Rockets defenceman takes unexpected route to elite hockey
by Sam Hill

You could have the next five years of your life completely planned out, but if Lorne Frey and the Kelowna Rockets defence factory call you, everything could change.

Gordie Ballhorn, 19, had been playing junior hockey in Whitecourt, Alberta for one season and had made up his mind to transition to NCAA hockey with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He was interested in continuing his hockey career while getting an education, but that all changed when he noticed a message on his answering machine from Lorne Frey.

Photography from KelownaNow.com

Year after year the Kelowna Rockets send talented hockey players, many of which are defencemen, out of their program and into the NHL. Picking up the phone and hearing Lorne Frey, Director of Player Personnel for the Kelowna Rockets, invite you to hit the ice at Prospera Place is a dream for so many young defencemen, and Ballhorn was no exception.

When asked if it made his decision to decline attending RIT easier, knowing that the team that wanted him was well-known for developing young defencemen into NHL stars, Ballhorn said, “I think that had a lot to do with it. If it was just any other team I probably would have had to think a lot harder about it, and who knows, maybe I would have taken my scholarship.”

Fast-forward one year and it’s clear to Ballhorn and to Rockets fans that he made the right choice. In his rookie WHL season, Ballhorn used his age and experience to secure himself a valuable role on the team. One of five rookie defencemen on the Rockets’ 2015-2016 roster, Ballhorn had nine points in 59 games and showed that he is a skilled and reliable shutdown blueliner.

“Coming in as an older guy could be tough, but they made me feel like I'd been a part of the group for a couple years.”

This season, the Rockets’ rewarded Ballhorn’s attitude and effort by naming him an Assistant Captain.

“I think I'm a pretty vocal leader. I like to speak up, be loud on the ice, on the bench, in the dressing room. I mean, I just like to lead by example. Hopefully the guys know what they're going to get out of me every night when we go out there, I'm not going to take any shortcuts. I hold myself to the same standard I hold them to,” explained Ballhorn.

Consistent is great word to use to describe Gordie Ballhorn. When an opponent sneaks over the blueline with the puck, you know that Ballhorn will take away the shot. When there is a sense of panic in front of the net, you know that he will be the calming force for the boys. When he gets knocked down, you know he’s going to get back up.

“I pride myself on being a kind of steady defenseman. They know what they're going to get from me every game,” said Ballhorn.

His teammates share the same explanation of who he is. “Gordie is a very key aspect of the Kelowna Rockets,” expressed teammate Riley Stadel. “He brings a veteran presence on and off the ice, which is why he is wearing a letter this year. He is like ‘Steady Eddy’ on the back end. You know what to expect from him every night and he delivers that.”

Steady, consistent players may not get the most attention, but there is absolutely a need for them in the NHL, and the Dallas Stars have recognized that Ballhorn could be a guy that they need. He was invited to the Stars rookie camp in September and is looking forward to working on developing his offensive game moving forward.

“I just have to try to improve a bit more offensively,” mentioned Ballhorn. “I think that's probably the biggest thing, to try to get more of my shots through, add some more basic maneuvers and [work on] my skating - joining the rush and kind of picking the spots to produce some more offence.”

Another product of the Kelowna Rockets defence factory that came to the team as an older rookie was Duncan Keith.

After playing a couple years of junior hockey in the BCHL, Keith chose to go the NCAA route and attended Michigan State University. It was at the time that the Kelowna Rockets noticed the young defenceman and Lorne Frey called him up to come play in Kelowna.

Keith enjoyed a hugely successful season in Kelowna that year (2002-2003), notching 46 points (11G, 35A) and helping the team to a Memorial Cup appearance. He has gone on to play 12 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and has earned three Stanley Cup championships, two Olympic Gold Medals, and both the Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy.

We’re not saying that Gordie Ballhorn is the next Duncan Keith, but with some improvement in his offensive game, anything is possible.

“I may not be the most flashy, I may not be the most skilled, but game in and game out they know what they're going to get,” added Ballhorn. “They're going to get a hardworking two-way defencemen. I like to take pride in trying to have the best game every game.”

He may not have experienced the typical route to playing elite hockey, but it’s easy to see that Gordie Ballhorn has the potential to be another name on the list of star defencemen that have come out of the Kelowna Rockets.