WHL Morning Skate: April 11

NEED TO KNOW

– With a goal and two assists in Game 1 against Saskatoon, Prince Albert’s Daxon Rudolph leads all defencemen in postseason points with 10 (4G-6A) in six games

– Sixteen-year-old Defenceman of the Year finalist Landon DuPont made a highlight-reel pass to spring Seattle Kraken pick Julius Miettinen for a breakaway beauty to take a 1-0 series lead on Kelowna

– After scoring 45 goals in the regular season, Medicine Hat captain Bryce Pickford scored twice, including the OT winner, to down Calgary

– Hitmen alternate captain Ethan Moore is the only active skater to score in every game these playoffs

– Washington Capitals first-rounder Terik Parascak struck twice to lift Prince George to a 4-1 win over the B.C. Division champion Penticton Vees

TOP PERFORMER

The accolades and goals just keep piling up for Nokia, Finland’s Matias Vanhanen. The 18-year-old scored twice, including the game-winner, to lift the regular-season champion Silvertips to a 1-0 lead over the Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets on Friday night. Vanhanen, who is ranked 76th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, broke a second-period stalemate by ramming a Brek Liske rebound past Rockets goaltender Harrison Boettiger in the third period. He nabbed a secondary assist on his fellow Finn Julius Miettinen’s beautiful breakaway insurance marker before putting a cherry on the night with an empty-net goal. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound winger leads Everett in postseason scoring with nine points (5G-4A) in five games. He’s registered at least one point in every game, has two game-winning goals, and has only failed to score once. Vanhanen is a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for WHL Rookie of the Year and the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy for WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player.

RESULTS

Kelowna 1, Everett 4

EVT leads 1-0

The Silvertips enjoyed a long break after sweeping Portland in Round One, but they didn’t miss a step as they handed the Kelowna Rockets a 4-1 loss to open the second round. The Tips combined for an all-NHL prospect goal for the first strike of the series, with Florida Panthers pick Shea Busch hammering a powerplay one-timer from Seattle Kraken pick Julius Miettinen and 2025 Detroit Red Wings first-rounder Carter Bear. Ty Halaburda, who will close his WHL career with 315 games played, levelled the match just 23 seconds into the second period as the Rockets pressured off the opening faceoff. But Kelowna wouldn’t get closer than that, as Vanhanen buried his first goal of the evening four minutes later. 2027 NHL Draft-eligible Landon DuPont made an incredible stretch pass from deep in his own zone to spring Miettinen for a breakaway and insurance marker before Vanhanen closed it up with an empty-netter. Everett held Kelowna to 22 shots and no powerplay goals, despite having five opportunities on the man-advantage.

THREE STARS

1- Julius Miettinen, EVT

– 1G-1A

2- Matias Vanhanen, EVT

– 2G-1A

3- Shea Busch, EVT

– 1G

Saskatoon 1, Prince Albert 6

PA leads 1-0

The East Division champs bagged three goals in the first period and never looked back. Prince Albert’s potent attack saw alternate captain Aiden Oiring twist and turn to evade his check and wrist the game-opener home less than four minutes into Game 1. Projected 2026 NHL first-round pick Daxon Rudolph (NHL CSS: 6) doubled the lead as the young defenceman jumped up into the slot to snap his fourth goal of the postseason past Evan Gardner. The onslaugh continued as Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes blocked a Saskatoon breakout pass to jump up and feed Alisher Sarkenov on a two-on-one rush. Dallas Stars pick Brandon Gorzynski, who scored the series-clincher in overtime against Red Deer in Round One, picked up the lone goal of the second period off another odd-man rush. From there, it was all gravy as Oiring and captain Justice Christensen converted on third-period powerplays just over a minute apart. Draft-eligible Zach Olsen (NHL CSS: 43) spoiled Michal Orsulak’s (NHL CSS: 2) shutout bid with a clean redirection on the powerplay.

THREE STARS

1- Aiden Oiring, PA

– 2G

2- Daxon Rudolph, PA

– 1G-2A

3- Justice Christensen, PA

– 3A

Prince George 4, Penticton 1

PG leads 1-0

For the first time in club history, the Penticton Vees trail in a WHL Playoff series. The Cougars took a bite out of their opponents with a gritty effort at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Jett Lajoie drew first blood after Kooper Gizowski prevented a clearing pass and sent Lajoie streaking to the Vees’ net for a quick move. 2024 Washington Capitals first-round pick Terik Parascak made it 2-0 by tipping a Gizowski pass high on the powerplay. The Prince George powerplay is clicking at 55.6% in the playoffs to lead the entire WHL. Lee Shurgot kept the goals flowing in the third by snapping a rebound into a wide-open net after an Aiden Foster between-the-legs attempt. Parascak tallied his second of the night with an empty-netter, but Noah Milford ensured the Vees would get on the board by lighting the lamp with 1:02 left in regulation.

THREE STARS

1- Terik Parascak, PG

– 2G-1A

2- Joshua Ravensbergen, PG

– 34 saves, .971 save percentage

3- Lee Shurgot, PG

– 1G-1A

Calgary 2, Medicine Hat 3

MH leads 1-0

The goals came in fits and spurts, but Calgary and Medicine Hat delivered a banger in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal. Kade Stengrim put the Tabbies up first after driving the net to rip a pass off the end boards from Jonas Woo home. The celebration was short-lived as Kale Dach tipped a Hunter Aura point shot past Carter Casey less than a minute later. WHL Player of the Year finalist and Montreal Canadiens prospect Bryce Pickford restored the lead by strolling through the high slot and threading a wrister through traffic. But as the clock ticked down, clutch Calgary alternate captain Ethan Moore ensured they’d play on by wheeling around the back of the net and ripping a high shot from a bad angle. Moore scored all four game-winning goals for the Hitmen in their first-round series against Brandon. But in the extra frame, captain Pickford reminded the crowd what a defender who scores like a forward can do. The two-time WHL champ called game after picking up a loose puck in the slot in a mad scramble to fire it glove side. Seventeen-year-old Eric Tu was sensational for Calgary, steering aside 40 shots to sit third among all goaltenders in saves (178) despite playing fewer games than the tenders ahead of him.

THREE STARS

1- Bryce Pickford, MH

– 2G

2- Carter Casey, MH

– 27 saves, .931 save percentage

3- Eric Tu, CGY

– 40 saves, .930 save percentage

 

ON TAP