A veteran goaltender is ready to take the next step as the Swift Current Broncos open their WHL regular season at home tonight.
Joey Rocha is set for his fourth WHL season and feels ready to step into the starter's role.
"It's different, just the past couple years with (Reid Dyck) and (Gage Alexander), just kind of being in their shadow and learning," Rocha said. "But now it's just trying to take everything I learned from those two vet guys and apply it to this year and trying to be the guy and be that dominant force in the net I know I can be, as well as being a mentor to the younger guys like they were to me."
Rocha has 72 games of WHL action under his belt over three seasons in the league.
Now he's ready for the next step.
"I think it's all just mental," Rocha said. "I think I know what I can do physically in the net, and I feel like I can play with anyone, and I feel like I'm one of the better goalies in this league. I think it's just on a day-to-day basis, in my mind, just telling myself I'm that guy, I can do it, and then just using that confidence to go do it on the ice."
The Nanaimo product has a career 3.55 goals against average and 0.889 save percentage. He isn't focused on statistics in his final WHL season.
"I think a lot of people can get kind of caught up in those stat-based goals," Rocha said. "Like I want to get 30 wins, I want to get a 0.920, but I think for me personally, it's just to enjoy every day. My mom always said I play better when I'm having fun. I think that for me is kind of what I want to focus on this year is trying to find, even if it's just one positive out of every day, just take that into consideration, just trying to keep building every day so it's a fun, successful year."
Part of that positive impact can be bringing leadership to what is a younger group for the Broncos this season.
"I think even with camp the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to be kind of that voice, being one of the veteran guys this year," Rocha added. "Kind of knowing how it's been and kind of what culture we want to bring. Leading those young guys in the right direction. Talking with (Dean DeSilva), our new head coach, he's been saying sometimes you don't see the impact you make until a couple of years down the road. That's just something I'm trying to strive for is when I'm gone and not here anymore is trying to leave this organization better than when I came in."
On the ice, the Broncos drop the puck against 2025 1st over WHL Prospects Draft pick Maddox Schultz at the Regina Pats.
Swift Current dealt away or graduated most of their top offensive threats from last season. They know it will be a group effort for their young team.
"It's all going to come down to compete and work ethic," Rocha said. "The want to do things that people don't want to do, like blocking shots, getting in corners, and standing in front of the net. It's not the most glamorous of work, and maybe not going to get the highlight of the night or the save of the night every night, but it's going to be the stuff that the guys in the room are like, yeah, that guy is, that guy is a real one. If we get everyone buying in and everyone wanting to do it for everyone in the room, I think that's what's going to make this team very successful."
You can hear the opening game of the regular season with Redhead Equipment Case IH Broncos Hockey at 6:45 pm on Country 94.1 FM.
Puck drop is just after 7:00 pm from InnovationPlex in Swift Current.