A night of firsts: Rebels storm Hurricanes for first win
LETHBRIDGE, AB – Firsts were celebrated everywhere Friday night as the Red Deer Rebels traded blows with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, storming out of VisitLethbridge.com Arena with a 4-3 victory, marking their first win of the season.
Fresh off Colorado Avalanche Training Camp, Red Deer Rebels captain, Beckett Hamilton, wasted little time reminding the WHL that he was back.
Just over three minutes into the opening frame, Poul Andersen opened up the play finding Hamilton, who wired the puck blocker side past Lethbridge netminder, Leif Oaten.
The Hurricanes captain answered a call of his own on the power play as Owen Berge walked in and lifted a shot over the shoulder of Rebels rookie netminder Nathan Salisbury to even the score.
Red Deer regained the lead on a power play of their own as Andersen found New York Rangers prospect Zeb Lindgren at the point who delivered a tape-to-tape pass to Hamilton, who picked his spot blocker side for his second of the night.
Shorthanded, Lethbridge’s Kai Anderson broke in alone and converted on a breakaway, sending the game into the intermission tied at 2-2.
The Hurricanes took their first lead early in the second when Dayne Beuker found the back of the net through traffic on the power play.
With five minutes remaining in the period, Andersen spotted rookie Chace Turchak driving to the net and made no mistake putting the puck on his tape. Sliding the puck past Oaten, Turchak tallied his first WHL goal of his career to tie the game at three.
WHAT A WAY TO GET YOUR FIRST IN THE DUB!!!! 🥳🎉
Chace Turchak drives to the net and buries one to tie the game at 3.@Rebelshockey | #WHLOpeningWeek pic.twitter.com/JItsuNy2hr
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) September 26, 2026
Less than two minutes later and with the Rebels shorthanded, Hamilton forced a turnover in the Hurricanes’ zone, spinning around the Lethbridge defence, Hamilton took the puck to the net to complete the hat trick.
HATTY FOR BECKETT HAMILTON!!! 🤩@Rebelshockey | @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo | #WHLOpeningWeek pic.twitter.com/EemSYcIP5X
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) September 26, 2026
The Rebels carried the 4-3 lead into the third and held off the Hurricanes over the final 20 minutes to secure their first victory of the season.
In net, Salisbury made his WHL debut turning aside 19 shots to earn his first vwin. Oaten faced a heavy workload at the other end, stopping 39 of 43 Rebels shots.
Red Deer finished the night 2-for-10 on the power play, while Lethbridge went 2-for-5 with the man-advantage.
The win also marked a first for Rebels head coach, Brent Kisio. After spending eight seasons behind the Hurricanes’ bench, followed by three in the AHL, Kisio returned to Lethbridge for the first time as the opposing head coach and left VisitLethbridge.com Arena with his first Rebels coaching win.
BRANDT THREE STARS:
- Beckett Hamilton (RD)
- Logan Stuart (LETH)
- Leif Oaten (LETH)
NOTES: Hamilton’s three goals came in three different situations: even strength, on the power play and shorthanded, as the Rebels captain completed a memorable return to the lineup … Poul Andersen recorded his first career 3-assist game … Rebels scratches for the game included Cameron Dillard, Noah Chadi, Grayden Peterson and Luke Jamieson … Attendance for the game was 2,969 … Red Deer is 1-1-0-1after earning their first win of the season while Lethbridge falls to 0-3-0-0.
NEXT UP: Red Deer Rebels are back at home against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday, September 26 at 6 p.m. (TICKETS).
