DuPont return paces Silvertips to 6-1 romp over Sagueneens

Everett to face Kitchener in Memorial Cup final

A game off worked wonders for Landon DuPont.

On Wednesday, the Everett Silvertips star defenceman took warm-ups but didn’t play in the final preliminary round contest in the Memorial Cup tournament that determines a CHL champion. The WHL champion Silvertips blanked the event’s host club in the Kelowna Rockets 4-0 that night at Prospera Place to eliminate the Rockets from the tourney with an 0-3 mark.

On Friday just one day after his 17^th birthday, DuPont again took warm-ups before his team’s clash with the QMJHL champion Chicoutimi Sagueneens in a Memorial Cup semifinal contest. DuPont did indeed play, and he played regularly pacing the Silvertips with a pair of goals and posting a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department in a 6-1 victory played before a sellout crowd of 6,007 spectators at Prospera Place.

With the win, the Silvertips improve their tournament record to 3-1 and advance to the event’s championship game to face the 3-0 OHL champion Kitchener Rangers at Prospera Place (5 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN). The Silvertips, who began play in the 2003-04 campaign, will be attempting to win their first Memorial Cup title in team history and in their first appearance at the CHL championship tournament.

The Rangers, who are playing in their first Memorial Cup since 2008, are looking to capture their third Memorial Cup title in team history having won major junior hockey’s biggest prize in 1982 and 2003.

The Sagueneens depart the Memorial Cup after posting a 1-3 record. They are still in search of their first Memorial Cup championship.

Chicoutimi finished second overall in the QMJHL’s Eastern Conference and second overall in the QMJHL regular season standings with a 49-10-3-2 mark. The Sagueneens advanced through the QMJHL Playoffs posting a stellar 16-4 mark to win their first league title since the 1993-94 campaign. Chicoutimi participated in the 1997 Memorial Cup as the QMJHL finalist as the host Hull Olympics won the QMJHL title and followed up with a Memorial Cup title win.

The Silvertips and Sagueneens met in a preliminary round contest last Saturday, where Everett posted a 5-3 victory at Prospera Place.

Friday’s semifinal got off to an auspicious start for the Sagueneens. At the 7:56 mark of the opening frame, Sagueneens veteran offensive-defenceman Tomas Lavoie fanned on passing the puck just inside his own blue-line to start a rush up ice.

Silvertips centre Lukas Kaplan picked up the loose puck and sprung right-winger Jaxsin Vaughan towards the Chicoutimi net on a short breakaway. Vaughan fired the puck home to the top right corner of the Chicoutimi goal to put the Silvertips up 1-0.

Lavoie would later make up for that misplay. At the 12:01 mark of the first, Lavoie cruised across the front of the Everett net with the puck, got down low to the right side of the goal and tucked home a shot that bounced off the back bar in the net and shot out the other side of the goal.

At first, the officials didn’t rule that Lavoie’s shot went in, but a few seconds after the shot, the clock operator hit the period buzzer to halt play and alert the officials on the ice that Lavoie’s shot did indeed go into the net. The rearguard’s tally evened the score at 1-1.

The two sides were playing an even game at that point in the contest. That changed with 6:01 remaining in the first as DuPont got the puck in the Chicoutimi zone and wired a midrange shot through a screen to the left corner of the Sagueneens net to put the Silvertips up 2-1.

Silvertips star right-winger Carter Bear set up DuPont with a brilliant pass from behind the Chicoutimi goal.

Everett exited the first period holding a 2-1 lead with a 9-6 edge in shots on goal. The Silvertips proceeded to pretty much land a knockout blow in the second period outscoring the Sagueneens 3-0 in the frame while holding an 18-6 edge in shots on goal.

At the 5:39 mark of the second, Silvertips 20-year-old utility player Nolan Chastko sprung Bear on a breakaway with a long stretch pass. Bear snapped a shot to the top right corner of the Chicoutimi net to push the Silvertips lead out to 3-1.

With 7:25 remaining in the second, a net scramble broke out in front of the Chicoutimi goal. Silvertips standout 20-year-old centre Zackary Shantz got a hold of a loose puck and fired home a shot from the front of the net to make the Silvertips advantage stand at 4-1.

The Silvertips would find themselves on the power play with 82 seconds remaining in the second, when DuPont would strike again. DuPont one-timed home a shot from the top of the left faceoff dot to push the Silvertips lead out to a sizable 5-1 advantage. The rearguard converted a sweet setup pass from star import left-winger Matias Vanhanen.

A big fight would take place with 41.1 seconds remaining in the second as Vaughan took on Sagueneens power forward Liam Lefebvre. Both threw fierce bombs at each other before falling to the ice.

Both were given fighting majors and game misconducts for their efforts. The bout was the fifth fight at this year’s Memorial Cup tournament.

Just 45 seconds into the third and working on the power play, the Silvertips got the game’s final tally of the night, when star import centre Julius Miettinen one-timed home a shot from the left slot to round out the 6-1 final score in Everett’s favour. The tally was the first point of any kind for Miettinen in the tournament. He reacted to his goal by making a hand motion of pulling a monkey off his back.

The Sagueneens elected to pull starting netminder Lucas Beckman after Miettinen’s tally. Beckman turned away 22-of-28 shots to take the loss in net for Chicoutimi. Raphael Precourt played the rest of the way in relief and turned away all eight shots he faced.

After Miettinen’s goal, the Silvertips rolled all their lines consistently in the third period and focused more on the shutdown defensive side of the game. Chicoutimi held a 14-9 edge in shots on goal in the third period.

Anders Miller stopped 25 shots to pick up the win in goal for Everett. During his team’s four games at the Memorial Cup tournament, Miller has stopped 97-of-107 shots for a .907 save percentage.

Bear had an assist to go along with his goal, while Vanhanen finished Friday’s contest with two helpers.

