Medicine Hat and Spokane have been tearing it up, showing that they are the ones who should be in the WHL Finals. Each has taken one game in the series, which appears to be a war. The Hat took the first game 4-1 as the Tigers roared out to a 2-0 lead, scoring under a minute into the first period to get the hometown faithful going on the return of Andrew Basha from injury, who completed a pass in outstretched goaltender Dawson Cowan. Tigers took a 2-0 lead with a soft pass from Gavin McKenna to Bryce Pickford, scoring five-hole. The scoring would be complete in the first period, and no goals were registered in the second frame. Berkley Catton scored early in the third for the Chiefs on the power play. But the Tigers got that back 5 minutes later, and then the empty net goal sealed it.
Two nights later, the Chiefs were looking for revenge, but the Tigers scored first as they got the early goal again. However, the Chiefs scored four straight goals within 5 minutes during the first period, causing the Tigers’ downfall. Though they scored the only goal of the second, a pair late in the third period ended the night with Spokane winning 6-2. Telling was the 20 shots only by the Tigers, which showed the Chief’s defensive prowess. Spokane only had 25 on the night, which was a rough night for goaltender Harrison Mennagin, the 2nd star in the previous game.
The Ontario Hockey League is also knotted at one after a scoreless first period, with London opening the scoring, only to see it tied up six minutes later by Oshawa. On a late power-play marker, the Knights took the lead to the dressing room after two periods. Oshawa, who had taken advantage of the powerplay earlier, scored twice as much on the powerplay and added an empty net goal to take the game 4-2. London was assessed 9 penalties to Oshawa’s 3, and both teams were 33%, Oshawa at 3 for 9, London 1 for 3.
Two nights later, Oshawa again took to the powerplay to score one of their goals, but the teams were dealt three apiece. London scored three goals over the following two periods, and Oshawa tried to make a comeback to stop London’s hemorrhaging. However, two goals, one late in the second and an empty netter in the third, spelled the end for the Generals at 5-2
The QMJHL will see these two teams battle for the Presidents’ trophy because the Q hosts the cup, and Rimouski is the host team; the struggle is for the championship, and to represent as champions come the Memorial Cup.
The Moncton Wildcats, strong all season, took the first game 4-1 and outshot the Oceanic 38-14. Three straight for the Wildcats, spread over two periods, left a gap the Oceanic couldn’t fill. They finally broke the goose egg midway through the third, but an empty net goal sealed it for the Cats.
Moncton scored first in game two, but the Oceanic pocketed two, including a late-period tally, to take their only lead. The Wildcats would score the second period’s only goal, which came on the power play, and retook the lead in the third. After Rimouski pulled their netminder with over three minutes remaining, they scored 40 seconds later to send the game to overtime. The first overtime settled nothing, and it would be over five minutes into the second one to get a winner. Vincent Collard was fed a pass out front. He took several whacks at it before it finally passed William Lacelle for a 3-2 double overtime win and a 2-0 series lead—shots 46-31 in Moncton’s favor, and the only series being led.
Meanwhile, the drafts were going on in the WHL with two teams, Medicine Hat and Spokane, still on the clock for which player the newly formed Penticton Vees will take in the expansion draft. The Vees did select from the other teams. Making two trades to garner players vs picks, the Vees made seven deals. The Vancouver Giants and Kelowna Rockets each offered a pick instead of releasing a player to the Vees. Swift Current, which needed to cleanse itself of players following this season, traded with a couple of teams, including the Vees, for five picks between now and 2027. The Vees spread their selections from 2006 to 2008, except for 2005-born Matteo Danis from Prince George’s.
Overall, the Vees have selected four goaltenders, all 2006 born, except one from 2008, 7 defencemen, all but two from 2006, one from 2005 via a trade, and one 2008 born. Forwards so far are 11, one is 2009 via a trade, most fall in 2006-08, with two from 2005, one as a result of a trade. Based on selections, the Vees are eyeing a defenceman and a forward from the remaining clubs.
The Everett Silvertips traded a first-round pick in 2026 and player rights to 2009-born Kasey Gleim to obtain overager Ryan Gould in what looks like an attempt to go further than the second-round departure to the Winterhawks
Jesse Sanche, goaltender for the Tips, was part of a trade that sent him for a second-round pick this year.
The Vees also took goaltenders from several teams, including Marek Schlenker from Portland. It appears then that the Hawks will use Luke Brunen as the backup to Ondrej Stebatek unless someone excels at camp.
Overall, the Hawks seem to be happy that their selections in the early going of the prospects draft are ones they hoped to get. Overall, the Hawks chose 11, who they will now invite to camp, and they are looking to get them on WHL Standard contracts. The Hawks’ US Priority draft selections were forward Maverick McKinnon, 18th, and defenceman Gavin Godbout, 30th.
The Hawks then took nine players in the WHL draft. forward Trevor Tyne 49th, forward Crew Schimnowski 66th, defenceman Kohen Ruedig 81st, forward Jaxon Jeffery 104th, goaltender Cooper Dryden 130th, forward Alan Han 173rd, defenceman Kane Tomsic 196th, forward Stellan Gasseau 219th and forward Cam Young-Thompson 242nd.
Tyson Jugnauth capped off his WHL career by capturing the Bill Hunter Memorial trophy for top defenceman. Junauth, whose rights were traded by Kamloops in 2006, was 1 point shy of 90 points, which has been a tough accomplishment. Only Luca Cagnoni has cracked that mark, the first since 1993-94. Tyson becomes the eighth defenceman from the Hawks since 2014, and Derrick Pouliot captures the trophy. Jugnauth was selected in the fourth round of the NHL draft in 2022 and was on an ATO with the Coachella Firebirds, the AHL farm team for the Kraken.
The remaining six teams will battle it out for representation at the Memorial Cup in the coming week.
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