WHL Morning Skate: April 3, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

– 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Ben Kindel’s hat trick helped the Calgary Hitmen become the first team to advance to Round Two with a sweep in Saskatoon

– Diego Buttazzoni scored late in double overtime to end the longest game of the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien and give Portland an all-important 3-1 series lead

– Florida Panthers prospect Hunter St. Martin’s overtime dagger gave the Medicine Hat Tigers a commanding 3-1 series lead against Swift Current

– Ethan Eskit made 38 saves in his first postseason start to help the Wheat Kings get their first win and stave off elimination against Lethbridge

– Four games were decided by a single goal on Wednesday night

– The Edmonton Oil Kings have a chance to become the first team since 2016 to knock off a second-seed opponent in the first round of playoffs

TOP PERFORMER- WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2

We just witnessed a true Steb-attack.

Czech netminder Ondrej Stebetak held his Portland Winterhawks in over two rollercoaster overtime periods, making 49 saves on 53 shots- including 15 attempts in the second overtime period. The first-year Winterhawks weathered a dangerous Prince George powerplay just minutes before Diego Buttazzoni struck to end the match. This marks the busiest night of the 17-year-old’s first WHL campaign in the Rose City. Stebetak, from Jihlava, Cze., is ranked sixth among all North American netminders in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings, thanks to performances like this one.

RESULTS

Victoria (4), Tri-City (6)

Victoria leads 3-1

Six different Americans players found the back of the net and Lukas Matecha made 40 saves as the Americans halted the Royals’ party and seized their first win of the postseason. Projected 2025 NHL first-round draft pick Jackson Smith scored his first of the series in the second period before linking up with Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Charlie Elick to assist Cash Koch’s game-winning tally. Koch, 18, also assisted two earlier Ams goals to keep his team in the mix. Another potential high pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Cole Reschny, nailed his third multipoint game of the playoffs with a goal and an assist, while Winnipeg Jets prospect Markus Loponen scored twice to keep the Royals within striking distance.

THREE STARS

1- Cash Koch, TC

– 1G-2A

2- Jackson Smith, TC

– 1G-1A

3- Lukas Matecha, TC

– 40/44

– .909 save percentage

Prince George (4), Portland (5) 2OT

Remember 2024’s monumental Western Conference Game 6 double-overtime showdown between the Winterhawks and Cougars? Wednesday’s match was over 12 minutes longer than last season’s postseason showdown, clocking in at a whopping 97:56. Regulation time saw the Cougars tie the game after falling behind on three occasions, with big-time players Borya Valis (Toronto Maple Leafs), Matteo Danis, Koehn Ziemmer (Los Angeles Kings) striking before rookie defenceman Carsel Carels gave Prince George its first lead of the night with under two minutes left. Cue the drama- with the extra attacker on the ice, Ryan Miller hit paydirt to force not one, but two overtimes. Diego Buttazzoni hit twine to get the crowd at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum roaring. Captain Kyle Chyzowski played a massive role for his team with a goal and and assists on the game-opening goal, game-tying goal and game-winner. Seattle Kraken pick Tyson Jugnauth also added a trio of assists to sit second in the WHL postseason scoring race, trailing only Gavin McKenna. Prince George will fight to extend the series on Friday.

THREE STARS

1- Diego Buttazzoni, POR

– 1G-1A

2- Kyle Chyzowski, POR

– 1G-3A

3- Carson Carels, PG

– 1G-1A

Vancouver (3), Spokane (2)

Spokane leads 2-1

The Giants converted timely opportunities while Burke Hood battled a barrage of pucks from the Spokane Chiefs as Vancouver cut the series deficit in half on Wednesday. Veteran blueliner Ethan Mittelsteadt was in on all goals for the G-men, who opened the scoring 77 seconds into the match with a strike from alternate captain Ty Halaburda. London Hoilett potted his first of the postseason before Colorado Avalanche prospect Saige Weinstein got the home side on the board with a screened point shot with under a minute remaining in the first period. His fellow blueliner Rasmus Ekstrom found an equalizer for Spokane, but Winnipeg Jets prospect Connor Levis called game with a deceptive wrister in the final frame. Hood stopped 41 of 43 shots to preserve Vancouver’s win.