Everett entered the Memorial Cup without star defenceman and captain Tarin Smith due to an upper body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for a lengthy stretch. Smith was injured in Game 4 of a 6-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland as Everett closed out the first round series in the WHL Playoffs between the two clubs at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. He hasn’t played since that contest.

Chicoutimi was without overage defenceman Jordan Tourigny on Friday. He was suspended for the remainder of the 2026 Memorial Cup tournament after receiving a match penalty for attempting to injure via kicking in his team’s 3-2 preliminary round loss to the Rangers on Tuesday at Prospera Place in Kelowna.

Sunday’s Memorial Cup championship game between the Silvertips and Rangers should be a heavyweight tilt.

The Silvertips topped the WHL regular season standings, the Western Conference and the U.S. Division with a 57-8-2-1 record and were rated first in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. Everett’s 57 wins and 117 standings points are team records. The Silvertips motored through the WHL Playoffs posting an impressive 16-2 mark to capture their first league title in team history.

They are trying to become the first club from the WHL to win the Memorial Cup since the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014.

The Rangers topped the OHL’s Western Conference and finished second in the OHL’s regular season standings with a 47-14-5-2 mark. Kitchener motored through the OHL Playoffs posting an impressive 16-2 record to win their first league title since the 2007-08 campaign. The Rangers were rated seventh in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Silvertips and Rangers met in a preliminary round contest on Monday, where the Rangers posted a solid 6-2 victory. The Silvertips held a 42-28 edge in shots on goal in that encounter.

Now, one of these two clubs who have had storybook seasons will skate to a storybook ending by becoming CHL champions.

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Silvertips would not be denied first WHL championship

Everett downs Raiders 7-2 in Game 5 to clinch league title

The Silvertips raise the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The Everett Silvertips were not going to let an opportunity go to waste, and as a result, they are Western Hockey League champions for the first time in team history.

On Friday night before a sellout crowd of 3,299 spectators at the 2,580 seat storied and historic Art Hauser Centre, the visiting Silvertips downed the Prince Albert Raiders 7-2 in Game 5 of the WHL Championship Series. With the win, the Silvertips, who have never missed the WHL Playoffs since entering the league in the 2003-04 campaign, claim the best-of-seven series 4-1 to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions.

The Silvertips begin celebrating their WHL title win.

“It is hard to put into words to be honest with you,” said Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton. “The support we’ve had in Everett it is just an unbelievable franchise.

“It is an unbelievable fan base, and this has been just a team above all. I couldn’t ask for more from them. It has been a special group and a special year, and I just have all kinds of love and respect for them.”

The Silvertips have gone to the league final twice previously in their history. They got there as an expansion team in 2004 and again in 2018 and weren’t able to come up with a WHL title on either occasion.

The Silvertips captains receive the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Silvertips star defenceman Landon DuPont said everyone on this year’s team was pretty pumped to win the club’s first WHL title in the franchise’s history.

“We worked all year for this,” said DuPont. “To do it with this group of guys, for these coaches, the leadership group and all the 20-year-old, it is unreal.”

Like they have done all series, the Silvertips started fast and succeeded in scoring the first goal in all five games of the set. Just 68 seconds into Friday’s contest, Silvertips 20-year-old centre Zackary Shantz broke down the left wing of the Prince Albert zone and put a backhanded pass across the face of the Raiders net to 18-year-old left-winger Shea Busch.

Anders Miller skates with the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

Busch popped home what would be his first of three goals on the night. He said his first tally that put the Silvertips up 2-0 on their second shot on goal of the contest was key in starting the squad on the path to victory.

“We wanted to do that just set the tone,” said Busch. “I think that is what we’ve been trying to do all year.”

Everett would proceed to control play for much of the opening frame holding a 14-5 edge in shots on goal. 

With 4:03 remaining in the first, Silvertips 19-year-old defenceman Mattias Uyeda fired home a shot through a screen from the top of the left faceoff circle to put the visitors up 2-0.

The Raiders mull over falling in the WHL final.

The Raiders started the second with a full two minute power play, but the Silvertips got to show how good they are at protecting their end of the ice. Raiders star defenceman Daxon Rudolph was denied on a prime scoring chance due to a shot block from Silvertips sturdy defensive-defenceman Luke Vlooswyk.

“I think it was a big momentum shift in the game,” said Vlooswyk. “Obviously, it didn’t feel too good.

“It is the finals, and I know anyone on this team is willing to block a shot with their teeth. It was great.”

Shea Busch had a hat trick for the Silvertips.

The Raiders did use their spirited start of the second period to get on the scoreboard. At the 3:38 mark of the second, Raiders star 20-year-old right-winger Brayden Dube popped home a rebound at the front of the Silvertips net to trim Everett’s lead to 2-1.

While the Raiders pressed, the Silvertips would close the second frame with a couple of dagger goals to push their advantage out to 4-1. Everett standout defenceman Brek Liske scored with 5:09 remaining in the second. Busch potted his second of the contest with 43.5 seconds left in the stanza putting a shot on goal that banked off Raiders defenceman Linden Burrett into the Prince Albert net during a power play.

Busch would complete his hat trick at the 6:17 mark of the third. On a set play off an offensive zone faceoff, Shantz won a draw to Busch who fired home a shot from the top of the right faceoff dot to make the Silvertips lead sit at 5-1. Busch almost couldn’t believe he got a hat trick in the Silvertips WHL title clinching game.

Zackary Shantz had three assists for the Silvertips.

“It was pretty special,” said Busch. “I wasn’t thinking about me too much.

“I knew we were up a lot. I was just waiting for the clock to go down.”

Just 50 seconds after Busch scored his hat trick goal, Silvertips 20-year-old centre Nolan Chastko scored to make the visitor’s lead stand at 6-1. At that point in the contest, Raiders 20-year-old captain and star defenceman Justice Christensen admitted he felt like things were getting away from his team.

“They got up 6-1, and I looked up at the clock,” said Christensen, who exhausted his major junior eligibility with Friday’s loss. “Not that we would ever quit, but it was looking like this was going to be my final game in my Western League career.

