[{"id":267487,"date":"2026-04-24T14:09:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T20:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/?p=267487"},"modified":"2026-04-24T14:09:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T20:09:30","slug":"whl-eastern-conference-championship-preview-prince-albert-raiders-vs-medicine-hat-tigers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/article\/whl-eastern-conference-championship-preview-prince-albert-raiders-vs-medicine-hat-tigers","title":{"rendered":"WHL Eastern Conference Championship preview: Prince Albert Raiders vs. Medicine Hat Tigers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anyone ready for a rematch?<\/p>\n

One season after Medicine Hat swept Prince Albert aside in the second round in its march to the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the Tigers and Raiders will clash again- this time, with a berth in the 2026 WHL Championship Series on the line.<\/p>\n

This time, the Raiders are entering as the Eastern Conference leaders and top seed in the series.<\/p>\n

Prince Albert is flying high after eliminating the rival Saskatoon Blades in four games, including back-to-back shutouts in Games 2 and 3.<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes and 2026 NHL Draft-eligible Daxon Rudolph led PA in second-round scoring with five points each, including Rudolph’s series-clinching goal at the SaskTel Centre.<\/p>\n

The reigning WHL Champions are also well-rested after completing a sweep of the Calgary Hitmen the same evening.<\/p>\n

Two of the Tigers’ wins over the Hitmen were decided by a single goal, but the Tabbies continually came alive for late game-changing plays.<\/p>\n

Three Medicine Hat skaters (Bryce Pickford, Liam Ruck and Andrew Basha) tied for the team second-round scoring lead with five points of their own.<\/p>\n

Defenceman of the Year finalist Jonas Woo bagged the series-deciding goal on the powerplay in Game 4.<\/p>\n

The Central Division champion Tigers ranked as the highest scoring team in the regular season while allowing the sixth-fewest goals.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, the East Division champion Raiders were the second-highest scoring squad while allowing the fewest goals in the league.<\/p>\n

The matchup features three of the most exciting prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft in Rudolph and the Ruck twins, Markus and Liam, who ranked first and second, respectively, in scoring across the entire CHL.<\/p>\n

Prince Albert and Medicine Hat split the regular-season series at two wins each, with the Tigers taking the first pair and the Raiders claiming the two post-WHL Trade Deadline matches in January.<\/p>\n

Look out for captains Bryce Pickford and Justice Christensen, who deliver scoring punch and a physical threat whenever they’re on the ice.<\/p>\n

Pickford, a Montreal Canadiens prospect and Defenceman of the Year finalist, is coming off a 45-goal regular season that included five points (2G-3A) against Prince Albert, highlighted by a Gordie Howe hat trick in a 7-1 Tabbies win on December 3.<\/p>\n

Christensen, who has signed an AHL contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins for 2026-27, has picked up four playoff assists- and dumped an opponent into the bench- but has yet to release the WHL-famous ‘juice bomb’ point shot in the postseason.<\/p>\n

The Art Hauser Centre will play host to Game 1 on Friday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. ST.<\/p>\n

The teams will make tracks for the Gas City for Game 3 on Tuesday, April 28, at Co-op Place.<\/p>\n

STAT PACK<\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nMedicine Hat Tigers<\/strong><\/td>\nPrince Albert Raiders<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Record<\/strong><\/td>\n50-10-5-1<\/td>\n52-10-5-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoff Leaders<\/strong><\/td>\nAndrew Basha (3G-11A, 14 pts)<\/p>\n

Jonas Woo (5G-6A, 11 pts)<\/p>\n

Bryce Pickford (5G-4A, 9 pts)<\/td>\n

Daxon Rudolph (5G-7A, 12 pts)<\/p>\n

Braeden Cootes (5G-6A, 11 pts)<\/p>\n

Brayden Dube (3G-8A, 11 pts)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Season Leaders<\/b><\/td>\nMarkus Ruck (21G-87A, 108 pts)<\/p>\n

