: Hayden Iron Shirt
Fan Favourite: Cooper Thompson & Brayden Bissell
Playoff Most Valueable Player: Brock Mcilwain
Season Most Valueable Player: Beck Boiteau