Brayden Dube scored the Raiders first goal on Friday.

“That was tough to kind of think about and kind of wrap my head around that this would be my final game. Overall, I’m really happy with how the guys handled themselves today and went about our business.”

Christensen proceeded to score on one last “Juice Bomb” with a point shot on a power-play goal with 8:56 remaining in the third. That tally trimmed the Silvertips lead to 6-2. Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald appreciated the fact his team kept battling against a tough foe.

“Give them (the Silvertips) credit, they played hard,” said McDonald. “They capitalize on their opportunities.

“I look at our group. We kept fighting. We kept battling no matter what the score was.

Brek Liske had the Silvertips third goal in Game 5.

“The guys played for the crest on the front of the jersey and laid it right on the line until the final buzzer went.”

DuPont proceeded to tally on the power play with 4:10 remaining in the third to round out the 7-2 final score in favour of the Silvertips.

Anders Miller stopped 22 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Silvertips. Michal Orsulak turned away 29 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders.

Shantz finished the game collecting three assists for the Silvertips.

As the final two minutes of the third period ticked away, Vlooswyk said the reality of what his team was going to celebrate in winning a WHL title started to sink in.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Vlooswyk. “You have to still think the game is not over, but in the back of your head, you’re already celebrating.

Nolan Chastko scored the Silvertips’ sixth goal in Game 5.

“It was so cool, and I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.”

Busch said he had a lot of thoughts running through his head during the final two minutes of the contest.

“I mean you’re thinking about all the guys on your team and everybody who has helped you out throughout the way like your parents, your grandparents and like everybody in your family too,” said Busch. “It is a special thing.”

Silvertips star import centre Julius Miettinen was named the most valuable player of the WHL Playoffs. While he was held pointless in Game 5, Miettinen appeared in all of Everett’s 18 post-season contests recording 27 points off 14 goals and 13 assists to go with a plus-21 rating in the plus-minus department.

Justice Christensen (#7) enjoys his final goal with the Raiders.

Going into the WHL final, there was no clear cut favourite.

Everett topped the WHL regular season standings, the Western Conference and the U.S. Division with a 57-8-2-1 record and was rated first in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Silvertips 57 wins and 117 standings points are team records.

Prince Albert topped the Eastern Conference, claimed the East Division title and finished second overall in the WHL with a 52-10-5-1 mark. The Raiders were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Raiders and Silvertips went head-to-head once in the regular season, where Prince Albert posted a 4-1 victory on November 11, 2025 at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.

Landon DuPont scored the Silvertips final goal in Game 5.

On the key injury front, the Silvertips were without star defenceman and captain Tarin Smith with an upper body injury. He was injured in Game 4 of a 6-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland as Everett closed out the first round series between the two clubs at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Raiders scratched star right-winger Brandon Gorzynski due to an undisclosed injury. He returned to play Game 4 and scored a goal in that setback for his team having missed the previous seven contests due to injury.

When it comes to the WHL final, the Raiders have made two previous trips to the league championships series in their history coming up with title wins in 1985 and 2019. Prince Albert went on to win the Memorial Cup as CHL champions in 1985. Friday’s game marked the first time the Raiders weren’t able to win a WHL title after reaching the WHL Championship Series.

Zackary Shantz enjoys a WHL title win with his family.

Now, the Silvertips will turn their attention toward the CHL championship tournament – the Memorial Cup. The newly crowned WHL champions will open play in the Memorial Cup on Saturday, May 23, when they face the champion of the QMJHL at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C.

In the QMJHL championship series, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens downed the Moncton Wildcats 7-6 in Moncton in Game 5 of that league’s championship series on Friday. The Sagueneens lead that best-of-seven set 3-2 and will look to close that series out in Game 6 on Sunday in Chicoutimi.

Lukas Kaplan (#12) gets hugs going with his family.

The Kitchener Rangers have won the OHL championship sweeping the Barrie Colts in that circuit’s best-of-seven title series.

The Kelowna Rockets are the host team for the Memorial Cup, and they have been practicing since falling to the Silvertips 4-1 in a Western Conference Championship Series.

The Rockets and Rangers go at it in the first game of the Memorial Cup tournament on Friday, May 22 at Prospera Place. The Memorial Cup championship game is slated for Sunday, May 31.

The Silvertips enjoy their WHL championship win.

DuPont is looking forward to playing in the Memorial Cup.

“We still have lots of hockey left,” said DuPont. “Hopefully, we can celebrate this for a few days and then get back to work and hopefully have a good Memorial Cup.”

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“Wild” West Wednesday at the Hauser rocks Raiders

Silvertips one win away from WHL championship

Daxon Rudolph, left, battles with Carter Bear.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – If the Prince Albert Raiders didn’t have bad luck with officials’ calls, they would have no luck at all.

That seemed particularly true when they took the ice for Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series against the visiting Everett Silvertips at the storied and historic Art Hauser Centre. After a fairly well played first 40 minutes, the Raiders entered the third period trailing the Silvertips 2-1.

When the third period finished, the Raiders found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-2 final score in favour of the Silvertips thanks to a series of tough luck calls. The sellout crowd of 3,299 spectators at the 2,580 seat facility voiced their displeasure. A sizable portion of the crowd bolted for the exits after Silvertips star import left-winger Matias Vanhanen scored into an empty net with 2:25 remaining in the third to round out the 5-2 final in favour of the Everett side.

Anders Miller covers up a puck during a scrum.

With the win, the Silvertips take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, and they are one win away from capturing their first WHL title in team history. They will try to close things out in Game 5 on Friday at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Hauser.

Despite all the tough breaks on Wednesday, Raiders captain Justice Christensen said he expects his team to keep pushing. In the first round of the 2025 WHL Playoffs, the Raiders overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the Edmonton Oil Kings to rally back and take that set 4-3. Christensen believes this year’s Raiders team is capable of a similar comeback.

