#CHLStats: Key Notes and Numbers Ahead of Round 2 of the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien
The stakes are rising in the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien as the second round gets underway with four of the CHL’s Top-10 ranked teams still in the hunt for junior hockey supremacy.
From powerhouse matchups to standout stars ready to take center stage, the next chapter of the WHL’s playoff journey promises high drama, elite talent, and edge-of-your-seat action as teams battle for a coveted spot in the Conference Finals.
All the action of the Conference Semifinals in the WHL can be seen live on Victory+, starting with tonight’s Game 1 between the Calgary Hitmen and the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 7 p.m. MT.
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Medicine Hat Tigers vs. Prince Albert Raiders
* Coming into Game 1 on Saturday (7:00 p.m. MT on Victory+), Medicine Hat Tigers forward and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna (2G-14A in 5 GP) is currently on a 45-game point streak dating back to November 6.
* McKenna’s 45-game streak is tied for the second longest in the CHL since 2000 (when including postseason & Memorial Cup games) alongside Rimouski Océanic alumnus and long-time NHLer Brad Richards, who capped off his 45-game point streak by helping the Océanic secure their lone Memorial Cup title in 2000. The Océanic will be aiming double their title haul when they host this year’s Memorial Cup from May 22 to June 1.
* As it stands, the only player over the last 25 years to have a longer point streak in a single season (including postseason & Memorial Cup) than McKenna is Québec Remparts graduate and former NHLer Alexander Radulov, who went 50 consecutive games with a point from Oct. 26, 2005 to Mar. 15, 2006 during the 2005-06 season.
* McKenna also enters the second round rank tied for first among players across the WHL and CHL in postseason scoring with 16 points (2G-14A in 5 GP) alongside Portland Winterhawks defenceman Tyson Jugnauth (2G-14A in 7 GP).
* McKenna leads all CHL skaters with a 3.20 points-per-game average during the 2025 Playoffs through the first round.
* With seven goals in five games against Swift Current in the first round, Tigers captain Oasiz Wiesblatt (7G-5A in 5 GP) sits tied for first for goals in the WHL Playoffs thus far. He also ranks tied for second in the CHL, trailing only Windsor Spitfires forward Noah Morneau (8G-3A in 5 GP) and Barrie Colts forward Anthony Romani (8G-1A in 5 GP).
* Following a tightly-contested, seven-game series with the Edmonton Oil Kings, Prince Albert Raiders defenceman and Seattle Kraken prospect Lukas Dragicevic (5G-7A in 7 GP) leads his team in scoring, as his 12 points during the 2025 Playoffs trail only Portland’s Tyson Jugnauth (2G-14A in 7 GP) among defencemen across the CHL.
* Daxon Rudolph (0G-9A in 7 GP) also provided the Raiders a boost on the back-end, as the 17-year-old rookie defenceman currently leads all rookie skaters in the WHL with nine points in seven games. Rudolph’s nine points are also the most of any rookie defenceman in the CHL and trail only Shawinigan Cataractes forward Matvei Gridin (4G-6A in 5 GP) among first-year skaters in the CHL.
* 20-year-old netminder Max Hildebrand (2.02 GAA, .918 SV%, 1 SO in 7 GP) has been a force for the Raiders in the crease. His 222 saves rank as the most any of the remaining WHL goalies entering the second round, and trail only Halifax’s Jacob Steinman (250 saves) across the CHL.
* In what was arguably his biggest performance of the season, Hildebrand registered a 30-save shutout to secure the crucial Game 7 victory on Wednesday night against the Oil Kings to help the Raiders advance.
* The Medicine Hat Tigers won the season series (3-0-1-0) against the Prince Albert Raiders in 2024-25. The last time the Tigers and Raiders met in the playoffs was during the 2005 WHL Conference Semi-Finals (PA won that series 4-2).
Calgary Hitmen vs. Lethbridge Hurricanes
* Entering tonight’s Game 1 (at 7 p.m. MT on Victory+), Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Tanner Howe (2G-7A in 4 GP) and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Ben Kindel (5G-3A in 4 GP) rank first and second on the Hitmen in scoring through the first round.
* Kindel and Howe are two of just 10 skaters in the WHL to be averaging two-plus points per game as they enter the second round of the postseason in 2025.
* Hitmen rookie netminder Anders Miller (1.50 GAA & .933 SV% in 4 GP) is one of just six CHL goalies to have gone a perfect 4-0 in the first round.
* Miller’s 1.50 GAA is the best of any WHL goalie and ranks tied for second among goalies across the CHL, trailing only Rimouski Océanic netminder Mathis Langevin (0.75).
* As of one three Hurricanes players to have won a WHL Championship title in 2024, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager (4G-4A in 5 GP) leads his team in scoring with eight points.
* In addition to Yager, the Hurricanes feature two other players who helped the Moose Jaw Warriors to their first-ever Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2024: defenceman Vojtech Port (1G-4A in 5 GP) and goalie Jackson Unger (2.81 GAA & .911 SV% in 5 GP).
* Both the Hitmen and Hurricanes feature a total of six NHL prospects on each of their rosters.
* The Hitmen won the season series (6-2-0-0) against their division rival from Lethbridge during the 2024-25 regular season. Their matchup in the second round marks the first time the two teams have met in the postseason since the first round of the 2019 WHL Playoffs (CGY won that series 4-3).