Liam Ruck (45G-59A, 104 pts)<\/p>\n

Jonas Woo (29G-57A, 86 pts)<\/td>\n

Daxon Rudolph (28G-50A, 78 pts)<\/p>\n

Aiden Oiring (28G-41A, 69 pts)<\/p>\n

Brandon Gorzynski (27G-42A, 69 pts)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Leading Goaltender (Playoffs)<\/strong><\/td>\nJordan Switzer (5-1-00, 2.67 GAA, .885 save percentage)<\/td>\nMichal Orsulak (8-1-0, 1.55 GAA, .919 save percentage, three shutouts)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power<\/strong>\u00a0Play (Playoffs)<\/strong><\/td>\n24.1% (8th)<\/td>\n25% (7th)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Penalty Kill (Playoffs)<\/strong><\/td>\n87.9% (1st)<\/td>\n77.8% (7th)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Second Round<\/strong><\/td>\nDef. Calgary (4-0)<\/td>\nDef. Saskatoon (4-0)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Last WHL Championship<\/strong><\/td>\n2025<\/td>\n2019<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

2025-26 Regular Season Series: Series tied 2-2-0-0
\n<\/strong>November 29, 2025- Medicine Hat 3<\/strong>, Prince Albert 2
\nDecember 3, 2025- Prince Albert 1, Medicine Hat 7<\/strong>
\nJanuary 17, 2026- Prince Albert 8<\/strong>, Medicine Hat 5
\nJanuary 24, 2026- Medicine Hat 1, Prince Albert 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

GAME BREAKERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medicine Hat:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Veteran defenceman Jonas Woo is the WHL’s active playoff games-played leader with a whopping 66 postseason tilts over five seasons. His scoring capacity has also cranked up over the years, culminating in 2025-26’s 86-point (29G-57A) run that saw Woo set a franchise record for single-season points by a defenceman. The Winnipeg, Man. product has already matched his point total from the 2025 WHL Championship run with five goals (including a hat trick and two game-winners) and six assists for 11 points in eight games. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound rearguard led Medicine Hat with six points (3G-3A) in four games against Prince Albert in the regular season, including a one-goal, three-assist romp in a 7-1 win on December 3.<\/p>\n

Prince Albert:\u00a0<\/strong>San Jose Sharks prospect Max Heise had the Tigers’ number in 2025-26, leading all skaters with seven points (4G-3A) against the Central Division champions. Notably, he logged an even-strength hat trick and two assists to rout Medicine Hat 8-5 on January 17th. The 6-foot-3, 172-pound centreman averaged a point per game in his first WHL campaign with 63 points (29G-34A) in 63 outings. Heise may have missed the beginning of the postseason with an injury, but he’s found his form with a goal and an assist in Game 4 against the Blades, marking his first postseason points in the Dub.<\/p>\n

GOALTENDING<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medicine Hat:\u00a0<\/strong>Never let them know your next move. The Tigers toggled between Jordan Switzer and Carter Casey in Round Two, with both goaltenders registering a save percentage above .905. Switzer, who earned two wins against Prince Albert while primarily backing up Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Harrison Meneghin in the 2025 Championship run, took on all four starts against Prince Albert in the regular season. The 19-year-old went 2-2-0-0 with a 3.52 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage.<\/p>\n

Prince Albert:\u00a0<\/strong>There’s a reason Michal Orsulak is ranked second among all North American goaltenders heading into the 2026 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Czech import has three shutouts in the 2026 WHL Playoffs and ranks third among all goaltenders with a postseason GAA of 1.55. Orsulak went 2-2-0-0 against Medicine Hat this season with. a 3.94 GAA and .876 save percentage. He was pulled in the first period against the Tigers in the aforementioned 7-1 loss, but returned to the game in the third period and stopped all seven shots he faced from that point on.<\/p>\n

X FACTOR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medicine Hat:\u00a0<\/strong>Both teams added impact NHL prospects to their rosters at the turn of the calendar year. Calgary Flames pick Andrew Basha has added some tools to his belt in a switch to centre and has found tremendous success on a line with the NHL Draft-eligible Ruck twins. Basha is tied for third in the playoff scoring race with 14 points, while sitting second in assists with 11. The 6-foot, 187-pound forward picked up two assists in two appearances against the Raiders and will look for more in the Conference Championship.<\/p>\n

Prince Albert:\u00a0<\/strong>Prince Albert logged the biggest move of the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline by adding Vancouver Canucks pick and World Juniors bronze medalist Braeden Cootes. He’s second in Raiders’ playoff scoring with 11 points (5G-6A) and showed plenty of versatility against the Tabbies in two regular-season games, where he bagged a goal and three assists.<\/p>\n