“We’re a very resilient team,” said Christensen. “We never quit.

Alisher Sarkenov, left, battles Matias Vanhanen.

“You can talk to anyone in that room, and this series isn’t over, not even close to over. Drawing from the experience last year, it was the same thing. There was no quitting in that group, and that is the way the Raiders play.

“That is the culture that has been built here and how we like to play. We’re just going to keep pushing, and there will be no quit in our group.”

Entering the third period holding a 2-1 lead, the Silvertips pushed their advantage out to 3-1 at the 4:24 mark of the third, when star right-winger Carter Bear fired home a mid-range shot through a screen from the front of the Prince Albert net. A replay shown in the building after the goal was scored showing the play was close to being offside on a zone entry. Before the 2023-24 campaign started, the WHL made a rule change eliminating offside plays from a coach’s challenge.

The Raiders responded just 2:19 later when Christensen fired home a shot from the right side boards to trim the Silvertips lead to 3-2.

Julias Miettinen scored 32 seconds into Game 4.

That set the stage for the play the Raiders faithful really got worked up over. With 11:33 remaining in the third, Raiders star centre Aiden Oiring tried to wrap the puck home at the right side of the Silvertips net. Silvertips star netminder Anders Miller made the stop, but a mad scramble ensued at the right side of the goal.

The puck bounced around a maze of skates and sticks and shot out to Raiders rookie defenceman Benett Kelly in front of the Everett net. Kelly appeared to blast home the equalizer causing the crowd at the Hauser to momentarily erupt.

The officials blew the play dead having lost sight of the puck. They disallowed the goal due to the quick whistle causing the crowd to turn irate. About two or three people ended up throwing debris on the ice.

The Raiders celebrate a goal from Brandon Gorzynski (#29).

The officials did a short video review and still held up the no goal call. Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald thought his players continued to battle after that bad break.

“I really like their response,” said McDonald. “I thought we came out, we were direct, we were hard, got lots of pucks to the paint and bodies to the paint.

“For us, you have to control what you can control. Ultimately, I have really no comment on what he (the referee) might have seen from behind the net, and it was unfortunate that the whistle went as quick as it did. The puck was on our stick again.

“Again, that is hockey. You have to move on from it and look for your next opportunity.”

On seemingly the next shift with 10:40 remaining in the third, Raiders standout sophomore Riley Boychuk appeared to fire home another equalizer. That goal was waved off as the officials correctly ruled a Raiders player had knocked a Silvertips player into Miller causing inadvertent contact that prevented the netminder from making a save.

Brandon Gorzynski returned from injury to rejoin the Raiders.

Silvertips head coach Steve Hamilton liked how his players stayed even during those crazy moments.

“Everybody wants what is best for the team, but anxiety and stress is part of sports,” said Hamilton. “I don’t care what anyone says.

“At the highest levels of any sport, that is something you have to conquer and deal with. It is just a fact. When you feel those moments, we talk a lot about talking, so you’re out of your own head and breathing so your heart rate comes down.

“Those are the two things that we constantly come back to on the bench is talk and breathe and be in a good place and commit to what we’re doing.”

With 9:40 remaining in the third, the Raiders suffered a bad break that didn’t have anything to do with the officials. While attempting to break out of their zone, Oiring and Christensen both blew tires causing the puck to be turned over to Silvertips 20-year-old centre Zackary Shantz along the right boards in the Prince Albert zone.

Rylan Gould scored a key power-play goal for the Silvertips.

Shantz passed the puck across the front of the Prince Albert net to linemate in 18-year-old left-winger Shea Busch. Busch popped the puck home to push the Silvertips lead out to 4-2. That set the stage for Vanhanen’s empty-net tally to close out the stanza.

Busch was pleased he was able to contribute offensively.

“I just have to credit my linemate Shantzy (Zackary Shantz) there,” said Busch. “He makes a good play, and I was lucky enough that I got it to go in the back of the net.

“I have to do what the team needs.”

The Raiders entered the contest with lots of excitement as they had star defenceman Daxon Rudolph back after a one-game suspension and star right-winger Brandon Gorzynski returned from an undisclosed injury. Gorzynski was injured in Game 2 of the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series that the Raiders dropped 5-0 to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers at the Hauser.

Carter Bear scored a power-play goal at the 4:24 mark of the third.

The Silvertips came out and immediately buzz killed the home crowd. Just 32 seconds into the opening frame, the Silvertips entered the Prince Albert zone on a rush.

Vanhanen took a shot from the right wing that rebounded off Raiders star rookie netminder Michal Orsulak to the front of the net. Everett star import centre Julius Miettinen got to the rebound and popped the puck into the Prince Albert net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

With that tally, the Silvertips have scored first in all four games of the series so far.

The game’s momentum changed in the second. Early in the frame, star centre Braeden Cootes and Christensen both had shots that deflected off posts of the Everett net.

Justice Christensen scored the Raiders second goal in Game 4.

At the 9:53 mark of the second, Raiders defenceman Linden Burrett took a shot from the point that deflected off a couple of bodies and landed beside Gorzynski at the left side of the Everett net. Gorzynski popped home the equalizer to force a 1-1 tie score. The Scottsdale, Arizona, product was pumped to come back and score.

“Obviously, it is a championship (series),” said Gorzynski. “Everybody wants to play in games like this, so it was special for that goal to go in.”

The Raiders would outshoot the Silvertips 17-8 in the second period, but the Silvertips would find a traction moment before going into the second intermission. While working on the power play, Miettinen had the puck by the right post of the Prince Albert net, and he passed the puck across the face of the goal to 20-year-old left-winger Rylan Gould. Gould tapped the puck home to put the Silvertips in front 2-1 with 1:17 remaining in the second with his sixth goal of the post-season and all those tallies have come on the power play.

Part of the Art Hauser Centre faithful cheer on the Raiders.

