Regular season champion Silvertips ground Rockets, advance to Western Conference Championship
Round Two, done and dusted.
The Everett Silvertips have advanced to the Western Conference Championship after eliminating the Memorial Cup Host Kelowna Rockets in Round Two of the 2026 WHL Playoffs.
Landon DuPont scored 40 seconds into overtime to seal a 2-1 victory in Game 5 on Friday night.
The low-scoring affair saw 2025 Detroit Red Wings first-round pick Carter Bear open things up with a shorthanded snipe in the back half of the third period before the Rockets tied the game late to force the extra frame.
Everett will advance to the Conference Championship for the first time since 2018.
NHL Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen (NHL CSS: 76) scored twice, including the game-winner, and added an assist as the Silvertips cruised to a 4-1 decision at Angel of the Winds Arena in Game One.
Bear, who missed the 2025 postseason, came through with his first career postseason goal in Game 2, while landing a primary assist on the powerplay for a 4-2 win.
Vanhanen and Brek Liske (NHL CSS: 34) struck 34 seconds apart to put Game 3 out of reach for the Rockets, with Miettinen and Lukas Kaplan adding some insurance in a 4-1 final.
Despite falling behind 3-0 in the first period of Game 4, the Rockets chipped away at the deficit to finally tie the match at three with eight seconds remaining in regulation time.
Alternate captain and Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla buried his second goal of the night in overtime to stave off elimination and force Friday’s Game 5 showdown.
They may be out of the running for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, but the Rockets have plenty to play for as they prepare for the Memorial Cup, which runs from May 21-31, 2026.
Everett is coming off the winningest regular season in franchise history- a 57-8-2-1 rampage that saw the Silvertips capture the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions for a second consecutive season and the third time in franchise history.
This marks the fourth time the U.S. Division squad had advanced past the second round and the first time since 2018, when they reached the Championship Series, though they’d fall to the Swift Current Broncos in Game 6.
Everett is the first team to advance to the Western Conference Championship.
The Silvertips will take on the winner of the Penticton Vees/Prince George Cougars series, which is currently tied with two wins each.