2026 WHL PLAYOFFS SERIES SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Game<\/strong><\/td>\nVisitor<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nHome<\/strong><\/td>\nDay<\/strong><\/td>\nDate<\/strong><\/td>\nTime<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\nFriday<\/td>\nApril 24<\/td>\n7pm ST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\nSaturday<\/td>\nApril 25<\/td>\n7pm ST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\nTuesday<\/td>\nApril 28<\/td>\n7pm MT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\nWednesday<\/td>\nApril 29<\/td>\n7pm MT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5*<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\nFriday<\/td>\nMay 1<\/td>\n7pm ST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6*<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\nSunday<\/td>\nMay 3<\/td>\n6pm MT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7*<\/td>\nMedicine Hat<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPrince Albert<\/td>\nTuesday<\/td>\nMay 5<\/td>\n7pm ST<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* = if necessary<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone ready for a rematch? One season after Medicine Hat swept Prince Albert aside in the second round in its march to the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the Tigers and Raiders will clash again- this time, with a berth in the 2026 WHL Championship Series on the line. This time, the Raiders are entering as the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":487,"featured_media":267578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1110],"tags":[{"term_id":2300,"name":"2026 WHL Playoffs","slug":"2026-whl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2300,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":187,"filter":"raw","term_order":"40"},{"term_id":30,"name":"medicine hat tigers","slug":"medicine-hat-tigers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":185,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1206,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1727"},{"term_id":39,"name":"prince albert raiders","slug":"prince-albert-raiders","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":206,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1134,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1826"}],"class_list":["post-267487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-2026-whl-playoffs","tag-medicine-hat-tigers","tag-prince-albert-raiders","category-1110","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/24140912\/260424_ECC-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/487"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":267571,"date":"2026-04-24T11:05:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/?p=267571"},"modified":"2026-04-24T11:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:06:10","slug":"travis-crickard-named-general-manager-and-head-coach-of-swift-current","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/article\/travis-crickard-named-general-manager-and-head-coach-of-swift-current","title":{"rendered":"Travis Crickard named General Manager and Head Coach of Swift Current Broncos"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Swift Current, Sask., <\/span><\/strong>\u2013 The Swift Current Broncos are proud to announce the hiring of Travis Crickard as the organization\u2019s new General Manager and Head Coach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crickard, a native of St. John\u2019s, Newfoundland, brings a wealth of experience at both the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) level and internationally through Hockey Canada programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2022, Crickard has served as Head Coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, and in 2024 he was also named the club\u2019s General Manager. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Coach with the Sea Dogs during the 2021\u201322 season, helping guide the team to a Memorial Cup Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the CHL level, Crickard was an Assistant Coach with the Ottawa 67\u2019s during the 2013\u201314 season before joining the Kelowna Rockets from 2014 to 2019. During his time in Kelowna, he played a key role in helping the Rockets capture the 2015 WHL Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to his club experience, Crickard has been heavily involved with Hockey Canada. He has served as a head coach, assistant coach and video coach across multiple U-16, U-17, and U-18 programs. Most recently, he was an associate coach for Team Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In total Crickard has helped Canada earn three IIHF U18 gold medals, a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Bronze medal, and two U17 World Challenge Silver medals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are extremely pleased to welcome Travis to the Swift Current Broncos,\u201d said Broncos Chairman of the Board Trent McCleary. \u201cTravis brings a wealth of coaching and general manager experience at the CHL level, along with a deep understanding of the standards and expectations within Hockey Canada programs. He understands the importance of building something our fans and city can be proud of and is fully invested in this organization and the people who support it every day. We are confident that his leadership, vision, and dedication will have a lasting impact on our players both on and off the ice, and we\u2019re excited to see where he can help take the Broncos moving forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy family and I are truly honoured and grateful for the trust the Broncos Board of Directors have shown in me to serve this storied program and the city of Swift Current,\u201d said Crickard. \u201cWe admire the community connection the team has and want to build a team and program the people of Swift Current will be proud to support. The Board of Directors and current staff members have done marvellous work to build a values-driven foundation to help guide the organization. I look forward to helping bring those values to life and make a positive difference in the personal and hockey growth of our players.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Swift Current Broncos would like to welcome Travis and his family to the organization and the Swift Current community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Details on a public event to welcome Travis and his family to the community will be announced in the coming days, with sponsors and season ticket members invited to attend.<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Swift Current, Sask., \u2013 The Swift Current Broncos are proud to announce the hiring of Travis Crickard as the organization\u2019s new General Manager and Head Coach. Crickard, a native of St. John\u2019s, Newfoundland, brings a wealth of experience at both the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) level and internationally through Hockey Canada programs. Since 2022,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":267573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1110],"tags":[{"term_id":2345,"name":"Travis Crickard","slug":"travis-crickard","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2345,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1"},{"term_id":31,"name":"swift current broncos","slug":"swift-current-broncos","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":209,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1024,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1956"}],"class_list":["post-267571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-travis-crickard","tag-swift-current-broncos","category-1110","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/24110518\/Crickard_Hired-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":267564,"date":"2026-04-24T10:45:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T16:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/?p=267564"},"modified":"2026-04-24T12:07:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T18:07:56","slug":"whl-morning-skate-april-24-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/video\/whl-morning-skate-april-24-2","title":{"rendered":"WHL Morning Skate: April 24"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEED TO KNOW<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Landon DuPont netted two points to lift Everett to a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Championship<\/p>\n