“He (Gould) is a hard-nosed player,” said Silvertips star defenceman Landon DuPont, who had two assists in his team’s win. “Obviously, we have some really skilled guys on the unit.

“He (Gould) drives the net, and he is never scared to get in there. He’ll take a few cross-checks. He has got a good hand to eye around the net tipping.

“It seems like he is always in the right spots. I am happy for him that he got one tonight that was big for us, and I’m sure it will keep going.”

Orsulak turned away 30-of-34 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders. Miller made 31 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Silvertips.

Shea Busch scored the Silvertips fourth goal.

Going into the WHL final, there was no clear cut favourite.

Everett topped the WHL regular season standings, the Western Conference and the U.S. Division with a 57-8-2-1 record and was rated first in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Silvertips 57 wins and 117 standings points are team records.

Prince Albert topped the Eastern Conference, claimed the East Division title and finished second overall in the WHL with a 52-10-5-1 mark. The Raiders were rated fourth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Raiders and Silvertips went head-to-head once in the regular season, where Prince Albert posted a 4-1 victory on November 11, 2025 at the Angel of the Winds Arena.

Michal Orsulak stopped 30-of-34 shots for the Raiders.

On the key injury front, the Silvertips were without star defenceman and captain Tarin Smith with an undisclosed injury. 

He was injured in Game 4 of a 6-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland as Everett closed out the first round series between the two clubs at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Now, the Silvertips will try to make good on the first of three chances to win their first WHL title as the Ed Chynoweth Cup will be in the Hauser for Game 5 on Friday.

“I think it is the opportunity you play for,” said Hamilton. “We talked about not playing like we have a parachute or a cushion.

The Silvertips celebrate a Matias Vanhanen (#37) empty-net goal.

“Our job is to play the game that is right in front of us. I think that is what has made us a really good, consistent team throughout the season. Home or away, we show up, we find a way, and that is a big part of our identity.

“It is our next chance. It is our next opportunity. It is our next game.”

As for the Raiders, they will try to work their way to a series comeback like they did in the first round against the Oil Kings in the 2025 post-season.

“You always look to your experience, and you always draw from it,” said McDonald. “For us, it is taking it one shift at a time, one period at a time (and) one day at a time.

The Silvertips celebrate their Game 4 win on Wednesday.

“The next most important thing is getting our best recovery in and having a good day of preparation tomorrow and then be ready to go for Friday.”

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Raiders romp into Christmas break with 8-3 win

Gorzynski collects five points in P.A. home debut

If first impressions are anything, Brandon Gorzynski is going to be a fan favourite in “Hockey Town North” in the not too distance future.

On Friday night, the 18-year-old left-winger played his first home game as a member of the Prince Albert Raiders before a standing room crowd of 2,584 spectators at the 2,580 seat Art Hauser Centre. Back on Monday, the Raiders acquired Gorzynski in a trade with the Calgary Hitmen that saw 17-year-old left-winger Ty Meunier, a second round selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft and a conditional fourth round pick in the 2027 Prospects Draft head the other way.

Gorzynski had an assist in his Raiders debut on Wednesday, when they traveled to Regina and fell to the host Pats 5-4 in a WHL regular season contest.

Skating at the Art Hauser Centre as a member of the Prince Albert side for the first time in regular season play on Friday, Gorzynski had a sensational night recording his first career WHL hat trick and two assists as the Raiders romped over the visiting Kelowna Rockets 8-3. Gorzynski scored twice on a hot night for the power play and once at even strength. The Raiders were 5-for-9 with the man advantage and successfully killed off both of the Rockets chances on the power play.

The victory allowed the Raiders to head into their Christmas break in impressive fashion. They improved to 23-5-4 to move one standings point ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers (22-6-3-2) for first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Raiders have a game in hand on the Tigers.

Prince Albert leads the East Division, while the Tigers top the Central Division. The Raiders also sit second in the overall WHL standings and third in the latest CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released on Tuesday.

The Rockets fell to 16-12-3-1 as they head into their Christmas break to sit inside the top five of the Western Conference. Kelowna will host the upcoming CHL championship tournament – the Memorial Cup – from May 22 to 31, 2026, and the Rockets will be searching to play with a little better consistency when they return to action after Christmas.

The Raiders stormed out of the gates on Friday night scoring three times on their first six shots of the contest to hold a 3-0 lead at the 9:54 mark of the opening frame. Linden Burrett, who is a 19-year-old defenceman, scored just 78 seconds into the game on a backhander off an offensive rush, and Raiders captain Justice Christensen hammered home the club’s first power-play goal of the night to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Gorzynski completed the surge with his first power-play goal of the contest and the Raiders second tally with the man advantage. Holding the puck at a bad angle to the right side of the Kelowna net, the Scottsdale, Arizona, product put a shot to the top right corner of the net over the shoulder of Rockets breakout star rookie netminder Harrison Boettiger.

Before the first period ended, the Rockets made a push back that saw captain Carson Wetsch fire home his 13^th of the season just 35 seconds after Gorzynski’s first tally to trim the Raiders lead to 3-1.

Just 84 seconds into the second period, Raiders 17-year-old right-winger Jonah Sivertson potted his 10^th goal of the season to push the home side’s lead out to 4-1. At the 3:02 mark of the second, Gorzynski slipped home a backhand shot from the front of the Kelowna net for an even strength tally to give the Raiders a 5-1 advantage.

That tally knocked Boettiger out of the game as he was pulled by the Rockets coaching staff after stopping 8-of-13 shots sent his way to take the loss in net for the visitors. Josh Banini turned away 23-of-26 shots playing the rest of the way in relief.

The Rockets didn’t go away. Jaxon Kehrig, who is an 18-year-old centre, scored for the Rockets at the 11:47 mark of the second to cut the Raiders lead to 5-2.

Gorzynski picked up his first of two assists by setting up 17-year-old right-winger Riley Boychuk for a power-play goal at the 13:04 mark of the second to push the Raiders advantage out to 6-2.

