“At the end of the day, we want to make sure they’ve competed at the highest level possible — that they can walk off that ice knowing that they have done their best. Realistically, as long as they have given the effort, I’m happy with where they end up (in the standings).”

More is expected of the major-midget Okanagan Rockets, that much is for certain.

“There’s a little bit of pressure . . . but it’s something we’re trying to expose our players to, is getting a chance to play these big pressure games, so we can build and gain some experience going into the playoff stretch down the road,” Pistawka said. “It gives us a chance, halfway through our season, to play a lot of meaningful games and to showcase some of our players to a lot of scouts.”

Tony Ryder, the longtime team coordinator, considers the Okanagan Rockets to be title contenders, along with the Moose Jaw Generals out of Saskatchewan and two Lower Mainland academies in the Yale Lions of Abbotsford and tourney debutant Burnaby Winter Club. Those are the four frontrunners by his estimation, but there are often surprises among the 12-team field that this year includes seven academies but no representation from Winfield-based Pursuit of Excellence. The Okanagan Hockey Academy from Penticton is sending both its White and Red clubs to the Jan. 6-10 tournament being staged at the Rutland and Memorial arenas.

“OHA White, as usual, every one of them is WHL listed. Most of these academies have lots of (junior) prospects on their teams,” Ryder said. “Burnaby Winter Club are on a high at the moment and they are at the top of the CSSHL. They had a great team last year with their under-15s that won the league, so this year they have a mix of those players coming up and their older players.

“The major-midget (Rockets) will be strong, they’re doing good, and it’ll be interesting with Fripp Warehousing, but I think they’ll do OK.”

According to Ryder, the 2015 champion Lethbridge Hurricanes had planned on returning to defend their title but were prevented by scheduling conflicts back in Alberta.

The Okanagan Rockets will look to capitalize on Lethbridge’s misfortune and make the most of this opportunity. Pistawka described his team as having dynamic skill up front, a young-but-improving defence and solid goaltending, which sounds awfully similar to the current makeup of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. Those Rockets are backstopped by the tandem of Jackson Whistle and Michael Herringer, while these Rockets boast returnee Cole Demers and newcomer Liam Hughes, who have combined to post the second-best goals-against in the BCMML.

In total, the Okanagan Rockets have seven players with past KIMMT experience — four returnees and three former Fripp players who have made the jump to major-midget, including captain Shawn Guison.

“There are guys that are used to playing in this tournament and used to the pressure, so they know what to expect,” said Pistawka. “That’s huge for us to have that experience going into it.”

Pistawka is also speaking from experience, having played in the 2009 tournament with Fripp before making a triumphant return in 2014 as an assistant under Mack O’Rourke.

“It’s a tournament that I always dreamed about playing in, and now it’s three years that I’ve been a part of it. It’s been a whirlwind the whole way here,” said Pistawka, well aware of the prestige and history, including a who’s who of NHL alumni — from Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla to more recently Curtis Lazar and Mathew Dumba.

Pistawka’s transition into coaching and now the managerial side wasn’t by design.

“Coaching for me, I’ll be honest, it was a way for me to get volunteer experience to go into med school,” he recalled. “That was six years ago and I fell in love with it. I really developed a passion for working with young adults in our community.

“It’s obviously a little different not being behind the bench, but it’s a great program and (David Michaud, now of the BCHL’s Penticton Vees) left me in a very suitable position to take over (as GM). It’s been a great experience so far, I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Hamilton, for his part, grew up in Ottawa and had a brief stint as a junior B player before joining the RCMP. He was a referee in Ontario for more than a decade, reaching level-three status, and rediscovered that passion upon relocating to Kelowna. His first assignment here was, ironically, at KIMMT.

Hamilton coached his kids in house leagues and took over a midget tier-4 team three years ago, then moved up to tier-2 last season and now oversees Kelowna Minor Hockey’s flagship team. The Okangan Rockets are a separate entity and do not fall under the KMH umbrella.

“I just loved the aspect of coaching — being a student of the game, studying everything that I possibly can — and I’ve been progressing as much as possible,” said Hamilton, adding he’s comfortable at the tier-1 level but may pursue coaching as a post-RCMP career, perhaps into the junior ranks in the future. “I’m still learning the game as I go along and progressively getting better at it.”

There are some similarities and relatable experiences from his days upholding the law.

“The RCMP kind of blends itself into camaraderie. It’s one big team, it’s 20,000 team members down to 19,” Hamilton said. “I’ve always enjoyed that camaraderie and I’ve always enjoyed hockey, so I like to apply myself. At the end of the day, it’s still giving back to the community.”

He’s also trying to teach his players life lessons and ensure they go on to become responsible, law-abiding citizens.

“We tell them there’s only two things you can control and that’s attitude and effort, so if you have both of those, then I think you go a lot farther,” said Hamilton, referring to hockey but also to life in general.

The Fripp roster also features five players that participated in last year’s KIMMT and Hamilton brought with him another handful from last season’s tier-2 club. As a collective group, they are excited for the challenges to come at KIMMT.

“This is the pinnacle that we’re aiming for, and then right after that, it’s provincials,” Hamilton said. “We’ve been preparing our team to be able to match the speed, match the play, for major midget because obviously this is one step up from what we are used to.

“It’s the intensity with which they have to bring every game.”