– Dupont, the WHL’s first exceptional-status defender, leads all active skaters in the 2026 WHL Playoffs with 15 points (4G-11A)<\/p>\n

– Tips goaltender Anders Miller has allowed one or fewer goals in eight of his 10 playoff outings<\/p>\n

– Prince Albert and Medicine Hat kick off the Eastern Conference Championship in Hockeytown North tonight<\/p>\n

TOP PERFORMER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

All Miller, no filler. Anchorage, Alaska’s Anders Miller turned in another stellar performance with 23 saves on 24 shots in Game 1. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound netminder is 9-0-1 in the 2026 WHL Playoffs with a 1.49 goals-against average, a .949 save percentage and one shutout. Miller leads all active playoff goaltenders in GAA and save percentage (his second-round opponent, Kelowna’s Josh Banini, is first overall in both categories). In eight of his 10 postseason appearances, Miller has allowed just one goal or served up a shutout.<\/p>\n

RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Penticton 1,\u00a0Everett 4<\/strong>
\nEVT leads 1-0<\/p>\n

Talk about picking up where you left off. Fresh off of scoring Everett’s series-clinching goal in overtime in Round Two, Landon DuPont was the first on the board in Game 1 of the Conference Championship. After having two hard shots blocked, the 16-year-old retrieved the puck, wheeled low into the Vees’ defensive zone, and cut to the net to loft a backhand shot high into the twine. In the second period, the Defenceman of the Year finalist wired a stretch pass to Lukas Kaplan, who split the defence to tee up Jaxsin Vaughan for his fourth goal of the playoffs and the eventual game-winner. Penticton cut the deficit to one early in the final frame as Seattle Kraken prospect Ryden Evers peeled off the back wall to slip a backhand shot past Anders Miller. Hunter Rudolph added some insurance for the home team as he corralled a bouncing puck over the goal line, and Kayd Ruedig sealed the match with an empty netter. Both goaltenders turned in ironclad performances, with Miller allowing just one goal on 24 shots, and Andrew Reyelts denying 27 of 30.<\/p>\n

\n

THREE STARS<\/strong><\/p>\n

1- Landon DuPont, EVT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2013 1G-2A<\/p>\n

2- Anders Miller, EVT<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2013 23 saves, .958 save percentage<\/p>\n

3- Jaxsin Vaughan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2013 1G<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

