2026 WHL Championship – Game 2 Player to Watch: Julius Miettinen, Everett Silvertips

Everett, Wash. – Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen has been a menace for the Everett Silvertips this season.

Now, as his Club aims to even the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien, Miettinen will be relied upon to help shift the balance.

“We’ve just got to find the back of the net,” Miettinen said looking ahead to Game 2. “We played well yesterday [in Game 1], we’ve got to play well today.”

Game 2 of the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien is set for Saturday, May 9, at 6 p.m. PT. Fans can tune in live on TSN and Victory+.

With 20 points (11G-9A) in 14 WHL Playoff games, the 6-foot-3, 207-pound product of Helsinki, Finland, is tied for thing in post-season scoring. He added to his totals during Game 1, registering a goal and an assist, as the Silvertips fell 4-2 to the Prince Albert Raiders.

Miettinen’s late power-play goal was the product of a great individual effort, as the power forward gained the zone on his own, split the defence, and sent a backhand past Raiders netminder Michal Orsulak to make it a 3-2 game late in the third period.

The Silvertips will be looking for more of that from the Kraken prospect in Game 2.

Selected by the Kraken in the second round (40th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Miettinen has been a driving force in Everett all season long. He logged a career high 76 points (35G-41A) in 52 games and was named to the WHL Western Conference Second All-Star Team for his effort.

“It’s been big,” Miettinen said, reflecting on his season. “It gives me so much confidence knowing that I can score and the guys trust me.”

He’s been a central component on a deadly Silvertips line featuring Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Matias Vanhanen.

“It’s been clicking the whole year,” Miettinen said of his line. “We just play well together, and we know where we are when we’re on the ice. It’s nice to play with them.”

Selected by the Silvertips in the first round (30th overall) of the 2023 CHL Import Draft, Miettinen in his third season in Everett, having collected 182 points (77G-105A) in 154 career regular season games. He has added another 33 points (19G-14A) in 36 games across three postseasons.

Game 2 of the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien is set for Saturday, May 9, at 6 p.m. PT as the Everett Silvertips host the Prince Albert Raiders. The winner of the best-of-seven series will advance to the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota in Kelowna, B.C., which is scheduled for Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 31.

All seven games of the WHL Championship Series are available in Canada on TSN. Viewers can also stream the entire series globally and for FREE on Victory+.