听听

Fort Erie edged out听Bishop鈥檚听in a tight, momentum鈥憇winging 4鈥�3 win, capitalizing on听timely听finishes and surviving long stretches where they were second best. Emerick Girard (2G, 1A) set the tone just 86 seconds in, but BCS pushed back late in the first through Matej听Strapina听(1G) and kept trading blows in a chaotic second period where Alexis Timbro (1G) restored FEIA鈥檚 lead before Marc鈥慉ntoine Larochelle (1G) and Greyson Hnatiuk (1G) answered to pull Bishop鈥檚 level twice. Even with BCS carrying the shot clock 34鈥�23 and generating most of the territorial pressure, Fort Erie found the game鈥檚 final swing when Charles鈥慉ntoine Racette (1G, 1A) buried the game鈥憌inner with six seconds left, capping a patient third period where FEIA needed only one chance to steal it. Bruno听Jeschonnek听(31/34) was steady throughout, while Egor Oganesyan (19/23) battled behind a Bishop鈥檚 group that听couldn鈥檛听turn its volume into听a finishing touch听in the final frame.听听

听听

RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (2)听vs RINK听Hockey Academy Kelowna (3) U17 Div II Western Championships听听

听听

RHA Kelowna clawed out their first win of the Pool B round robin with a tight 3鈥�2 comeback over RHA Winnipeg, a game that opened with four goals in a frantic first period before settling into a tense, low鈥慹vent grind. Winnipeg struck twice in the opening frame, first through Grayson Speirs (1G) on a clean finish off an Arcadian Anderson (2A) feed, then again when Mateo Saldivar (1G) buried his first of the tournament, but each time Kelowna had an answer, with Noam Colapinto (1G) and Otis Jacques (1G) responding to keep things level after twenty. From there, penalties and defensive structure took over, as Kelowna slowly tilted the ice. The breakthrough finally came late in regulation when Jake Kochhar (1G) ripped a wicked shot under the bar at 12:10, the kind of strike that breaks a deadlock and a team鈥檚 resolve听in听the same听moment. Beau Keller鈥態laschuk听(16/18) held firm in a quiet but composed outing, while DJ听Mecas听(25/28) kept Winnipeg alive far longer than the shot clock suggested, as Kelowna earned a much鈥憂eeded bounce鈥慴ack win after both teams dropped their opening games of these playoffs.听

听听

STAR Hockey Academy (2) vs Notre Dame听Hounds (5) U17 Div II Western Championships听听

听听

Notre Dame, the No.鈥�2 seed in U17 Division II, looked every bit like a听team听intent on owning Pool A, powering past No.鈥�3 STAR Hockey Academy 5鈥�2 in a game that tilted steadily their way after a tight opening frame. Paul听Abrametz听(3G) set the tone early with a slick finish midway through the first, only for STAR to punch back late on a power play when Deacon Wilson (1G, 1A) buried with 23 seconds left. But the second period belonged entirely to the Hounds: Carter Rands (1G) stunned STAR with a shorthanded听strike,听Abrametz听added his second minutes later, and Devin Doyle (1G, 1A) capped the surge to make it 4鈥�1 through forty. STAR showed life when Aaron Comer (1G) cut into the deficit in the third, but听Abrametz听completed his hat trick with an empty鈥憂etter in the final minute, sealing a statement win for a Notre Dame group that has now opened the round robin with back鈥憈o鈥慴ack victories. Hudson Pooler (22/24) delivered another composed outing, while Jacob Gaskell (31/35) battled under steady pressure as STAR听lose听their first game of these playoffs.听

听

OHA Edmonton听(4) vs Edge听School (5/SO) U17 Western Championships听听

听听

Edge survived one of the wildest games of the U17 Division I Pool A round robin, blowing a 4鈥�1 lead before finally outlasting eighth鈥憇eed OHA Edmonton 5鈥�4 in a marathon shootout that felt more like a semifinal than a group鈥憇tage matchup. Easton Armstrong (2G) set the tone early with a pair of first鈥憄eriod strikes, and when Kyle Oakenfold (1G, 1A) and Curtis Troeger (1G) added to the cushion in the second, it looked like the top seed was cruising. But OHA Edmonton refused to fold, clawing back with goals from Nate McRorie (1G, 1A), Finn Sample (2G), and Ayden Stuckless (1G) to stun the building and force overtime. With both teams already 1鈥�0 in pool play and desperate to control their path to the elimination round, the shootout became a pressure test of its own. Armstrong, Kyden Bartole, Devin Kian Shape, all converted their shootout attempt, but each goal was matched by OHAE shooters before and finally Trent Caines buried the winner for Edge.听听

听听

Pacific Coast Hockey Academy听(3) vs Northern听Alberta Xtreme (6) U17 Western Championships听

听听

Pacific Coast looked ready to avenge their loss of yesterday with a confident first period, riding a pair of goals from Jackson Squire (2G) to a 2鈥�0 lead. But the second frame turned into the kind of avalanche Northern Alberta has made a habit of unleashing in big鈥憇tage games. NAX struck five times in a 15鈥憁inute span, Ethan听Lobay听(1G), Rhett Dahl (2G), Gabriel Esteves (1G)听and Reed Fellows (1G, 1A) all finding seams as momentum flipped violently against a PCHA group that had carried the early edge. Despite the chaos, Leon听Auburger听(39/44) battled to keep the score from ballooning further, and Pacific Coast pushed back late, with Trent Porter (1G, 1A) cutting into the deficit in the third. But with PCHA pressing six鈥憃n鈥慺ive, Holter Lefthand (1G, 1A) hit the empty net to close out a 6鈥�3 NAX win.听听

听听

BWC Academy (2)听vs RINK听Hockey Academy Kelowna (6) U18 Prep Western Championships听听

听听

RHA Kelowna flexed their top鈥憇eed pedigree in a Pool A showdown between the group鈥檚 two highest鈥憆anked teams, rolling past BWC Academy 6鈥�2 in a game that tightened briefly before Kelowna鈥檚 depth and pace overwhelmed the 6鈥憇eed. Nate Macphee (2G, 2A) set the tone with a first鈥憄eriod strike and restored the lead just 15 seconds after BWC tied things in the second, a momentum swing that cracked the game open. Ryan听Sadovia听(1G) added a power鈥憄lay dagger minutes later, and although Kayden Pratt (1G) pulled BWC back within one before intermission, the third period belonged entirely to RINK Kelowna. Carson Smith (3G, 1A) completed a hat鈥憈rick with goals at :57 and 8:49, one even鈥憇trength, one on the power play, while Louis James听Prystupa听(1G, 1A) chipped in insurance during a three鈥慻oal burst that buried any hope of a comeback. Asher Netherton (27/30) steadied RHAK in net, while James Fitzpatrick (39/45) battled under a 45鈥憇hot barrage as Kelowna moved to 2鈥�0 in round鈥憆obin play and tightened their grip on the pool.听