ON TAP<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEED TO KNOW – Top 2027 NHL Draft prospect Landon DuPont netted two points to lift Everett to a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Championship – Dupont, the WHL’s first exceptional-status defender, leads all active skaters in the 2026 WHL Playoffs with 15 points (4G-11A) – Tips goaltender Anders Miller has allowed one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":487,"featured_media":267570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1113],"tags":[{"term_id":2300,"name":"2026 WHL Playoffs","slug":"2026-whl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2300,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":187,"filter":"raw","term_order":"40"},{"term_id":1234,"name":"WHL Morning 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WHL H<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WHL H<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":615,"featured_media":267561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1113],"tags":[{"term_id":2300,"name":"2026 WHL Playoffs","slug":"2026-whl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2300,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":187,"filter":"raw","term_order":"40"},{"term_id":1265,"name":"Landon DuPont","slug":"landon-dupont","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1265,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":46,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1007"},{"term_id":36,"name":"everett silvertips","slug":"everett-silvertips","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":180,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1168,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1450"},{"term_id":15,"name":"HIGHLIGHT OF THE 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Western Conference Championship Preview: Everett Silvertips vs. Penticton Vees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two of the greatest expansion teams in WHL history are hours away from clashing in Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Western Conference Championship.<\/p>\n

Back in 2003-04, the Everett Silvertips set a league record for wins by an expansion team with 34 and clawed their way all the way to the league finals to cap off a gutsy season.<\/p>\n

Now, the Penticton Vees have shattered with wins record with 44 victories and stand four wins away from repeating the Silvertips’ feat.<\/p>\n

Either way, a team from the West will have a chance to lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time.<\/p>\n

The regular-season champion Silvertips will play in the Conference Championship for the fourth time in team history and the first time since 2018 after grounding the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets in five games.<\/p>\n

2027 NHL Draft-eligible Landon DuPont leads all WHL defencemen with 13 points (3G-10A), including the Game 5 overtime winner to clinch the series for Everett.<\/p>\n

Joining DuPont atop the Silvertips’ playoff leaderboard are 2026 NHL Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen, who has ripped it up with 14 points (7G-7A) in nine games, and Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen, who has the most goals of any active playoff skater with eight.<\/p>\n

Penticton is riding a wave of momentum after turning a 2-0 series deficit into a jaw-dropping four-game comeback against the Prince George Cougars.<\/p>\n

New York Islanders pick Jacob Kvasnicka has helmed the attack with 13 playoff points (7G-6A), including potting the series-clinching goal in overtime in Game 6.<\/p>\n

First-year WHLer Louis Wehmann paced the Vees in second-round scoring by breaking out for seven points (2G-5A) in six games against the Cats, while Andrew (AJ) Reyelts locked in for 40 saves in Game 6.<\/p>\n

Everett went 3-1-0-0 against Penticton in the regular season, highlighted by a pair of statement wins on March 13 and 14 that saw the Silvertips clinch the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular-season champions for the second straight year.<\/p>\n

But the Vees’ lone win was a big one, with Reyelts making 33 stops and Seattle Kraken prospect Ryden Evers logging four goals in a 7-0 rout that marked Everett’s first regulation loss of the season.<\/p>\n

The Silvertips enter the playoffs having scored the third-most goals of any WHL squad, while allowing the second-fewest goals against.<\/p>\n

The B.C. Division champs weren’t far behind, with the Vees clocking in at 6th in goals for and rankings as the league’s third-stingiest team.<\/p>\n

Game 1 is set for Thursday, April 23, at 7:05 p.m. PT at Angel of the Winds Arena, before the series shifts north for Game 3 at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Monday, April 27.<\/p>\n

STAT PACK<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPenticton Vees<\/strong><\/td>\nEverett Silvertips<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Record<\/strong><\/td>\n44-14-6-4 (1st B.C.)<\/td>\n57-8-2-1 (1st U.S.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Playoff Leaders<\/strong><\/td>\nJacob Kvasnicka (7G-6A, 13 pts)<\/p>\n

Ryden Evers (6G-5A, 11 pts)<\/p>\n

Louis Wehmann (5G-6A, 11 pts)<\/td>\n

Matias Vanhanen (7G-7A, 14 pts)<\/p>\n

Landon DuPont (3G-10A, 13 pts)<\/p>\n

Julius Miettinen (8G-4A, 12 pts)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Season Leaders<\/b><\/td>\nJacob Kvasnicka (35G-50A, 85 pts)<\/p>\n

