WHL Morning Skate: May 9

NEED TO KNOW

– The Prince Albert Raiders scored three times in the second period to earn a 4-2 comeback win in Game 1 of the WHL Championship Series

– The win marks Everett’s first home loss of the 2026 WHL Playoffs

– Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes led all skaters with a goal and an assist

– The Silvertips will try to level the series in Game 2 on Saturday night

TOP PERFORMER

Fans will remember Braeden Cootes terrorizing the Silvertips as the former captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds, and while the 19-year-old didn’t play Everett in the 2025-26 regular season, he didn’t miss a beat in Game 1. Cootes helped get Prince Albert on the board with a backhand dish from behind the net to tee up Jonah Sivertson (NHL CSS: 53) for a one-timer in the slot early in the second period. The 6-foot, 183-pound centreman did it all himself on the powerplay to give the Raiders their first lead of the night with a precision distance wrister. Cootes, who started the season with the Vancouver Canucks after being selected 15th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, has five points (2G-3A) in his last two playoff games. He also brought his playoff scoring total to 20 points (7G-13A) in 16 games.

RESULTS

Prince Albert 4, Everett 2

PA leads 2-0

Including the regular season, Everett has only lost four games at home in regulation time. Two of those have come at the hands of the Prince Albert Raiders. Detroit Red Wings first-rounder Carter Bear got the crowd of nearly 7,700 fans on their feet with a one-timer from the slot off a tape-to-tape feed from linemate Matias Vanhanen (NHL CSS: 54). Prince Albert successfully killed three penalties before Braeden Cootes set up Jonah Sivertson (NHL CSS: 53) for a point-blank wrister and followed it up with a goal of his own. Raiders captain Justice Christensen unleashed the patented ‘Juice Bomb’- a thunderous one-timer to extend the lead to two after 40 minutes of play. Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen made it a one-goal game with a powerplay strike late in the period before Aiden Oiring sealed the win with an empty-netter.

ON TAP