听听

Pilot Mound Hockey Academy听(1) vs Shawnigan听Lake School (4) U18 Prep Western Championships听听

听

Shawnigan Lake steadied themselves in Pool A with a composed 4鈥�1 win over Pilot Mound, a matchup between the #13 and #15 seeds that never truly loosened from SLS鈥檚 grip despite the chaos that unfolded around it. Sullivan Bryan (1G) opened the scoring early, and while PMHA briefly punched back on a second鈥憄eriod power play through Nolan Harding (1G), the middle frame belonged to Shawnigan鈥檚 special teams. Wylie Wen (1G, 1A) restored the lead on the man advantage, and just 58 seconds later Nigel Alberts (1G, 1A) buried another power鈥憄lay strike to make it 3鈥�1 in a stretch that broke the game open. The third period turned into a parade to the penalty box, PMHA racking up misconducts and majors as SLS controlled pace and territory, but the only goal came at even strength, with Sidney Armstrong (1G) finishing off a clean passing play to seal it. Zackary David (50/54) battled under a 54鈥憇hot barrage, but Stefan Kostin (21/22) delivered the calmer night as Shawnigan rebounded from yesterday鈥檚 loss while PMHA, fresh off pushing the top听seed to听overtime,听couldn鈥檛听summon another upset bid.听

听

Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy听(1) vs RINK听Hockey Academy Kelowna (9) U17 Prep听听

听听

RINK Kelowna overwhelmed Coeur d鈥橝lene from the opening shift and never eased off the throttle, rolling to a 9鈥�1 win built on wave鈥慳fter鈥憌ave pressure and a top line that carved up the game. Cole Hamakawa (3G, 3A) needed just 34 seconds to open the scoring and was the engine behind everything RHAK generated, setting up Aiden Andrews (3G, 1A) and striking again late in the first before adding two more in a six鈥慻oal third鈥憄eriod avalanche. CDA briefly sparked to life when Gavin Payne (1G) scored 48 seconds into the third, but Jack Leslie (2G) answered less than a minute later and RINK Kelowna never looked back, piling on with goals from Andrews, Alexander Sharman (1G, 2A), Hamakawa again, and Leslie in the final seconds. The shot clock told the same story, 53鈥�22 for RHAK, as Matthew Palmer (21/22) cruised through a quiet afternoon while Liam Rogers (44/53) battled under constant siege.听

听听

RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg听(7) vs Pilot听Mound Hockey Academy (3) Female U18 Prep听听

听听

RINK Winnipeg overwhelmed Pilot Mound from the opening puck drop and never let the game breathe, skating to a 7鈥�3 win built on a four鈥慻oal first period and another multi鈥慻oal night from their most dangerous scorer. Rowyn Street (3G) opened the scoring at 3:38 and was the catalyst for a first鈥憄eriod surge that also saw Attica Sobering (1G), Piper Holbrook (1G, 2A) and Georgia O鈥橬eill (1G) all find the back of the net as RHA Winnipeg outshot PMHA 28鈥�4 in the frame. Street added her second early in the second before Pilot Mound finally听broke through听late in the period, but the gap never narrowed meaningfully. Street completed the hat trick midway through the third, and although Logan Sullivan (1G) and Rhylee Tiefel (1G) chipped in late goals for PMHA, Ava听Hrubeniuk听(1G) buried an insurance marker in the final minutes to close out the scoring. Maddison Hagen (12/15) had a quiet afternoon behind a group that controlled every zone, while Allie Attema (37/44) battled under constant pressure as RINK Winnipeg completed another decisive win in the season series.听

听

Notre Dame Hounds听(2)听vs Indigenous听Sports Academy听(4)听U17 Prep听

听

Indigenous Sports Academy rode a blistering opening three minutes and a composed third鈥憄eriod response to earn a 4鈥�2 win over Notre Dame, a game where early execution and late poise proved the difference despite a 42鈥�35 shot count. Owen Sinclair (2G) stunned the Hounds with goals 27 seconds apart to stake ISA to a 2鈥�0 lead before the game had even settled, and while the second period tightened into a grind, ISA鈥檚 structure held firm behind Holden听Fauchon听(32/34). Notre Dame finally broke through early in the third as Lincoln Romaniuk (1G) and Joe Wakabayashi (1G) scored 1:44 apart, Wakabayashi鈥檚 coming on the power play, to erase the deficit and briefly tilt momentum. But ISA answered with the game鈥檚 defining push: Seth Baptiste (1G, 1A) restored the lead at 4:53, and Ason听Apesis听(1G) sealed it with an empty鈥憂etter inside the final ten minutes. Trent Probst (35/38) kept the Hounds alive under heavy pressure, but ISA鈥檚 early burst and听timely听third鈥憄eriod finish ensured they controlled the matchup when it mattered most.听

听

Northern Alberta Xtreme听(6)听vs OHA听Edmonton听(1)听U15听

听

Northern Alberta controlled the moments that mattered in a 6鈥�1 win, turning special鈥憈eams听opportunities and a relentless third鈥憄eriod push into a听statement听performance against OHA Edmonton. Deston May (1G, 1A) opened the scoring midway through the first before Owen听Bresden听(1G, 1A) and Yukon Kim (2G) struck late, both on the power play, to build a 3鈥�0 cushion despite being outshot early. OHA finally broke through on a second鈥憄eriod man鈥慳dvantage via Kingston Ireland (1G), but NAX answered before the intermission through Alex Reinhardt (1G, 2A), restoring control heading into the third. From there, Northern Alberta Xtreme slammed the door: Kim buried his second just 77 seconds into the frame, and Cohen Aquino (1G, 1A) added听another听minutes later as NAX outshot OHA 17鈥�10 in the period and never let the game tighten. The goaltending tandem of Jace Hilliard (25/26) and Marek Swanson (15/15) combined for a calm, efficient night, while Brynley Nault (16/22) and Bronson Kasturi (13/13) faced a steady stream of high鈥憅uality looks at the other end.听

Okanagan Hockey Academy听(1) vs Prairie听Hockey Academy (5) U17 Western Championships

Prairie听Hockey Academy鈥檚 U17 squad suffered a 5-4 loss at the hands of Delta Hockey Academy in their Western Championships opener on Saturday, a game they largely controlled but fell to an immense offensive push from Delta in the game鈥檚 first half. Like Saturday, PHA fell behind early, with this time OHA鈥檚 Cole Schellenberg scoring the game鈥檚 first goal on the powerplay. Jake Mhyre tied the game for Prairie prior to the end of the first, and approaching the second period鈥檚 midway mark, the OHA powerplay which produced their goal went back to work. Unlike their first, this powerplay ended with Prairie, not OHA, taking the lead. Kase Gellner (2G) blocked a shot and dashed away to the races, making an excellent move from his forehand to his backhand at high speed to give Prairie the lead. It took barely three minutes for Gellner to score again to make it 3-1, and two more in the third was just the cherry on top of a 5-1 win for Prairie, a necessary victory as the U17 playoffs march on.