Ryden Evers (35G-39A, 74 pts)<\/p>\n

Brady Birnie (22G-48A, 70 pts)<\/td>\n

Matias Vanhanen (21G-66A, 87 pts)<\/p>\n

Carter Bear (36G-41A, 77 pts)<\/p>\n

Julius Miettinen (35G-41A, 76 pts)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Leading Goaltender (Playoffs)<\/strong><\/td>\nAndrew Reyelts (8-2-0), 2.44 GAA, .914 save percentage, one shutout)<\/td>\nAnders Miller (8-0-1, 1.55 GAA, .948 save percentage, one shutout)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power<\/strong>\u00a0Play (Playoffs)<\/strong><\/td>\n28.6% (5th)<\/td>\n25% (6th)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Penalty Kill (Playoffs)<\/strong><\/td>\n75% (11th)<\/td>\n83.3% (3rd)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Second Round<\/strong><\/td>\nDef. Prince George (4-2)<\/td>\nDef. Kelowna (4-1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Last WHL Championship<\/strong><\/td>\n–<\/td>\n\u2013<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

2025-26 REGULAR SEASON SERIES
\n<\/strong>Everett leads 3-1-0-0<\/p>\n

October 17, 2025- Everett 5<\/strong>, Penticton 2
\nOctober 25, 2025- Penticton 7<\/strong>, Everett 0
\nMarch 13, 2026- Everett 6<\/strong>, Penticton 3
\nMarch 14, 2026- Penticton 3, Everett 4<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

GAME BREAKERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Penticton:<\/strong> Two finalists for 2025-26 WHL Rookie of the Year are set to go head-to-head. New York Islanders prospect Jacob Kvasnicka just continues to come up clutch for Penticton. The 18-year-old leads his team with 13 points (7G-6A) to tie for fifth in scoring and third in goals, but it’s his timing that truly stands out. The Burnsville, Minn. product is fresh off scoring the series-clinching goal in overtime against the Cougars, and had a penalty shot strike that gave the Vees some insurance in its Game 5 win over Seattle to send the Thunderbirds packing. Kvasnicka was Penticton’s leading scorer against Everett with a goal and six assists for seven points in four matches.<\/p>\n

Everett: <\/strong>Did someone call for a guy who can put the puck Vanhan-in the net? Finnish sensation Matias Vanhanen is climbing the scoring leaderboard and NHL Central Scouting’s list, rocketing up from 76th among North American skaters in the midterm projections to 54th in the agency’s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Vanhanen is tied for third in goals (seven) and points (14) among all WHL skaters in the playoffs, and has only been held off the scoresheet once. Vanhanen only netted two assists in four outings against the Vees in the regular season, but can he elevate his game with a berth in the Championship on the line?<\/p>\n

GOALTENDING<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Penticton:\u00a0<\/strong>Andrew Reyelts has been a scene-stealer for the Vees. He may rank seventh among all WHL goaltenders in goals-against average (2.44) and ninth in save percentage (.914), but his actual numbers have been stellar and just speak to the strength many teams have found between the pipes. Reyelts made 40 saves to oust Prince George in Game 6 and will try to carry that momentum into the Western Conference Championship. The Proctor, Minn. product went 1-1-1-0 against Everett in his first WHL campaign with a 2.29 GAA, a .929 save percentage and a 33-save shutout.<\/p>\n

Everett:\u00a0<\/strong>Anders Miller has looked near-inassailable in the postseason. The Anchorage, Alaska product is second among all goaltenders in playoff goals-against average (1.55), save percentage (.948) and owns a 19-save shutout. Miller went 1-1-0-0 against Penticton in the regular season with a 5.06 GAA and .870 save percentage, but those numbers are mainly marred by the 7-0 loss in early October. Despite that setback, Miller rebounded with a 40-save, .930 save percentage effort in a 4-3 overtime win in March, earning first star and marking the second-busiest game of his WHL career.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

X-FACTOR<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Penticton:\u00a0<\/strong>Ryden Evers has been one of Penticton’s most reliable scorers from preseason to playoffs. The Seattle Kraken prospect was also one of the Vees’ most versatile weapons against the Silvertips in their regular season series. Evers erupted for a four-goal outing in a 7-0 drubbing of the Silvertips in Everett on October 25, and scored twice- including the game-tying goal- in a 4-3 overtime loss in the final clash between the teams on March 14.<\/p>\n

Everett:\u00a0<\/strong>Florida Panthers prospect Shea Busch only got one tilt in against the Vees in the regular season before being sidelined with an injury for the bulk of the regular season, but he made it count. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound winger scored in a 5-2 win over Penticton on October 17th while logging three shots and a +2 rating. Busch had 18 points (13G-5A) in 12 games in his truncated regular season and has netted two goals and four assists in his first seven games back in the postseason.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