Rockets 19-year-old right-winger Dawson Gerwing netted his sixth goal of the campaign at the 16:30 mark of the second to trim the Prince Albert lead to 6-3. Kelowna’s offence proceeded to dry up at that point.

Just 2:33 into the third, Raiders star 20-year-old centre Aiden Oiring scored on the power play by potting the rebound from a shot taken by Gorzynski to make the score sit at 7-3 in favour of the hosts.

With 5:12 remaining in the third, Gorzynski completed his hat trick by firing home a power-play goal from the right faceoff dot in the Calgary zone to round out the 8-3 final score in favour of Prince Albert.

Dimitri Fortin made 34 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders.

Oiring had three assists to go with his goal. He also surpassed 200 career points in regular season play with his big night. In 231 career regular season contests played between the Winnipeg Ice and the Raiders, Oiring has collected 76 goals and 126 assists for 202 points.

Maddix McCagherty, Brayden Dube, Brock Cripps and Daxon Rudolph each had two helpers for the Raiders.

The Rockets return to action on Saturday, December 27 when they host the 15-18-1-1 Vancouver Giants (6 p.m. local time, Prospera Place).

The Raiders also return to action on that same day traveling to Swift Current to take on the 8-23-1 Broncos (7 p.m., InnovationPlex).

Heading into the Christmas break, Prince Albert has enjoyed a memorable campaign to this point. With the performance the Raiders put on in the win over the Rockets on Friday, the faithful in “Hockey Town North” will be jumping to pack the Raiders storied home rink and enjoy a few road trips to support their team when game action resumes after the holiday hiatus.

Silvertips rally for 3-2 OT win over Cougars, other notes

Landon DuPont put on his superhero cape to cap a miracle comeback for the WHL leading Everett Silvertips.

Playing before a raucous crowd of 6,073 spectators at the Angel of the Winds Arena in a regular season clash on Friday night, the host Silvertips found themselves trailing the B.C. Division leading Prince George Cougars 2-0 heading into the final two minutes of the third period. It appeared Cougars 19-year-old rookie import netminder Alexander Levshyn was going to steal a victory for the visitors as the Silvertips threw seemingly everything including the kitchen sink at him without getting a goal.

When all hope looked lost for the Silvertips, their offence proceeded to break through.

With 71 seconds remaining in the third and star netminder Raiden LeGall pulled for an extra attacker, Silvertips 20-year-old centre Zackary Shantz potted his 15^th goal of the campaign to cut the Cougars lead to 2-1. He pulled a toe-drag move and fired home a shot between Levshyn’s legs.

With 41.9 second remaining in the third, DuPont, who is the Silvertips star 16-year-old sophomore defenceman, potted the equalizer during a scramble in front of the Prince George net that forced a 2-2 tie and overtime. The rearguard ultimately potted the equalizer off a rebound from a shot taken by Silvertips star right-winger Jesse Heslop.

At the 2:47 mark of the three-versus-three overtime period, DuPont drove down the right wing with the puck, zipped past the Cougars defence, cut across the front of the Prince George net and fired home the winner after making a toe drag move. The spectacular tally that gave the Silvertips the 3-2 victory was DuPont’s sixth tally and third winner of the campaign.

The comeback helped the Silvertips push their winning streak to seven games heading into their Christmas break as they improved their WHL leading record to 27-3-2-1. The Silvertips topped the CHL Top 10 Rankings that were released on Tuesday.

The Cougars continued to lead the B.C. Division as their record moved to 22-9-1 with the extra time setback as they set off on their Christmas break.

Prince George went ahead 1-0 in Friday’s clash with the Silvertips on a second period goal from 19-year-old defenceman Corbin Vaughan. The Cougars appeared to have locked down a victory after going ahead 2-0 with 2:50 remaining in the third when 18-year-old import rookie centre Dmitri Yakutsenak netted his 14^th goal of the campaign.

That set the stage for the epic Silvertips rally for the win.

LeGall made 14 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Silvertips. Levshyn turned away 51 shots to take the extra time setback in net for the Cougars.

The Silvertips return to action on Saturday, December 27 when they travel to Kent, Washington, to face the 13-14-2-1 Seattle Thunderbirds (6 p.m. local time, Accesso ShoWare Centre).

The Cougars also get back at it on that same day when they host the 13-11-4-3 Victoria Royals (6 p.m. local time, CN Centre).

• In Calgary, 18-year-old breakout star right-winger Joby Baumuller scored in overtime to deliver the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings to a 3-2 victory over the host Hitmen. The Wheat Kings jumped out to a 2-0 in the first period and the Hitmen rallied with single goals in the second and third frames to even the score at 2-2 and force overtime.
• In Kent, Washington, Antonio Martorana and Brock England scored in a tiebreaking shootout to give the host Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-0 win in the tiebreaking session and a 1-0 overall game victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers. Logan Edmonstone turned away 40 shots over 65 minutes and one shooter in the shootout for the Blazers. Marek Sklenicka stopped 36 shots and both shooters he faced in the shootout for the Thunderbirds.
• In Langley, B.C., 16-year-old rookie left-winger Ludovic Perreault scored the first three goals of the game to power the visiting Victoria Royals to a 5-1 victory over the host Vancouver Giants. Royals 17-year-old left-winger Nolan Stewart had one goal and three assists in the win, while 18-year-old right-winger Caleb Matthews had one goal and two assists for the visitors. Of course, Perreault, Stewart and Matthews play on the same line.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Is playoff created rivalry in store for Blades and Rebels?

Two squads battle again in round two of WHL post-season

Fraser Minten (#16) and Ollie Josephson (#17) in action.

Will a rivalry be born between the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels?

For the second straight year, the two sides will do battle in a best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series in the WHL Playoffs. Coming into this year’s series, the Blades topped the WHL’s overall standings with a 50-13-2-3 record and were rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings. They took down their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders 4-1 in a first round series.