Western Conference Semi-Finals
Everett Silvertips vs. Portland Winterhawks
* With Game 1 scheduled for Friday (at 7:05 p.m. PT on Victory+), Silvertips rookie netminder Raiden LeGall (1.98 GAA, .945 SV%, & 1 SO in 4 GP) is coming off arguably the best performance of his young career in the WHL. The 18-year-old registered a 57-save shutout in Game 6 to close out Everett’s first-round series against the Seattle Thunderbids. The 57 saves were the most by a WHL goalie in a shutout victory since 1996.
* Since re-joining the Silvertips roster in March, Nashville Predators prospect Austin Roest (4G-5A in 6 GP) has made his impact felt quickly, as he leads all Everett skaters with nine points.
* Meanwhile, Silvertips rookie forward and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Shea Busch (5G-2A in 6 GP) leads the team with five goals through six playoff games in 2025.
* Portland Winterhawks defenceman and Seattle Kraken Tyson Jugnauth (2G-14A in 7 GP) enters the second round tied for first among all skaters across the WHL and CHL in postseason scoring with 16 points. Specifically, Jugnauth is knotted with Medicine Hat Tigers forward and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna, who also collected 16 points (2G-14A in 5 GP) in Round 1.
* Portland Winterhawks forward Kyle Chyzowski (4G-10A in 7 GP), the 49th captain in team history, collected 14 points in seven games to start his 2025 WHL Playoffs, placing him just two of the WHL and CHL leaders: Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna (2G-14A in 5 GP) and his Portland teammate Tyson Jugnauth (2G-14A in 7 GP).
* Playing in his first-ever WHL Playoffs, Ondrej Štěbeták (3.64 GAA & .887 SV%) is one of just five goalies across the CHL to have registered 200-plus saves in the first round. With 220 saves, Štěbeták ranks fourth among goalies across the CHL in that category during the 2025 postseason.
* The Everett Silvertips won the season series (6-1-0-1) against the Portland Winterhawks in 2024-25. This also marks the third-straight year the two clubs will meet during the WHL Playoffs. The Winterhawks were victorious on both occasions, defeating the Silvertips in the first round of the 2022 WHL Playoffs and sweeping their second-round series in 2023.
Spokane Chiefs vs. Victoria Royals
* Heading into their Game 1 contest against the Victoria Royals on Sunday (at 6:05 p.m. PT on Victory+), Spokane Chiefs forward and Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton (4G-10A in 5 GP) leads his team in scoring with 14 points, sitting just two of the WHL and CHL leaders: Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna (2G-14A in 5 GP) and Portland Winterhawks defenceman Tyson Jugnauth (2G-14A in 7 GP).
* During Game 5 of their first-round series against the Vancouver Giants, Catton recorded seven points (2G-5A) to become only the third WHL skater since the 1996 WHL Playoffs to hit the seven-point threshold, joining Olen Zellweger (3G-4A @ POR in Apr. 20, 2023 ) and Stephane Legault (3G-4A on March 22, 2013 vs. KTN) to achieve the feat. Prior to Catton, Zellweger was the last to register seven points in a WHL Playoffs game, having tallied 3G-4A on April 20, 2023.
* With seven goals in four games against Vancouver in the first round, Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall (7G-5A in 4 GP) ranks tied for first in goals during the WHL Playoffs thus far. He also sits tied for second in the CHL, trailing only Windsor Spitfires forward Noah Morneau (8G-3A in 5 GP) and Barrie Colts forward Anthony Romani (8G-1A in 5 GP).
* Cristall, the WHL’s leading scorer in 2024-25, registered what was his first career playoff hat-trick in Game 4 (3G-0A) of the Chiefs’ series against the Giants.
* Cristall is one of just six skaters in the CHL to have averaged three-plus points per game through the first round of the 2025 Playoffs.
* The Chiefs’ top-line of Cristall, Catton (38G-71A in 57 GP), and 21-year-old forward Shea Van Olm combined for 37 points (15G-22A) in the first round. The trio combined for 333 points during the 2024-25 season, which ranks as the fifth-most of any trio of forwards in the WHL over the last decade.
* Coming into their second-round series against the Chiefs, Victoria Royals forward and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Cole Reschny (4G-8A in 5 GP) leads all scorers on the Royals with 12 points.
* Prior to the 2025 WHL Playoffs, Reschny amassed 66 assists during the 2024-25 season, which was the most by a Royals skater since the club relocated to Victoria in the 2011–12 season.
* As one of six goalies across the CHL to go a perfect 4-0 in the first round, Royals netminder Johnny Hicks (1.58 GAA, .949 SV%, 2 SO in 5 GP) has the second-best save percentage (.949) of any goaltender in the CHL through round one. The only netminder who registered a better mark is Rimouski Océanic goalie Mathis Langevin (.968).
* Hicks was the only WHL goalie to register a pair of shutouts in the first round, and he was one of only two to achieve the feat across the CHL alongside Rimouski Océanic goalie Mathis Langevin (2 shutouts).
* The Spokane Chiefs won the season series (3-0-1-0) against the Victoria Royals in 2024-25. The last time the Tigers and Raiders met in the playoffs was during the 2016 WHL Playoffs’ First-Round (VIC won that series 4-2).