SERIES SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Game<\/strong><\/td>\nVisitor<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nHome<\/strong><\/td>\nDay<\/strong><\/td>\nDate<\/strong><\/td>\nTime<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\nThursday<\/td>\nApril 23<\/td>\n7:05pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\nSaturday<\/td>\nApril 25<\/td>\n6:30pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\nMonday<\/td>\nApril 27<\/td>\n7:05pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\nTuesday<\/td>\nApril 28<\/td>\n7:05pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5*<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\nFriday<\/td>\nMay 1<\/td>\n7pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6*<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\nSunday<\/td>\nMay 3<\/td>\n6:05pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7*<\/td>\nPenticton<\/td>\n@<\/td>\nEverett<\/td>\nTuesday<\/td>\nMay 5<\/td>\n7:05pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* = if necessary<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two of the greatest expansion teams in WHL history are hours away from clashing in Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Western Conference Championship. Back in 2003-04, the Everett Silvertips set a league record for wins by an expansion team with 34 and clawed their way all the way to the league finals to cap…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":487,"featured_media":267557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1110],"tags":[{"term_id":2300,"name":"2026 WHL Playoffs","slug":"2026-whl-playoffs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2300,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":187,"filter":"raw","term_order":"40"},{"term_id":1911,"name":"Penticton Vees","slug":"penticton-vees","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1911,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":146,"filter":"raw","term_order":"394"},{"term_id":36,"name":"everett silvertips","slug":"everett-silvertips","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":180,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1168,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1450"}],"class_list":["post-267545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-2026-whl-playoffs","tag-penticton-vees","tag-everett-silvertips","category-1110","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/23162500\/EVT_PEN_Series-Preview.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/487"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":267547,"date":"2026-04-23T12:59:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/?p=267547"},"modified":"2026-04-23T12:59:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:59:34","slug":"regina-pats-awarded-jim-donlevy-memorial-trophy-as-whl-scholastic-team-of-the-year-for-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/video\/regina-pats-awarded-jim-donlevy-memorial-trophy-as-whl-scholastic-team-of-the-year-for-2025-26","title":{"rendered":"Regina Pats awarded Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy as WHL Scholastic Team of the Year for 2025-26"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013<\/strong> The Western Hockey League announced today the Regina Pats have been awarded the Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy as WHL Scholastic Team of the Year for the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season.<\/p>\n

This marks the first time in franchise history the Regina Pats have been recognized as WHL Scholastic Team of the Year. The award was first presented at the conclusion of the 1999-00 WHL season.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the efforts of Dwayne Hinger and Karen Fedor Klapatiuk, Education Advisors for the Regina Pats, the Club continues to be a leader in the WHL in providing and guaranteeing academic potential for all players.<\/p>\n

Hinger and Fedor Klapatiuk bring a collective 70 years of experience in education, providing year-round assistance to players and families when it comes to making strong short- and long-term educational decisions. This includes support during the academic year, off-season, and even after players have graduated from the WHL \u2013 Hinger and Fedor Klapatiuk often assist alumni as they utilize their WHL Scholarship.<\/p>\n

For three hours each day during the season, Hinger and Fedor Klapatiuk facilitate what is affectionately referred to as \u201cPats School\u201d at the Brandt Centre. During \u201cPats School,\u201d players are monitored continuously and consistently to ensure progress in course work. Pats players receive one-on-one tutoring to help support academic success.<\/p>\n

During the 2025-26 season, the Pats high-school aged players successfully maintained an average of 91.23 per cent during the first semester of the academic year.<\/p>\n

In addition to the high-school aged players, the 2025-26 season featured 10 post-high school students registered in university classes and two others enrolled in Flight Training School.<\/p>\n

The WHL Scholastic Team of the Year Award was renamed in honour of Jim Donlevy, longtime WHL Director, Education Services, who passed away in August 2019 following a courageous battle with cancer. This marks the sixth occasion on which the Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy will be presented to a WHL Club since its dedication.<\/p>\n

