WHL Morning Skate: April 14

NEED TO KNOW

– The Spokane Chiefs erased a 2-0 deficit to win Game 1 of their second-round series in double overtime

– Three games in the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien have required double overtime

– Victoria and Spokane will get right back to work in Game 2 on Monday night

– Gavin McKenna dropped the leading goal of the year candidate with this shorthanded stunner:

🎥HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT🎥

Gavin breaks the internet.@tigershockey | #WHLPlayoffs | #WHLHoN | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/eK3pPFbHdl

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 14, 2025

TOP PERFORMER- APRIL 13

Call it a comeback. Alternate Captain Rasmus Ekstrom’s Spokane Chiefs were steadily chipping away at a two-goal deficit when the 20-year-old defenceman sprung Sam Oremba for a winding wrister to level the score. Ekstrom, who had four shots on goal throughout the night, saved his best for last as the match marched into a second overtime period. On a Chiefs powerplay midway through the fifth period, Spokane’s lucky number 13 swapped spots with Shea Van Olm to linger in the slot, where he grabbed an Andrew Cristall feed and snapped it past Johnny Hicks for the game-winning snipe. Ekstrom’s tally also marked the lone powerplay goal of the game. The Swedish blueliner is up to three goals and two assists for five points in six games in his second trip to the WHL Playoffs.

RESULTS

Prince Albert 4, Medicine Hat 5 (OT)

Medicine Hat leads 2-0

For a second straight night, Medicine Hat jumped out to a near-inassailable lead, but the Prince Albert Raiders stormed back to make it a tight contest. However, this game may be wholly overshadowed by a single goal that has nearly broken the hockey internet. Tigers Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt already had his league-leading ninth goal of the playoffs to make it 1-0 Medicine Hat heading into the second period, but time stopped when Gavin McKenna dangled and spun on a shorthanded two-on-one to whip a shot past Max Hildebrand. The Whitehorse Wizard would strike on the penalty kill again as the teams erupted for a six-goal third period. McKenna’s second of the night put the Tabbies up 4-2 with 3:15 remaining in regulation, but 2024 WHL Champion Rilen Kovacevic wasn’t ready for his Raiders to call it a night. The veteran forward scored twice in 30 seconds to tee up the extra frame. That’s where top Tigers rookie Liam Ruck tipped home a powerplay blast to give his team a commanding 2-0 series lead.

THREE STARS

1- Gavin McKenna, MH

– 2G

2- Liam Ruck, MH

– 1G

3- Tanner Molendyk, MH

– 3A

Victoria 3, Spokane 4 (2OT)

Spokane leads 1-0

After an extended break for the Chiefs and Royals before starting their second-round series, fans were treated to a true nailbiter in Spokane. 2025 NHL Draft-eligible centre Cole Reschny drew first blood with a clever chip to create a two-on-one with seconds left in the first period before batting a spiraling puck out of the air and into the Chiefs’ net. The visitors doubled their lead as Kenta Isogai flew in on net and drawing the defenders before dropping the puck to Teydon Trembecky and a wide-open Reschny, who was poised and ready to bury the one-timer. Spokane would tie the game twice more after this, thanks to some clever goals from Cameron Parr and Sam Oremba, before Trembecky and Capitals prospect Cristall swapped late goals to set up an overtime showdown. As the game stretched on into the night, Chiefs Captain Berkly Catton and Cristall quarterbacked another lethal Spokane powerplay to tee-up Ekstrom for the game-winner. Johnny Hicks stunned with a new career-high 53 saves and a .929 save percentage, while Dawson Cowan steered aside 32 of 35 for a .914 save percentage.

THREE STARS

1- Rasmus Ekstrom, SPO

– 1G-1A

2- Cole Reschny, VIC

– 2G

3- Andrew Cristall, SPO

– 1G-1A

ON TAP