听

Prairie Hockey听Academy听(4) vs South听Alberta Hockey听Academy (5) U18 Prep Western Championships听

A loss for the South Alberta Hockey Academy in Saturday鈥檚 Western Championship opener wasn鈥檛 something they expected, nor would they be content with to begin their championship push after winning the East/West Challenge in February. Just past the halfway mark of the game, Sunday鈥檚 clash with Prairie Hockey Academy looked like it was trending towards a result no better than that of Saturday. Grayden Solodan and Lincoln Eaves had put Prairie up two, with Eaves鈥� goal to double up the lead threatening to fracture SAHA鈥檚 chances. However, just 11 seconds after Prairie scored to make it 2-0, Damen Vanderberg (1G, 1A) snatched SAHA one back, lighting the spark of a SAHA pushback. Braden Hordichuk (2G, 1A) scored on the powerplay to tie it before the end of the second, with the game eventually marching towards its conclusion tied at four. After Hordichuk provided the equalizer, a sharp-angle snipe from Kingston Chisholm (2G, 2A) broke the tie with 27 seconds left to lift SAHA to an extremely crucial win.

North Shore Warriors听(3) vs RINK听Hockey Academy Winnipeg (4) U18 Prep Div II Western Championships听

Much like yesterday, the Athens Shingoose (2G, 2A) show went on come Sunday for the RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg in their U18 Prep Div II Western Championships game against the North Shore Warriors. Shingoose scored three yesterday and notched four points to carry RHAW through their win over North Shore today, despite some speed bumps on the way to win. Shingoose opened the scoring before providing two primary assists to lead RINK Winnipeg into the second period ahead by three. North Shore, though, would come storming back, with two goals in nine seconds late in the second, led by Ethan Patterson, who followed up four goals yesterday with his fifth of the weekend already. North Shore tied the game early in the third, but RHAW鈥檚 eight of nine power plays came short thereafter, and Shingoose scored again, giving RINK their third goal on the man advantage in the game. RHAW survived the scare to win 4-3.

St. George’s School听(5/OT) vs Calgary听International Hockey Academy (4) U18 Prep Western Championships听

Sunday鈥檚 U18 Prep Western Championships clash between St. George鈥檚 School and Calgary International Hockey Academy was set ablaze early by a fiery CIHA offensive push, with Mason Moran鈥檚 (3G) early powerplay goal just the beginning of a potent first period for CIHA. In the 3:47 following Moran鈥檚 first goal, CIHA had slotted two more, and Moran would finish his hat-trick with minutes to play to send CIHA into the second period ahead 4-0. With SGS looking up at a mountain to climb, they could only begin chipping away at the deficit. With the deficit already massive, Carter Adams (24/25), who played eight minutes of the first period and allowed one goal, was phenomenal. He stopped all 12 shots he faced in the second and another 12 in the third, shutting the door completely after the first intermission, and giving the Saints the chance to come from behind. They鈥檇 make significant strides in doing so before even the end of the second, with Louis Oscar Holowaychuk (2G) scoring a goal sandwiched between a pair of SGS powerplay markers, leading St. George鈥檚 in the third down by just one goal. An incredible rush from D-man Holden Wouters finished with his second goal of the game to make it 4-4 early in the third, sending the game into overtime, It wasn鈥檛 Wouters, but another usual suspect to win it for the Saints, with Holowaychuk scoring just 18 seconds into overtime to complete St. George鈥檚 School鈥檚 come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win. Carter Adams stopping the last 24 shots he faced can鈥檛 be ignored in the Saints鈥� win.

Delta Hockey听Academy听(5) vs BWC听Academy (3) U17 Western Championships听

BWC Academy and Delta Hockey Academy鈥檚 U17 squads are both significantly more used to winning than losing. Delta won the season series 3-2, but on Sunday, it was BWC who controlled the first period, outshooting their opponent 16-8 and taking a 2-1 lead into the final forty minutes. The game completely flipped, consequently so, in the second period. It took 32 seconds for Sam Hioe to square things at two for Delta in the second, seemingly snatching all of the momentum away from BWC. DHA outshot BWC 22-10 in the second and would add three more goals to cushion themselves from their opponents, led by two points apiece from Beckham Skrypnyk (1G, 1A), Brady Olson (1G, 1A), Jack Triance (2A), and Victor Lee (2A). Kaz Westcott (2G) snatched one back, but ultimately couldn’t get any closer than that, and Delta prevailed.

Okanagan Hockey Academy听(2) vs Northern听Alberta听Xtreme (1) U18 Prep Western Championships听

Sunday鈥檚 clash between the Okanagan Hockey Academy and Northern Alberta Xtreme鈥檚 U18 Prep squads was one contested by two teams who both clearly respected one another鈥檚 ability, with their closeness reflected in the way the game unfolded. Teagen Bouchard scored with 67 seconds to go in the first to give NAX the lead through one, with Maxx Parfitt鈥檚 powerplay goals levelling the score early in the second. It looked for a long while as if those two goals had destined the game for overtime, but late in the third, Marcus Domhof picked the puck up in his own zone for OHA, and started motoring ahead. As he crossed centre, it looked as if he was ready to dump the puck in, but rather, Domhof feathered the puck off the wall and retrieved it on the other side of the defensive NAX back checker. Domhof scooped up the puck in a dangerous position and found Landon Nagle (1G, 1A) in the slot, who fired home the game-winning goal with barely more than two and a half minutes to play. Charlie Peppinck stopped 25 of 26 to earn the W.

Delta Hockey Academy听(5) vs Edge听School (1) U18 Prep Western Championships听

Delta Hockey Academy played an admirable game on Saturday, with their sixty-minute effort yielding a 4-1 win, thanks to a potent powerplay and tight defensive effort. That recipe for success was replicated on Sunday from Delta, whose powerplay scoring and tight defensive work lifted them over Edge School. Delta scored three powerplay goals, including another two from Kelowna Rockets prospect Jack Morgan (2G, 1A), who scored one yesterday. Treyce Pavlic (3A) also contributed three points for Delta. Despite the eventual 5-1 win, the Edge School squad who finished second today weren鈥檛 starved for offensive chances, with goaltender Matthew Wong standing tall, stopping 41 of 42 shots to earn his second win in as many games. Wong has now made 70 saves on 72 shots over the first two playoff games to earn DHA two wins to kick things off.

