Are you ready to be a RocketFAN like never before?

Heard the news?

If you’re a Kelowna Rockets hockey fan your life just got even better, just in time for the new season.

RocketFAN, your indispensable online companion, has been launched. It's packed with info, fun and attitude. There has never been a place quite like this to immerse yourself in all things Kelowna Rockets.

The RocketFAN website, which is also available as an app for quick and easy access, is packed with Kelowna Rockets news, views, and interviews. And, when it comes to game time, you can log on and listen to all the live action all season long.

Take a look at the video.

And here's play-by-play veteran Regan Bartel, the voice of the Kelowna Rockets on 104.7 The Lizard, and the driving force behind RocketFAN, to let you know how it all came about.

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What a summer!

It was filled with massive uncertainty over my future as the play-by-play broadcaster of the Kelowna Rockets.

After returning from a two week vacation, I was informed by my employer of 22 years that the station had lost the broadcast rights to Pattison Media’s 104.7 The Lizard.

My stomach immediately sank. I quickly thought to myself: ‘what happens to me? Is this the end? Does my story turn ugly in an instant like many of my colleagues had experienced before me?’

It seems like yesterday that I was a wide-eyed teenager entering CKSW radio in Swift Current, SK, overjoyed at the prospect of being an evening operator, which included cueing up religious programming from 6 pm until midnight.

Thankfully, Pattison Media saved me.

The Kelowna Rockets organization championed for me to continue my role as the voice of the team on radio. My voice has not been silenced and I am excited about this platform known as – RocketFAN.

What is RocketFAN?

My hope is this platform will cover the hockey team like never before. It will be your go-to when it comes to celebrating the team’s successes and dissecting its failures. It won’t be all rainbows and lollipops. Junior hockey is a roller coaster ride, with many ups and downs over eight months. At RocketFAN, we will make a concerted effort to bring you inside the dressing room, on the team bus and give you a better understanding of what makes the team tick.

When should you revisit RocketFAN?

The answer is often. The goal is to provide top quality content, something never seen in junior hockey circles. If you want to attract a younger audience and have them sitting in the Prospera Place stands watching, this platform will be a step in that direction.

I am excited about how this space will evolve. By season’s end, my hope is RocketFAN looks and feels different than it does today. In-depth interviews and human interest stories will be the norm, whether it be in print, audio or video. Heck, you can stream games, both home and away on this very site.

You have my pledge to make this space worth stopping by, not once a month or once a week, but daily. My wish is for RocketFAN to become one of your ‘favourites’ on your home computer or be easily accessible on your smart phone.

Your input is also required. You can play a part in the success of RocketFAN. It is my call to action for you. If you have a story idea or a question you would like asked and answered, leave a comment and we will get to the bottom of it. I want this space to be interactive while being an intermediary between you – the fan – and the team.

Sincerely,

Regan