The Rebels had an up and down regular season finishing fifth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and eighth overall on the circuit with a 33-26-3-6 mark. They took out one of their biggest rivals in the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 in a first round series.

The Blade and Rebels open up their series on Friday with Game 1 set for 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. Game 2 is slated for Sunday at 4 p.m. at SaskTel. In the four regular season encounters between the two squads, each side won twice.

The Saskatchewan Rush have Saturday occupied at SaskTel as they host the San Diego Seals at 7 p.m. in NLL regular season action. That caused the first two games of the series between the Blades and Rebels not to be played on consecutive nights.

Last year when the Blades and Rebels met in an Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Rebels jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. The Blades rebounded winning the last four games of the series to take the set 4-3. In the process, the Blades became just the third team in the history of the WHL to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-series and rally back to win the set.

Egor Sidorov can pile up goals for the Blades.

While both teams have gone through some regular junior hockey turnover from last season, both squads return a sizeable group of players from last year. The Blades have 12 players on their roster from a season ago, while the Rebels have 14 returnees from the 2022-23 campaign.

Some of the Blades returnees include captain Trevor Wong, star import right-winger Egor Sidorov, star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky, gritty left-winger Vaughn Watterodt, utility forward Tyler Parr, star offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk, 20-year-old defenceman Charlie Wright, standout 19-year-old rearguard Ben Saunderson and 19-year-old star netminder Austin Elliott.

Some of the Rebels returnees include captain Kai Uchacz, star centre Kalan Lind, hard-working centre Ollie Josephson, Czechia import right-winger Frantisek Formanek, gritty right-winger Dwayne Jean Jr., gritty left-winger Jhett Larson, gritty right-winger Talon Brigley, offensive-defencemen Mats Lindgren and Hunter Mayo, gritty defenceman Jace Weir and netminder Rhett Stoesser.

In a different twist, Blades 19-year-old defenceman Nicholas Andrusiak was actually playing for the Rebels in last year’s post-season. He came to the Blades in a trade on December 12, 2023 that saw a fifth round selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft go to the Rebels.

There are enough returnees on the ice that the potential of personal battles being triggered on the ice from a season ago are high. The ingredients are there to create a rivalry between the Blades and Rebels due to the encounters in the post-season.

Kai Uchacz is the Rebels high scoring captain.

While the Blades eliminated a physical team in the Raiders in round one, Saskatoon will see an even more physical side in Red Deer. The Rebels have more experience and a little more skill than the Raiders did.

In the opening round of the playoffs, the Rebels eliminated a team in the Tigers that likes to play with lots of skill and put up offence and transition fast up and down the ice. The Blades style of team mirrors that of the Tigers, but the Blades have more experience and a little more skill than the Medicine Hat side did this season.

Due to the Rebels physical play, it is common that their post-season series will have some high tension moments. 

By tradition, the Rebels are a team that will grind and grind and grind and never give up in a game even if they are down by like a 6-1 score. That never surrender battle has been a Rebels constant since Brent Sutter became the owner on May 11, 1999.

Last year, some of the Blades fans seemed caught off guard with the physical and high tension aspects that occurred in a series with the Rebels. For some of the Blades faithful, their dislike for the Rebels was bigger for a short time than their dislike for the Raiders.

On the coaching front, Brennan Sonne is back as the Blades head coach from a year ago. He was named the WHL’s coach of the year last season and was named the WHL’s East Division’s coach of the year again this season.

Trevor Wong is the high scoring captain for the Blades.

The Rebels were guided by veteran bench boss Steve Konowalchuk a year ago. He resigned from the Rebels in May of 2023 looking to find a situation that worked better for his family life. His permanent residence at the time was still Seattle, Wash., where he served as Seattle Thunderbirds head coach from 2011 to their WHL title winning season in 2017.

Derrick Walser was the Rebels head coach for most of the 2023-24 campaign. He and the Rebels mutually parted ways after a 7-5 loss at home to the Swift Current Broncos on March 1.

With eight games remaining in their regular season, the Rebels named good guy coach Dave Struch as the club’s interim head coach. Struch is best known for his WHL coaching stays with the Regina Pats that ran from the start of the 2014-15 campaign to November of 2021 and with the Blades that ran from the 2006-07 campaign to the 2013-14 campaign.

As a player, Struch played centre for the Blades for four seasons from 1988 to 1992. In 253 career regular season games with the Blades, Struch posted 134 goals and 151 assists for 285 points.

The Blades head into this year’s series with a little more depth than a season ago. Star centre Fraser Minten, star overage left-winger Easton Armstrong, star right-winger Alexander Suzdalev, defensive-defenceman John Babcock and breakout rookie netminder Evan Gardner were all big additions from a season ago.

During the regular season, Gardner posted a 21-5-2 record, a 1.91 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and four shutouts.

Hunter Mayo puts up points from the Rebels back end.

The Rebels biggest additions have been overage defensive-defenceman Elias Carmichael and breakout rookie netminder Chase Wutzke. During the regular season, Wutzke posted a 19-10-4 record, a 2.82 goals against average, a .904 save percentage and one shutout. Wutzke’s shutout win was a 36-save gem in a 5-0 victory over the Blades in Saskatoon on February 27.

On the injury front, Parr went down for the Blades with a leg injury in their Game 4 win over the Raiders. Gardner and Armstrong didn’t play the final two periods of the Blades series clinching victory over the Raiders in Game 5.

Of course, the Blades aren’t tipping their hand on the status of any of those three for Game 1 versus the Rebels.

In the series versus the Rebels, the attrition rate could be a factor that determines the series outcome. A realist will expect this series to be a physical war.

DuPont gets exceptional status to play in WHL, other notes

Landon DuPont in a promo picture. (Photo by Jenn Pierce, WHL)

Landon DuPont is on his way to being “the next big thing” in the WHL.