North Shore听Warriors (2) vs Coeur听d’Alene Hockey Academy (4) U17 Div II Western Championships听

Making good on early chances gave Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy an excellent start to the game, striking twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead into the second. As was the case in the first period, North Shore continuously pushed back in the second, eventually pulling back within one through forty minutes. Noah Eade scored early in the third to level things up for the Warriors, with a North Shore powerplay not long after making the ultimate impact. Unfortunately for the Warriors, though, the impact wasn鈥檛 in their favour. After a few shorthanded chances came and went, Kirill Zhikharev scored a shorty to give CDA the lead, one only built upon by Tate Smith late. Liam Reed stopped 30 of 32 in the win.

Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy听(3) vs Notre听Dame Hounds (7) U18 Prep Div II Western Championships听

The first twenty minutes of play were evenly matched, with both teams trading early goals, but neither side really threatening to run away with things. A six-minute stretch to start the second period defined the rest of the hockey game. An incredible save from Notre Dame鈥檚 Joshua Heitman sent the Hounds back the other way, with a laser-beam off the stick of Thomas Beaton making it 2-1, and Lewis Brown鈥檚 (3G, 1A) second of the game quickly made it 3-1. Heitman made another ten-bell stop right after Brown鈥檚 goal, and from there, Wenatchee unsuccessfully chased the game. Every pushback was met by Notre Dame pushing the game further out of their hands, eventually winning 7-3, with Brown鈥檚 hat-trick and four points leading the way.

Yale Hockey听Academy听(7) vs Pacific听Coast Hockey听Academy (4) U18 Prep Western Championships听

The first head-to-head matchup between Yale Hockey Academy and the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy this season ended in a massive Sea Devils victory, but both of the following two head-to-head games between these two teams were razor-thin. PCHA won in overtime in yesterday鈥檚 tournament opener, with Yale falling 6-2 at the hands of the Northern Alberta Xtreme. An extremely tight game unfolded on Sunday, with Yale鈥檚 big guns ultimately the difference. Tony Cabelka (2G, 1A) opened the scoring in the first and would score again later, but it was Alex Ostrovskyy (2G, 3A) who took over. After providing Cabelka the primary assist in the first, Ostrovskyy scored a laser beam on the powerplay in the second, before another assist helped Yale into the lead in the second. Another goal and primary assist in the third for Ostrovskyy, as well as a goal from U15 Prep captain Parker McMillan, led Yale to the 7-4 win.

Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy (8) vs OHA Edmonton (1) U18 Prep Western Championships

An explosion of second-period offence from Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy ultimately pushed them far enough ahead of OHA Edmonton that nothing OHAE could do made a dent in the comeback effort. After a scoreless first, the beginning of the second period saw CDA score four goals in barely more than five minutes, including one from Ewen Willers (1G, 1A) to add on to the two he scored on Saturday. OHAE pulled one back in the second period, but the quick-fire offence that saw CDA establish their lead was too much for OHAE to come back from. Gage Kiselbach (2G) and Easton Margettie (1G, 3A) both scored perfectly-placed wrist shots in the third to help CDA go further beyond OHA Edmonton, with Coeur d’Alene eventually winning 8-1.

]]> /wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Game-Day-Recap-March-8-Website.png /8657-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=8657-2 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:13:03 +0000 /?p=8657 Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy (5/SO) vs RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (4) U17 Div II Western Championships听听听

听听

Coeur d鈥橝lene and RHA Kelowna opened their U17 Division II playoff run with a game that swung wildly before CDA finally stole it in the shootout, surviving a 53鈥憇hot barrage to edge out a听5鈥�4 win. After a scoreless first, the second period detonated into chaos: Maximillian Engel (1G) struck first for RHAK, only for Blake Celski (3G) to take听over the frame with a hat鈥憈rick in just over six minutes, each one fed through the hands of Logan Madrid (1G, 3A) and Hudson Saltarella (2A). Noam Colapinto (1G) briefly pulled RHAK level, but Madrid鈥檚 buzzer鈥慴eater with five seconds left sent CDA into the break up 4鈥�2. RHA Kelowna pushed back hard in the third, with Jordan Anastasiadis (1G) and Lochlan Shaw (1G) tying the game as penalties piled up on their side, but Gunner Podollan (48/52) refused to break under the heavy workload put on him by CDA. Overtime solved nothing, and in the shootout Madrid and Evan Davis buried their attempts while Podollan turned aside three of four, sealing a gritty, momentum鈥憇winging win for CDA in the first game of Pool B round鈥憆obin play.听听

Notre Dame Hounds (1) vs North Shore Warriors (9) U18 Prep Div II Western Championships听听

听听

North Shore opened the U18 Prep Division II Western Championship round robin with a No.鈥�1鈥憇eed performance, overwhelming Notre Dame 9鈥�1 in a game where pace, pressure, and finishing touch all swung decisively their way. Ethan Patterson (4G, 1A) drove the opening鈥憄eriod surge, scoring the first of four straight NSW goals before Sidney Bellfoy (1G, 2A),听Brenden Morgan (2G) and Jack Poole (2G, 2A) piled on to make it 4鈥�0 inside sixteen minutes. Notre Dame briefly stopped the bleeding when Bende Szongoth (1G) converted late in the first, but the Warriors鈥� 24鈥�8 shot advantage already reflected the gap. The second period only widened it, with Patterson adding two more, including a highlight reel shorthanded strike in the final minute, while Poole and Morgan each found the back of the net again as NSW鈥檚 transition game repeatedly carved open the Hounds. Patterson capped his four鈥慻oal outing early in the third, and from there the Warriors managed the clock while Kai Ebert (34/35) turned aside every Notre Dame push. Quinn Badeau (46/55) battled through a 55鈥憇hot barrage, but North Shore鈥檚 depth, special鈥憈eams execution, and relentless tempo delivered a commanding opening statement to their playoff run听

听听

Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (1) vs Edge School (4) U17 Western Championships听听

