Let us wrap up round one with the WHL.

Eastern Conference:

(1) Medicine Hat Tigers defeat (8) Swift Current Broncos in five games

This series tightened up as it went along. Predictably, Medicine Hat took the first two games by a combined 10-3 score, with LW/C Gavin McKenna (2026 NHL Entry Draft) of course having plenty to do with it as he put up 1 goal and 8 assists combined. Swift Current responded with a 5-4 win in which C Carlin Dezainde tallied a hat trick for the winning club, while LW Connor Dale tallied the GWG and an assist. LW Hunter St. Martin (Florida Panthers) scored the OT GWG for Medicine Hat in Game 4 to give a commanding 3-1 series lead, while RW Ryder Ritchie (Minnesota Wild) was the regulation hero to close the series out in Game 5. Fair number of close games in this one, all considered.

(2) Prince Albert Raiders defeat (7) Edmonton Oil Kings in seven games

Edmonton kicked things off with a 3-1 win before Prince Albert responded with a 6-1 victory in Game 2. G Max Hildebrand was electric in the latter matchup, as he stopped 42 of 43 shots against. Subsequently, however, Edmonton won the next two games which were both close contests to put Prince Albert in a three-to-one series hole. Prince Albert would rise to the occasion by winning the next two games, then winning Game 7 by a score of 5-0. Hildebrand was excellent yet again, stopping 30 pucks in the shutout, closeout victory and earning first star honors.

(3) Calgary Hitmen defeat (6) Saskatoon Blades in four games

Not a lot of drama here as Calgary defeated a team that had a very young roster and had launched a rebuild during the season without much trouble. C Ben Kindel (2025 NHL Entry Draft) saved his best for last as he recorded a hat-trick and one assist in the final game of the series. The future is bright for the Blades, but the present ultimately belonged to the Hitmen.

(4) Lethbridge Hurricanes defeat (5) Brandon Wheat Kings in five games

C Brayden Yager (Winnipeg Jets) had a solid showing as he recorded 8 points in 5 games for the eventual series winners, with a couple of really strong performances to his name. Ultimately, Lethbridge’s offense just clicked more than Brandon’s in this series. This matchup notably served as the final CHL games for Brandon D Luke Shipley, who will be playing for UMass Lowell in Hockey East next season.

Western Conference:

(1) Everett Silvertips defeat (8) Seattle Thunderbirds in six games

Everett required three periods of overtime and endured some terrible fortune with injuries (after already entering the series short 2025 Draft eligible C/LW Carter Bear) to get the job done here. This was definitely a climactic 1v8 matchup as the narrative was quite dynamic as it progressed. To top it off, the series ended when C Lukas Kaplan (2025 NHL Entry Draft) beat G Scott Ratzlaff at 13:43 of the second overtime to account for a 1-0 2OT closeout game. Certainly plenty of drama in this one. I am not certain how long Everett will last into this postseason, but this series did demonstrate that they can handle adversity.

(2) Victoria Royals defeat (7) Tri-City Americans in five games

This was an exhibition of a few key components here. C Cole Reschny (2025 NHL Entry Draft) is more than capable of leading and facilitating a team’s offense, as he recorded 12 points in the five games. Additionally, Victoria’s power play is a force to be reckoned with, as they were 6 for 19 on the series (accounting for a 31.6% effectiveness). G Johnny Hicks (Tennessee State commit) additionally demonstrated that he is capable of significantly impacting a game by making a considerable number of saves that help his team keep their opponents at bay. Some games could have been closer with it not for his efforts. They will face a difficult challenge in the form of the Spokane Chiefs, but perhaps this is a team who can hang with anybody.

(3) Spokane Chiefs defeat (6) Vancouver Giants in five games

As one would anticipate, Spokane’s offense showed out. The team scored a combined 28 goals over the five game series. The top line of Andrew Cristall (Washington Capitals), Berkly Catton (Seattle Kraken), and Shea Van Olm had a combined 37 points. Any team trying to win an arms race with them is not going to have a good time.

(5) Portland Winterhawks defeat (4) Prince George Cougars in seven games

A combined 13 goals were scored in Game 1, which ultimately went to Prince George in overtime as RW Terik Parascak (Washington Capitals) finished the job. Subsequently, Portland defeated Prince George in the next three games, capping off the run with a 2OT win which was the longest in franchise history and prompted an iconic line from PxP guy Nick Marek included in this article’s title. C Diego Buttazzoni (another UMass Lowell commit) was the one to clinch the 5-4 win. Prince George stayed alive by taking Games 5 and 6 by scores of 7-2 and 4-1. However, they were ultimately not able to get revenge for last season’s playoff heartbreak, as Portland took the winner take all game by a score of 4-2.

Second round matchups and their respective Game 1’s:

Medicine Hat vs. Prince Albert: Saturday, April 12th – 9:00 PM ET

Lethbridge vs. Calgary: Thursday, April 10th – 9:00 PM ET

Everett vs. Portland: Friday, April 11th – 10:05 PM ET

Spokane vs. Victoria: Sunday, April 13th – 9:05 PM ET