WHL Morning Skate: May 12, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

– Spokane scored four times in less than five minutes to earn a split on the road to open the 2025 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien

– Chiefs rookie Mathis Preston shined with a goal and an assist on Owen Martin’s game-winner

– Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom scored his first goal for the Tigers in over a year after a lengthy recovery from injury

– Tigers phenom Gavin McKenna’s modern CHL-record point streak has come to an end at 54 games and 137 points (40G-97A)

– Game 3 is set for Tuesday, May 13, in Spokane

TOP PERFORMER- MAY 12

One big cat reigned supreme in Game 2. Berkly Catton scored Spokane’s lone goal in their game 1 loss before popping off for three points to silence the crowd at Co-op Place to level the series at one win each. With the Tigers leading 1-0 in the first period, Catton dipped through a sea of orange before converting a tight chance on Harrison Meneghin. The Chiefs Captain snagged an assist on a Shea Van Olm tally before the period was out, before capping the night off with a beautiful breakaway goal moments after hopping out of the penalty box. Catton leads all WHL skaters in playoff scoring with 40 points (11G-29A) in 17 games and has eight games where he’s registered three or more points.

RESULTS

Spokane 6, Medicine Hat 2

Series tied 1-1

For a second straight game, the Medicine Hat Tigers opened the scoring with a highlight-reel dandy from a returning player who had missed significant time (fittingly, Medicine Hat’s goal song is ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ by Simple Minds). This time, it was Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom kicking things off with Hunter St. Martin (Florida Panthers) and Andrew Basha (Calgary Flames) earning the helpers. Spokane erupted with four goals in a 4:46 span, starting with Catton’s game-tying goal. Rasmus Ekstrom converted a feed from 2022 Western Conference Champion Sam Oremba on a two-on-one to give Spokane its first lead of the series. Owen Martin and regular season goals leader Shea Van Olm capped off a game-defining period for the visitors. St. Martin slashed Spokane’s lead in half with a long wrister on the powerplay for the lone goal of the second period, but rookie Mathis Preston halted any hopes of a comeback with a timely third-period strike before Catton closed things out with a late breakaway. Dawson Cowan made 19 saves in the key win to earn the split in Alberta.

THREE STARS

1- Berkly Catton, SPO

– 2G-1A

2- Mathis Preston, SPO

– 1G-1A

3- Shea Van Olm, SPO

– 1G-1A

ON TAP

The 2025 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien resumes on Tuesday, May 13 at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.