听听

Edge School opened their U17 Division I Western Championship round robin with the kind of poised, layered performance that has defined their season, striking twice late in the first and never really loosening their grip in a 4鈥�1 win over Pacific Coast. Kyden Bartole (2G) broke things open at 12:56 before Easton Armstrong (1G, 2A) doubled the lead less than two minutes later, capitalizing on an early shot鈥憊olume edge that saw EDGE outshoot PCHA 16鈥�10 in the frame. Bartole added his second on a power play early in the second, and while Pacific Coast pushed back only in the third, finally breaking through when Nixon Szadkowski (1G) buried his first of the playoffs at 3:42 off a setup from Maximus Scheffer (1A), however, the comeback never materialized. PCHA generated another late push, but Emerson Popil (24/25) turned aside everything else, and Brik McCord Cooper (1G, 1A) sealed it with an empty鈥憂etter in the final 30 seconds. Oliver Boniface (36/39) kept Pacific Coast competitive under a 40鈥憇hot barrage.听

听

North听Shore Warriors听(2) vs Notre Dame Hounds (3) U17 Div II Western Championships听听

听听

Notre Dame opened their Pool A run as the higher seed and survived a stubborn North Shore push, rallying late to take a 3鈥�2 win in a game that flipped twice before the Hounds finally wrestled it under control. North Shore struck first when Arjun Gill (1G) hammered home a point shot with 17 seconds left in the opening frame, but ND answered immediately to start the second as Kadyn Langlais (1G) buried a power鈥憄lay equalizer just 38 seconds in. NSW briefly reclaimed momentum on a late-period man鈥慳dvantage, with Easton Fowler (1G) restoring the lead, but the third belonged entirely to the Hounds. Paul Abrametz (1G, 1A) tied the game on a net鈥慺ront touch less than five minutes in, and Devin Doyle (1G) delivered the dagger on the power play minutes later, completing a disciplined, pressure鈥慸riven comeback. Hudson Pooler (27/29) steadied things down the stretch, while Ben Boudreau (31/34) kept NSW competitive despite the late surge, as Notre Dame opened their round鈥憆obin with the poised finish expected of a higher seed.听听

听听

Shawnigan Lake School (2) vs BWC Academy (3) U18 Prep Western Championships听听

听听

BWC Academy opened their U18 Prep Western Championship run with a tight, momentum鈥憇winging 3鈥�2 win over Shawnigan Lake in Pool A, a matchup between the division鈥檚 6鈥憇eed and 12鈥憇eed that didn鈥檛 truly break open until the third period. Mark Lee (1G) gave BWC the early edge late in the first, and despite the teams combining for 58 shots through two periods, neither side could solve the goaltenders again until the final frame. Round鈥憆obin nerves finally gave way when McAllister Mugford (1G, 1A) tied the game 5:12 into the third, only for BWC to answer 25 seconds later through Luca Martyniuk (1G). Shawnigan pushed right back as Nigel Alberts (1G, 1A) buried the 2鈥�2 equalizer, but the turning point came with BWC skating six鈥憃n鈥慺ive on a delayed penalty when Charlie Robinson (1G, 1A) buried the winner at 14:52. Shawnigan outshot BWC 24鈥�11 in the third, but Josh Wu (39/41) held firm throughout a frantic opener to championship weekend.听听听

听听

Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy (4) vs South Alberta Hockey Academy (2) U18 Prep Western Championships听听

听听

Coeur d鈥橝lene delivered the first true shock of the U18 Prep Western Championship, beating third鈥憇eeded SAHA 4鈥�2 in a Pool B opener that swung on opportunism, special鈥憈eams resilience, and a pair of perfectly timed punches from the tournament鈥檚 lowest seed. Easton Margettie (1G) opened the scoring late in听the first, and despite听being outshot heavily all afternoon, CDA doubled the lead early in the second through Gage听Kiselbach听(1G). The real dagger came shorthanded just 1:53 into the听third,听when Ewen Willers (2G)听jumped听on a loose puck and buried the eventual game鈥憌inner to make it 3鈥�0. SAHA finally found life as Kingston Chisholm (1G) and Carter Gilchrist (1G) scored to pull within one in the final minute, but Willers iced the upset with an empty鈥憂etter seconds later. Bennett Byers (36/38) was outstanding, anchoring a CDA group that needed only 22 shots to stun one of the division鈥檚 top contenders in their first step through round鈥憆obin play.听

听

RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (5) vs Balmoral Hall School Female (3) U18 Prep听听

听听

RINK Winnipeg leaned on early pace and late poise to stay perfect against Balmoral Hall听this season, skating to a 5鈥�3 win in a game that opened wide before tightening into a one鈥慻oal grind. Ava Hrubeniuk (1G) struck just 85 seconds in, only for BHS to punch back with goals from Brannagh Rae (1G) and Kate Chuback (1G, 1A) to briefly take control, but Rowyn Street (1G, 1A) answered less than a minute later to knot things at 2鈥�2 after one. The second period belonged entirely to RHA Winnipeg as Kendal Leader (1G) scored 35 seconds in and Adriana Duna (1G) added insurance late, building a cushion that would matter when Balmoral Hall pushed back in the third behind Jakiah Curle (1G). With the game hanging in the balance, Raina Chala (1G) buried the dagger at 19:14, sealing a fifth straight win in the matchup. Mars McHenry (19/22) delivered a steady night in goal, while Mimi Ferreira (28/33) kept BHS within reach despite the shot deficit.听听

听听

South Alberta Hockey Academy (4) vs RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (5) U17 Prep听听

听听

RINK Winnipeg and SAHA traded punches all afternoon in a game that never really settled, a 55鈥�50 shot marathon where every surge seemed to be answered almost听immediately. Colton Ross (1G) opened the scoring late in the first, but SAHA flipped the script early in the second as Lucas Fisher (1G), Liam Green (1G) and Briggs Fabro (1G) combined to turn a 1鈥�0 deficit into a 3鈥�1 lead in under ten minutes. RHA Winnipeg countered with their own three鈥慻oal push when Atley听Feniuk听(2G), Sullivan Bowen (1G) and Cole听Ewonchuk听(1G) all scored in a span that swung momentum back toward the home side before the period closed. SAHA鈥檚 power play briefly steadied things in the third when Mason听Woychyshyn听(1G) tied it, but another late special鈥憈eams moment proved decisive as听Feniuk听buried his second on a Winnipeg man鈥慳dvantage with 5:35 left. Brady Robert (46/50) and Chase Nielson (50/55) were under siege throughout this high event matchup, with Robert鈥檚 final stretch of saves听ultimately sealing听a 5鈥�4 RHA Winnipeg win.听

听听

Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (2) vs RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (3/OT) U18 Prep Western Championships听听