On Monday, the WHL announced on behalf of Hockey Canada and Hockey Alberta that DuPont has been granted Exceptional Player Status and is eligible to play in the WHL on a full-time basis beginning with the 2024-25 campaign. The Calgary product, who is a skilled defenceman, will turn 15-years-old on May 28.

DuPont is eligible to be selected in the WHL Prospects Draft set to be held online on May 9. The Everett Silvertips currently hold the first overall selection in the Prospects Draft.

Players looking to achieve Exceptional Player Status must possess a level of mental, social and emotional maturity that belies his age along with hockey skills that greatly exceed those of other elite level players both in their age group and among player several years older.

The Exceptional Player Status process was administered by Hockey Alberta with a Hockey Canada special evaluation panel which reviewed DuPont’s hockey and academic documentation. The process also assessed DuPont’s level of maturity.

“It is such an honour for me to receive Exceptional Player Status from Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada,” said DuPont in a release. “I would like to thank my family, all of my coaches, trainers, advisors and most of all, my teammates through my entire hockey journey for helping me get to this point.

A second Landon DuPont promo shot. (Photo by Jenn Pierce, WHL)

“I’m excited to continue my development in the WHL and will work hard every day to continue to improve.”

DuPont becomes the first defenceman and second player in the history of the WHL to be granted Exceptional Player Status by Hockey Canada. Connor Bedard, a phenom centre, was the first to be granted Exceptional Player Status to play in the WHL in 2020. The North Vancouver, B.C., product played three seasons with the Regina Pats before joining the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks this season.

On top of that, DuPont, who is a right shot blue-liner, becomes the ninth player in CHL history to be granted Exceptional Player Status by Hockey Canada.

Dupont, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 170 pounds, spent the 2023-24 campaign playing for the Edge School U18 Prep squad in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League where he recorded 62 points (19G-43A) in 30 regular season games to finish third in CSSHL U18 scoring. His 62 points led all blue-liners and established a new CSSHL U18 Prep single-season scoring record for defencemen.

DuPont added another 16 points (5G-11A) in five playoff games tying the CSSHL U18 Championship scoring record held by former Edmonton Oil Kings and Seattle Thunderbirds star Dylan Guenther. The defenceman was named CSSHL U18 Prep Championship MVP and helped Edge capture the CSSHL U18 title.

• The WHL U.S. Priority Draft is slated for May 8, and it will be conducted online. The Regina Pats have the first overall selection in that draft.
• Prince Albert Raiders import left-winger Krzysztof Macias was given a two-game suspension by the WHL on Tuesday for receiving a major for head checking and a game misconduct in the Raiders 6-2 loss to the Blades in Saskatoon on April 5. That loss in Game 5 of a best-of-seven first round series brought the Raiders campaign to an end. The two-game suspension will carry over to the 2024-25 regular season, if Macias is back in the WHL as a 20-year-old.
• On Tuesday, the WHL suspended Wenatchee Wild defenceman Jonas Woo for a slashing major and a game misconduct he took in the Wild’s 4-2 loss to the Rockets in Kelowna on Sunday. That loss in Game 6 of a best-of-seven first round series brought the Wild’s campaign to an end. The suspension will carry over to the 2024-25 regular season, when Woo begins his 18-year-old campaign.
• The WHL Eastern Conference semifinal between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Swift Current Broncos begins Friday night in Moose Jaw. The Warriors finished second overall in the Eastern Conference with a 44-21-0-3 mark, while the Broncos were third overall in the Eastern Conference and tops in the Central Division with a 40-22-4-2 mark.
• The WHL Western Conference semifinal between the Prince George Cougars and the Kelowna Rockets begins Friday in Prince George. The Cougars finished first in the Western Conference and the B.C. Division with a 49-15-1-3 mark, while the Rockets were fifth in the Western Conference with a 33-30-4-1 mark.
• The WHL Western Conference semifinal between the Portland Winterhawks and Everett Silvertips begins on Friday in Portland. The Winterhawks finished second in the Western Conference and tops in the U.S. Division with a 48-15-4-1 mark, while the Silvertips were third overall in the Western Conference with a 45-18-2-3 mark. Due to scheduling conflicts in Everett, this series will be played in a two-three-two format with the Winterhawks hosting the first two and the last two games of the set.
• Former Saskatoon Blades gritty right-winger Justin Lies is having an outstanding 20-year-old campaign in the junior A ranks with the Flin Flon Bombers, who are the only Manitoba squad that plays in the SJHL. Lies, who is from Flin Flon, played in 55 regular season contests recording 41 goals and 35 assists for 76 points. In eight post-season contests, Lies has nine goals and five assists for 14 points. The Bombers finished first overall in the SJHL with a 44-9-2-1 mark and have advanced to the league championship series in the SJHL Playoffs. They face the winner of a semifinal series between the Melfort Mustangs and the Humboldt Broncos.  
• I love the passion of the Prince Albert Raiders fans. I hope that never chances in “Hockey Town North.”
• There are a tonne of young guys in the media doing outstanding work on the WHL circuit. Some of those guys include Nathan Reiter of the Prince Albert Daily Herald, Prince Albert Raiders play-by-play voice Nolan Kowal, James Tubb of the Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat Tigers play-by-play voice Gino De Paoli, Ian Gustafson of the Red Deer Advocate and Regina Pats play-by-play voice Dante De Caria. With team communications staffs, Kyle Kosowan, who is the manager of communications and media relations with the Raiders, and Tanner Chubey, who is the Saskatoon Blades communications manager, have been outstanding too. I’ve found it fun being the old veteran with this group on the circuit.
• On Tuesday, I had new content appear on the Howe Happenings blog that supports the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I put together a piece on the excitement the local football community had over the fact flag football will be a sport in men’s and women’s play at the 2028 Olympic Games. That piece can be found by clicking right here. I also put together a photo roundup that showed fun from the Playground To Pros camp and other happenings on the Complex grounds. That post can be found by clicking right here.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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