Jon Keen (left) and Regan Bartel. (Image Credit: Contributed)

By Marty Hastings

IN THE WHL

Broadcasters Keen, Bartel share thoughts on Blazers-Rockets series, take walk down memory lane

Mar 24, 2026 | 4:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — WHL play-by-play announcers Jon Keen of the Kamloops Blazers and Regan Bartel of the Kelowna Rockets go way back, Saskatchewan exports who called Swift Current Broncos’ games together in the late 1990s. 

With their teams set to clash in the post-season for the first time since 2019, Keen of Radio NL and Bartel of 104.7 The Lizard spoke to CFJC on Tuesday (March 24), offering insight on the best-of-seven Round 1 series and taking a walk down memory lane. 

“I think the Rockets are going to come out and try to be physical, try to intimidate,” Keen said. “They may take penalties. It’s up to the Blazers’ power play to really make them pay. The Rockets might have to beat themselves here. They have a lot of players who have been parachuted in to come together. Sometimes, that’s difficult.” 

Statistics suggest Kelowna – which won the regular season series with a record of 4-1-0-1 and finished 10 points ahead of Kamloops – is favoured to advance.

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The Blazers are embracing the underdog tag. 

“They’re a team that geared up to host the Memorial Cup,” Blazers’ head coach Shaun Clouston said. “Their record since the trade deadline is awesome. They’re a big, older, physical team. We’re approaching this as a little bit of bonus time and the pressure is on them. Funny things can happen. Pressure can do interesting things.”   

Bartel, a wily veteran in his 31st season, is no stranger to gamesmanship. 

“Typically, when I hear the opposition coach talk about being the underdog and the pressure is on the Rockets, I roll my eyes and go, ‘Yeah, whatever,’” Bartel said. “In this situation, [Clouston] is right on the mark. The pressure is clearly on the Kelowna Rockets as Memorial Cup hosts.” 

Utah Mammoth top prospect Tij Iginla – the son of Blazers’ part-owner Jarome Iginla – is Kelowna’s top offensive catalyst.

“Sometimes, you see the group looking at Tij saying, ‘Okay, Tij, get it going here and then we’ll follow suit,’” Bartel said. “That can’t happen in this series. I’ve got a couple of players, guys drafted, Hayden Paupanekis by the Montreal Canadiens and Hiroki Gojsic by the Nashville Predators… those two, specifically, have to contribute here in round number one.” 

In net, Harrison Boettiger of the Rockets and Logan Edmonstone of the Blazers are expected to start in Game 1 on Friday (March 27) in Kelowna. 

“Their goaltender was fantastic,” said Keen, a play-by-play commentator in the WHL for 23 seasons. “Harrison Boettiger had a .946 save percentage in the season series. That’s awful tough to maintain. He was the first star in both of the final two games head-to-head (the Rockets won 4-1 on March 13 in Kelowna and 5-1 on March 14 in Kamloops). The Blazers have to get to him and they’ll need Logan Edmonstone to be excellent. Some of Eddie’s best games have been against Kelowna in his career.” 

Keen rehashed Kamloops-Kelowna playoff memories that stand out in his mind, including Kale Kessy’s overtime winner and series clincher in 2013 and Kobe Mohr’s pivotal goal in the tiebreaker play-in game in 2019, along with the goalie gaffes that followed.  

“I remember trying to write down the goal announcement and my colour man at the time, Jeremy Bosch, was kind of reacting like, ‘It’s happening again!’” Keen said. “I think back to some tough memories, too, in Kelowna, a Game 7 overtime loss. Their player was swimming or kayaking down the ice.” 

That 2016 Tomas Soustal dagger is available for viewing online and accompanied by an excitable Bartel goal call, one shaped with advice from an unlikely source – former Blazers’ trainer Colin ‘Toledo’ Robinson. 

“Toledo was the trainer of the Broncos when I first broke into the WHL as a broadcaster way back in 1995,” Bartel said. “I’d get Toledo to listen to audio tapes of my calls. He said, ‘I don’t mind the goal call, but you’ve got to make it better.’ He is one of the reasons why I yell out and do what I do because of this young trainer thinking he knew better than I did – and I guess he did.” 

The first Blazers-Rockets post-season memory that surfaced for Bartel dates back to 2002, when Kelowna swept Kamloops to exorcise first-round demons.

“I remember Chuck Kobasew scoring into an empty net late in the game to seal the deal… a massive gorilla on the shoulders of the Rockets’ organization finally lifted,” said Bartel, whose Rockets were jettisoned in Round 1 every year from 1996 to 2001.

Broadcasters endure lean years along with coaches, players and fans. 

The Blazers are returning to the post-season for the first time since hosting the Memorial Cup in 2023. Kelowna failed to qualify last year. 

“You crave a little bit of that big moment, that signature opportunity where you can at least play a role or put your own stamp on things,” Keen said. “You think of the Memorial Cup or Game 6. It’s always nice to be back in the dance and, hopefully, there’s another moment like that this year.” 

Bartel attended Keen’s wedding. Keen said Bartel is the league peer he gravitates to most.  

“It’s really cool to share these moments with him considering we’ve come a long way together,” Keen said. “We both want to win. There’s no mistake about it. But, at the end of it, there’ll be a handshake and a smile and a ‘best of luck.’”