Winners of the Jim Donlevy Memorial Trophy (since 2010)<\/strong><\/p>\n

2025-26: Regina Pats
\n2024-25: Calgary Hitmen
\n2023-24: Red Deer Rebels
\n2022-23: Portland Winterhawks
\n2021-22: Brandon Wheat Kings
\n2020-21: Not presented due to COVID-19
\n2019-20: Kamloops Blazers
\n2018-19: Portland Winterhawks
\n2017-18: Saskatoon Blades
\n2016-17: Victoria Royals
\n2015-16: Spokane Chiefs
\n2014-15: Kamloops Blazers
\n2013-14: Calgary Hitmen
\n2012-13: Portland Winterhawks
\n2011-12: Edmonton Oil Kings
\n2010-11: Swift Current Broncos
\n2009-10: Tri-City Americans<\/p>\n

About the Western Hockey League<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarded as the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada\u2019s National Junior Hockey Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This marks the first time in franchise history the Regina Pats have been recognized as WHL Scholastic Team of the Year. The award was first presented at the conclusion of the 1999-00 WHL season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":267556,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1113],"tags":[{"term_id":2318,"name":"2026 WHL Awards","slug":"2026-whl-awards","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2318,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":19,"filter":"raw","term_order":"25"},{"term_id":1937,"name":"WHL Scholastic Team of the Year","slug":"whl-scholastic-team-of-the-year","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1937,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw","term_order":"372"},{"term_id":42,"name":"regina pats","slug":"regina-pats","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":186,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1241,"filter":"raw","term_order":"1864"}],"class_list":["post-267547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-video","tag-2026-whl-awards","tag-whl-scholastic-team-of-the-year","tag-regina-pats","category-1113","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/23123039\/260423_Scholastic-Team_Regina-1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":{"video_id":"2570773","partner_id":"31014","player_id":"47902","width":"16","height":"9","360p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31014\/sd\/2570773.mp4","240p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31014\/ld\/2570773.mp4","480p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31014\/hsd\/2570773.mp4","1080p":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31014\/fhd\/2570773.mp4","hls":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31014\/streaming\/2570773\/2570773.m3u8","webp":"https:\/\/cdn.target-video.com\/live\/partners\/31014\/webp\/2570773.webp"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":267548,"date":"2026-04-23T11:59:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/?p=267548"},"modified":"2026-04-23T11:59:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:59:43","slug":"chiefs-esler-bags-a-shutout-canada-routs-latvia-for-first-win-of-2026-iihf-u18-world-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl\/article\/chiefs-esler-bags-a-shutout-canada-routs-latvia-for-first-win-of-2026-iihf-u18-world-championship","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs’ Esler bags a shutout, Canada routs Latvia for first win of 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trencin, Slovakia-\u00a0<\/strong>Canada has earned its first win of the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship with a 6-0 rout of Latvia on Thursday.<\/p>\n

2027 NHL Draft-eligible netminder Carter Esler (Okotoks, Alta. \/ Spokane Chiefs) earned a 19-save shutout in the win.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs star led the WHL with five shutouts in 2025-26 and was also a finalist for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy for Humanitarian of the Year.<\/p>\n

Thomas Vandenerg (Ottawa 67s \/ OHL) gave the Canadians their first lead of the tournament just 52 seconds into the game and Tynan Lawrence doubled the advantage before the first period was out.<\/p>\n

Adam Valentini danced around his check for a beautiful solo effort as the reigning gold medalists slowly built their lead.<\/p>\n

Finally, Canada erupted for three more goals in the third period to close the night out.<\/p>\n

Vancouver Giants star Ryan Lin (Richmond, B.C.), who is ranked 16th among all North American Skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final player list for the 2026 NHL Draft, picked up his first point of the tournament with a secondary assist on a Dima Zhilkin (Saginaw Spirit \/ OHL) powerplay goal as Canada flexed its cycle game.<\/p>\n

Kohyn Eshkawkogan (Ottawa 67s \/ OHL) tacked on a fifth goal with a strike from the point before Zach Olsen (Calgary, Alta. \/ Saskatoon Blades) fired the puck top shelf in the final minute for his first international goal.<\/p>\n

\n

Zach Olsen goes top shelf to cap off a dominant 6-0 victory for Canada over Latvia in their 2nd game of the 2026 #U18MensWorlds<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/4JvS4yr1eV<\/a><\/p>\n

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n