THREE STARS

1- Ethan Mittelsteadt, VAN

– 3A

2- Assanali Sarkenov, SPO

– 2A

3- Connor Levis, VAN

– 1G

Medicine Hat (4), Swift Current (3) OT

Medicine Hat leads 3-1

Veteran Carlin Dezainde and Captain Clarke Caswell (Seattle Kraken) gave the Broncos their biggest lead of the series after jumping up 2-0 early in the first period, but the Tigers bounced back quickly with Minnesota Wild prospect Ryder Ritchie burying a powerplay goal and, later, two assists. Gavin McKenna was up to his usual tricks, assisting Ritchie’s tally and bagging two of his own to put Medicine Hat on top in the third period. 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Luke Mistelbacher came in clutch for the Broncos with less than two minutes remaining to force overtime, where Florida Panthers pick Hunter St. Martin made no mistake on a breakaway run with a quick deke to force the puck behind Reid Dyck. Dyck made a whopping 44 saves and held the Tigers to one goal on six powerplay attempts, but the Broncos are in a must-win situation as the series shifts back to Medicine Hat for Game 5. For those on McKenna watch, the projected top 2026 NHL Draft pick has hit the scoresheet for 44 straight games stretching back to the regular season, though his streak is *officially* capped at at the end of the regular season. The Whitehorse, Yukon product has a monster 14 points (3G-11A) in four games to lead all skaters.

THREE STARS

1- Hunter St. Martin, MH

– 1G-1A

2- Reid Dyck, SC

– 44/48 saves

– .916 save percentage

3- Gavin McKenna, MH

– 2G-1A

Prince Albert (2), Edmonton (3)

Edmonton leads 3-1

Prince Albert nearly tied things late, but Edmonton’s strong start helped the Oil Kings hold off a late Raiders onslaught. Lukas Sawchyn netted the game-opener, while older brother Gracyn (Florida Panthers) snagged a pair of second-period assists, including a secondary helper on St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jecho’s deciding goal. 2024 WHL Champion Rilen Kovacevic scored shorthanded and alternate captain Niall Crocker lit the lamp to get the visitors within one, to no avail. Edmonton Captain Gavin Hodnett is the only player in the series to earn a point in every game (2G-5A) and has assisted all three of Edmonton’s game-winning goals. The Oil Kings could become the first low seed to knock off a second-seed team in Round One of the WHL Playoffs since the Regina Pats upset the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2016. The Raiders will try to force Game 6 with a win at the formidable Art Hauser Centre on Friday.

THREE STARS

1- Gavin Hodnett, EDM

– 1G-1A

2- Gracyn Sawchyn, EDM

– 2A

3- Niall Crocker, PA

– 1G

Calgary (6), Saskatoon (2)

Calgary wins 4-0

The Calgary Hitmen are the first team to punch their ticket to Round Two! The Hitmen lived up to their namesake with a 6-2 win to eliminate the Blades. 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Ben Kindel scored his first postseason hat trick to ice the match, while top Ottawa Senators prospect Carter Yakemchuk danced the Saskatoon defenceman before snapping a backhanded shot home for the series-clinching goal. Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Tanner Howe showed up big in his home province with a team-leading nine points (2G-7A) in four games, including the game-winning tally in Game 3. Rookie netminder Anders Miller also came in clutch with a 4-0-0 record, a 1.51 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in Round One.

THREE STARS

1- Ben Kindel, CGY

– 3G

2- Carter Yakemchuk, CGY

– 1G-1A

3- Cooper Williams, SAS

– Three shots

Lethbridge (4), Brandon (6)

Lethbridge leads 3-1

Always eat your Wheaties, folks. Brandon will fight another day after thwarting three Lethbridge comeback attempts to grind out a 6-4 win. Ethan Eskit made 38 saves in his first playoff start to light the fire for the Wheat Kings. Luke Shipley scored in his return to the lineup, while Colleyville, Texas, product Matteo Michels scored twice to restore separate Brandon leads. Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager buried a gorgeous shorthanded breakaway goal to keep things interesting and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jordan Gustafson tied the match early in the third, but Nicholas Johnson came up with the game-winner in front of a voracious crowd in Virden, Man.

THREE STARS

1- Matteo Michels, BDN

– 2G

2- Luke Shipley, BDN

– 1G-1A

3- Ethan Eskit

– 38/42 saves

– .904

ON TAP