听听

RHA Kelowna survived a scare in their playoff opener, edging 15鈥憇eed Pilot Mound 3鈥�2 in overtime despite outshooting them 68鈥�30 in a game that felt far tighter than the shot clock suggested. The top seed struck shorthanded just two minutes in through Porter Rossi (2G, 1A), but PMHA refused to fold, answering in the second before Rossi restored the lead moments later. The third period delivered the night鈥檚 strangest twist, Max Sch眉tz (1G) was credited with the tying goal on a misplayed puck that ricocheted off a RINK Kelowna defender鈥檚 skate and slid into their own net, a rare break that pushed the underdogs into bonus time. But overtime lasted only 26 seconds, as RHA Kelowna finally cashed in on their eighth power play of the night, with Carson Smith (1G) hammering a one鈥憈imer that ended the upset bid. Adam Courchesne (65/68) was spectacular in defeat, while Micah Davidson (28/30) steadied things long enough for the tournament鈥檚 top seed to escape with the win.听

听听

Stanstead College (5) vs Ontario Hockey Academy (2) East U17 Prep听听

听听

Stanstead waited until the third period to truly separate, erupting for four goals in eight minutes to turn a tight, low鈥慹vent grind into a 5鈥�2 win over Ontario Hockey听Academy. Sean Dwyer (1G, 1A) had opened the scoring with 40 seconds left in the first, but OHA hung around thanks to a late鈥憇econd鈥憄eriod strike from Finlay O鈥橬eil (1G) and an early third鈥憄eriod finish by Yehor听Pyshalko听(1G), briefly grabbing a 2鈥�1 lead despite being outshot all night. That wake鈥憉p call sparked Stanstead鈥檚 best stretch of hockey, as Jack Adams (1G), Benjamin Rumsey (1G), and Timon听Potocny听(1G) all scored in a 6:23 span before Alex听Jankular听(1G) added a power鈥憄lay dagger to put things out of reach. Jaxon Ford (18/20) delivered a calm, controlled performance behind a group that owned the shot clock 35鈥�20 and completely suffocated OHA鈥檚 offense in the final frame.听

听

Bishop’s College School (5) vs Okanagan Hockey Ontario (2) East U17 Prep听听

听听

Bishop鈥檚 controlled just about every meaningful stretch of play in a 5鈥�2 win, dictating pace early and never letting OHO breathe despite a brief second鈥憄eriod pushback. Thomas Roy (1G) opened the scoring midway through the first, and BCS kept the pressure rolling into the second with Jan Hanzlik (1G) doubling the lead before OHO finally found life through Thomas Garland (1G) and Ian Rowsell (1G) less than 90 seconds apart. Any momentum OHO built evaporated quickly, though, as Dominik Bickos (1G, 1A) restored the Bishop鈥檚 lead three minutes later, part of a night where BCS outshot their opponents 42鈥�13 and smothered them completely in the third. Henry Bassuk (1G) and Alex Han (1G) added insurance in the final frame, while Dax Doiron (11/13) had a quiet but steady night behind a group that dictated possession and tempo from start to finish.听

Prairie Hockey Academy (4) vs Delta Hockey听Academy (5) U17 Western Championships听

Only once in the regular season did Prairie Hockey Academy and Delta Hockey Academy鈥檚 U17 squads see one another, a contest that ended 6-2 in Prairie鈥檚 favour back on November 16. Delta finished the regular season on a high note with three straight victories prior to the drop of the puck at the Western Championships, momentum they carried into the early stages of Saturday鈥檚 game. Delta grabbed goals at the start and the end of the first period to send them into the second period through Graeme Burke (2G) and Josh Racic (2G), making it 2-0 through twenty minutes, a cushion necessary in the face of Prairie鈥檚 later pushback. PHA outshot DHA 15-11, 15-12, and 18-14 in the three periods, respectively, and fought back with three goals in the second and one in the third in their comeback efforts. Delta were opportunistic, though, and made good on their chances when they came about. After a goal each in the first period, Racic and Burke scored again in the second to help Delta to what, at one point, was a 4-1 lead. Prairie ended up down by a goal before Robbie Rydberg scored on the powerplay early in the third, with Rydberg鈥檚 powerplay blast providing some third-period insurance for Delta. Rhett Benaschak (1G, 2A) pulled PHA back within one late in the third, setting up a push at the game鈥檚 end, but an unsuccessful one on Prairie鈥檚 part. Lucas Disiewich stopped 44 of 48 in the game to earn the victory for Delta.

Prairie Hockey Academy听(5) vs OHA听Edmonton (4) U18 Prep Western Championships听

Brady Keith (3G, 1A) opened the scoring for Prairie Hockey Academy on a powerplay in the first, a goal that kicked off a back-and-forth stretch, with a multi-goal PHA lead pegged back by a pair of OHAE goals. Bronsyn Mouille thought he sent the game into the second period tied, with the OHAE forward scoring with 16 seconds left in the first to make it 2-2. However, just eight seconds later and with eight seconds left in the period, Seamus Dillon (1G, 2A) put Prairie back on top, and it established PHA a lead they鈥檇 never let slip. Keith scored two more goals, one at the start of the second and one at the start of the third, to propel Prairie ahead of whatever comeback effort OHAE could mount. When Keith鈥檚 second made it 4-2, OHAE hit back, and when Keith鈥檚 third made it 4-3, OHAE hit back again, never giving Prairie any distance to feel comfortable. Drake Mooney (17/21) shut the door at the end of the game to help PHA over the finish line, with Brady Keith鈥檚 four points the highlighted performance.

Edge School听(2/OT) vs St.听George’s School (1) U18 Prep Western Championships听

Edge School took a penalty just 15 seconds into Saturday鈥檚 U18 Prep clash at the Western Championships against St. George鈥檚 School, a penalty that would set St. George鈥檚 on their way early. Lucas Benn found Louis Oscar Holowaychuk with a beautiful cross-ice feed, and the Vancouver Giants prospect made no mistake, snapping his wrist-shot over the goaltender鈥檚 shoulder and in to give the Saints an early lead. The highly-touted Mountaineers faced an uphill battle from there, with Carter Adams (45/47) often the lone man to keep St. George鈥檚 School in front, at least until the end of the second. Swift Current Broncos prospect Ashton McCann chipped home a backhand shot from the top of the crease late in the second period to square the game up for Edge, drawing things level through two, and securing the momentum in Edge School鈥檚 favour after forty minutes. Edge dominated the third period, outshooting their opponent by a 15-10 clip in the third. Adams stood tall for St. George鈥檚, giving the Saints the chance to win the game in the third, only for Carsten Leyerzapf (31/32) to stop all ten shots he faced in the third to shut the door and get things into overtime. Leyerzapf wasn鈥檛 called upon at all in the extra frame, though, because his Mountaineers squad generated the only opportunities in OT. The seas parted for Ashton McCann just shy of the one-minute mark, who walked down the middle of the ice, into a good shooting position, and fired the puck home to win the game for Edge School.

