WHL Morning Skate: April 20
NEED TO KNOW
– Islanders prospect Jacob Kvasnicka scored in overtime to eliminate the Prince George Cougars
– Penticton won four straight games after initially trailing their second-round series 2-0
– Penticton will face the regular-season champion Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference Championship
TOP PERFORMER
It may not have been the final result he wanted, but top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Carson Carels was a wrecking ball in the final game of his WHL season. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound defenceman split the Vees’ defenders before rifling a shot top corner to open the scoring and had the primary assist on Lee Shurgot’s powerplay one-timer. Carels closes out his second trip to the WHL Playoffs with 10 points (1G-9A) in 10 games. The Cypress River, Man. product is ranked third among all North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
RESULTS
Prince George 2, Penticton 3 (OT)
PEN wins 4-2
It took another comeback, but the Vees’ magical inaugural season will continue. The B.C. Division champions were trailing 2-0 after Carels and centreman Lee Shurgot rocketed the Cougars to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play, but Diego Johnson kickstarted the comeback by scoring 1:58 into the third period. Doogan Pederson found the equalizer as Louis Wehmann teed him up for a one-timer in the slot in the late goings. Finally, in the extra frame, Kvasnicka played hero as he buried a rebound to send his team to the Conference Championship.
THREE STARS
1- Bauer Dumanski, PG
– 5 shots
2- Joshua Ravensbergen, PG
– 22 saves, .880 save percentage
3- Terik Parascak, PG
– 1A
Loading ...