OHA Edmonton听(2) vs Northern听Alberta Xtreme (0) U17 Western Championships听

The first Western Championships game for both OHA Edmonton and the Northern Alberta Xtreme was a head-to-head matchup that had occurred six times during the regular season for the two Edmonton-based squads. Five of the six games were decided by one goal, with the two teams tied three wins apiece. Nate McRorie finished off the regular season on a five-game point streak and would be the one to give OHA Edmonton the lead less than ten minutes into the hockey game, the only goal to hit the back of the net in the first. As the game went on and on, NAX began to take control and then began to dominate proceedings, earning a pair of second-period power plays. Instead of producing their equalizer, it was OHAE to take advantage, with Liam McMillan firing home a shorthanded goal off the rush, giving Jayden Dirks (36/38) no chance despite the NAX goaltender鈥檚 superb saves throughout. Now down two, NAX cranked up the pressure, whose dominance of the third period was represented by their 24-8 shots on goal edge by the period鈥檚 end. OHAE strained, but never broke, thanks to goaltender Eric Bichel. Bichel hadn鈥檛 picked up a win since January, but his performance over all three periods on Saturday was worth more than any regular-season result. Bichel stopped all 24 shots he faced, impressive enough before you consider that those 24 were merely a part of the 60 saves he made in the game as a whole. Bichel鈥檚 60-save shutout gives him a season-high 60 saves and OHAE a victory to open the Western Championships.

Okanagan Hockey Academy听(5) vs BWC听Academy (1) U17 Western Championships听

The first period of Saturday鈥檚 U17 Western Championships clash between the Okanagan Hockey Academy and BWC Academy was all BWC, with their dominance evidenced by the 14-5 shots on goal margin in their favour through twenty minutes. However, they couldn鈥檛 capitalize on any of their opportunities, running into OHA鈥檚 Hudson Swankhuizen (38/39) at every turn. OHA made good on their limited offensive chances, though. Cohen Short scored the only goal of the first period, and OHA surviving the first with the lead proved a massive spark underneath them. Maxwell Stevens and Nathan Marques (2G) scored 14 seconds apart in the first half of the second period, a lead that would see them well on their way to victory. Marques would score again, and OHA ended the game having outshot BWC 40-39 in a 5-1 win.

Okanagan Hockey Academy听(2) vs Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (3/OT) U18 Prep Western Championships听

The first game of the U18 Prep regular season for the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy was way back in October against the Okanagan Hockey Academy, a game that OHA won 9-6. PCHA won 5-4 in their only other clash this season, leaving little between the two sides headed into their Western Championship opener. PCHA led by one through one on the back of Brayden Barker鈥檚 powerplay goal and would double down in the second, taking a 2-0 lead through Kieran Wilson. Down by a pair through forty minutes, OHA sprinted out of the gates in the third with punches swinging, and Marcus Domhof scored 75 seconds into the third to cut the Sea Devils鈥� lead in half. Barely five minutes after OHA clawed themselves back in the game, Eli Tverdovsky鈥檚 familiarly potent wrist shot levelled the score at two. That forced overtime. Officially, the overtime winner was scored six seconds into the extra frame. Really, it took Parson Shahi (1G, 1A) barely four seconds to win the face-off forward, rush in over the blue line, and wire the overtime winner into the back of the net for PCHA.

Northern Alberta Xtreme听(6) vs Yale听Hockey Academy (3) U18 Prep Western Championships听

The Northern Alberta Xtreme were excellent from the outset on Saturday against Yale Hockey Academy in the U18 Prep Western Championships, but Yale were extremely opportunistic, and NAX were behind the ball twice in the first. Both go-ahead goals from YHA were met by NAX powerplay equalizers, both from Kalen Miles (3G), who ensured his team wasn鈥檛 behind through twenty minutes, and would go straight back to work to start the second. Miles scored again to complete his hat-trick and make it 3-2, with Ahmad Fayad (1G, 4A) providing two more primary assists in the second period. NAX were able to extend the lead further in the third, with Fayad grabbing a goal to complete a five-point game in the third. NAX completed an ultimately positive performance in a 6-3 win.

STAR Hockey Academy听(4) vs RINK听Hockey Academy Winnipeg (1) U17 Div II Western Championships听

RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg won the only head-to-head clash between themselves and STAR Hockey Academy during the regular season, a 3-2 overtime win in early January. Unlike that game, pretty much any and all RHAW offence throughout Saturday鈥檚 game ran into the brick wall known as Ry Jeffries (42/43), who didn鈥檛 give RINK Winnipeg anything easy. STAR made good on a pair of first-period chances, with a goal and an assist apiece from Aaron Comer (1G, 1A) and Seve Paladino (1G, 2A), sending STAR forward with a 2-0 lead. Eli Solberg extended STAR鈥檚 lead early in the third, ultimately enough to put the game out of RHAW鈥檚 hands in an eventual 4-1 victory for STAR.

Delta Hockey Academy听(4) vs Calgary听International Hockey Academy (1) U18 Prep Western Championships听

Delta Hockey Academy鈥檚 Peter Banicevic (1G, 1A) has been one of Delta鈥檚 most potent scorers all season and would be the one to get the party started for DHA in the second period, ripping a perfect wrist-shot off the crossbar and in to make it 1-0 Delta. CIHA made good on a powerplay chance to get back in the hockey game, but even when they got themselves back in the fight, Delta smothered any chances Calgary had to take over the game. Jack Morgan made it 2-1 for Delta late in the second, and an early power-play goal in the third period from Caden Leibel (1G, 1A) put the game to bed. DHA鈥檚 eventual 4-1 win saw Matthew Wong stop 29 of 30.

RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (6) vs Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy (3) U18 Prep Div II Western Championships听

This game was basically two in itself; the first, a very evenly-matched clash and the second, an extremely slanted victory. The first half of the game was the evenly-fought one; the Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy outshot RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg 15-14 in the first period, with RHAW escaping with a 2-1 lead. Wenatchee led in the second with a pair of goals to regain the lead, but in the second, the game flipped completely into one dominated by RHA Winnipeg. They’d outshoot Wenatchee 24-5 in the second and would equalize through Athens Shingoose’s (3G, 1A) second goal of the game. The score was 3-3 when the third period began, but with RHAW’s dominance carrying over from the second, they hit the front less than one minute into the third. Gavin Harty’s go-ahead goal was followed by Graham Gard’s second of the game and Athens Shingoose’s hat-trick-completing 6-3 goal. RHAW outshot Wenatchee 59-27 in the 6-3 win.

The 2026 黑料不打烊 Western Championships start Saturday, March 7 in Penticton, BC.

106 teams will head to Penticton, bringing with them the top student-athletes in Western Canada in six different division. These 106 teams will compete in a total of five-to-six games in just as many days, all for the chance to be crowned 黑料不打烊 Western Champions.

If last year鈥檚 Western Championships taught us anything, it鈥檚 that on any given day any team can win. We saw top ranked teams get the job done as expected, and we saw lower ranked teams overcome the odds and even make a finals push.

At this year鈥檚 event we expect the same. With that in mind, here are some teams and 鈥楶layers to Watch鈥� in the U15 Prep, U17, and U18 Prep Divisions.

U15 Prep Players to Watch

• Division I
  • F
    • (Edge School), (BWC Academy), (Delta Hockey Academy), (Yale Hockey Academy), (OHA Edmonton), (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
  • D
    • (OHA Edmonton) (Northern Alberta Xtreme), (Yale Hockey Academy), (Delta Hockey Academy)
  • G
    • (RHA Winnipeg), (Yale Hockey Academy),
• Division II
  • F
    • (Notre Dame Hounds), (North Shore Warriors), (Pilot Mound Hockey Academy)
  • D
    • (RHA Kelowna), (STAR Hockey Academy)
  • G
    • (Okanagan Hockey Academy)

U15 Prep Teams to Watch

The last few seasons there has been clear cut top 1-3 teams in the U15 Prep Division. While those top 1-3 teams exist, the gap has closed and there are a handful of very good teams in this division, as evident by the fact seven of the eight teams in the quarterfinals of the John Reid Memorial Tournament (St. Albert, AB) were 黑料不打烊 teams. A lot of what happens in this division will come down to seeding at the end of the round robin, as certain matchups will favor certain teams.

Calgary International Hockey Academy- Five Seed

CIHA found their stride in a nine-game stretch from December 鈥� February as they went 8-1 against playoff teams including back-to-back wins over NAX and a win over OHA Edmonton. However, they would finish the season losing two of three including lopsided losses to Yale and Delta. Captain Kai Dingwall (21-25-46) leads a forward group that is highlighted by Cole Chudyk (14-18-32), George Matheos (13-19-32), Liam Nycholat (17-14-31) and Loic Lebel (15-14-29), while it is a 2012 born defenseman Cohen St. Louis (7-24-31) who leads the d-core in scoring. CIHA is a team that will benefit most from certain matchups, but the talent is there to beat the top teams. If the team can buy into the game plan for a full, consistent 60, they can make some noise when at their best.

Delta Hockey Academy 鈥� Four Seed

The defending Champions return with key pieces in Head Coach Austin Vetterl and defenseman Eli Vickers (22-40-62), the potential first defenseman taken in this spring鈥檚 WHL Draft. Delta was the four seed at last year鈥檚 event, upsetting the one seed from Edmonton (NAX), and it could be the same story again this year with another team from Edmonton in first this season. Ronan Gow (26-26-52) went from a depth role on last year鈥檚 team to the main contributor upfront with Carson Brown (18-30-48), Mazen Green (18-28-46) and Braelyn Nunley (19-26-45) joining him in leading the charge. Brady Cook (5-25-30) and Nathan Roberts (4-21-25) join Vickers on the back end, with Jace Zemanek (14-1-0) manning the pipes. The 2025/26 version of Delta reminds me a lot of last year鈥檚 winning squad: an elite netminder, a high-end d-core, and a forward unit that excels at both ends of the ice while getting contributions throughout the line-up. Delta was the four seed at last year鈥檚 event, upsetting the one seed from Edmonton (NAX), and it could be the same story again this year with another team from Edmonton in first this season.

Northern Alberta Xtreme 鈥� Two Seed

NAX came into last year鈥檚 Championships as the favorite as they looked to threepeat but were upset by Delta in the finals. Last year鈥檚 NAX squad rolled through the season, lighting up the stat, while relying heavily on their top end players. And while NAX might not have the high-end scoring of last year, or the one or two stars that can carry their team like other squads in the division, it鈥檚 hard to find any holes on what might be the most balanced, complete team in U15 Prep. Paced by a potential first round WHL pick in Danel Ramazanov (26-32-58), 10 NAX forwards have at least 20 points, with all 12 having at least 16. A pair of big, right-handed defensemen in Brady Lienenweber (2-33-35) and Lincoln Baschuk (3-20-23) lead the d-core and netminders Kash Anderson (11-1-2) and Zayden Maclean (9-3-0) have split the work between the pipes. NAX will come into the Championships having gone 2-3 in February, but a John Reid Memorial Tournament finals victory over OHA Edmonton will give this team confidence that they can win when it matters most.

OHA Edmonton 鈥� One Seed

The number one seed in these U15 Prep Western Championships, OHA Edmonton is an offence first, puck possession team having finished second in the division with 237 goals scored in just 30 games. Returning forwards Micah Montgomery (21-42-63) and Artello Forestal (22-24-46) run an offence that sees 11 forwards with 23 points or more, and the 12^th averaging a point-per-game pace this season. Potential first round WHL pick in Hayden Harvey (16-24-40) leads a d-core that includes Braydon Lynam (6-35-41) and standout 2012 Deacon Gillespie (13-35-48) who recently broke Landon DuPont鈥檚 record for most points in a season by a first-year defenseman. The one problem OHA Edmonton has faced this season is they have been so dominant at times, playing most of the game with the puck on their stick, they can get caught cheating and run into problems without the puck, leaving themselves vulnerable on the counterattack. If they can clean up their transition defense, while still capitalizing on their own chances, they鈥檒l be extremely tough to beat. Having lost in the finals of two tournaments this year, OHA Edmonton certainly won鈥檛 lack motivation and should be able to use that to fuel their fire.

Yale Hockey Academy 鈥� Three Side 听

Yale come into the Western Championships with the best player and potential first overall WHL Draft pick in Parker McMillan (41-50-91), and the leagues leading scorer in Teagan Dernisky (43-55-98). Yale did lead the division with 248 goals, but McMillan missed the team鈥檚 final five games due to injury and the duo of him and Dernisky find themselves more than 30 points ahead of anyone else on the team in scoring. Yale鈥檚 opponents will focus solely on shutting this duo down, which will leave the door open for the likes of Connor Baines (23-31-54), Ryker Stevens (15-28-43) and Marcus Phillips (19-19-38) to lift the Yale offence, something they鈥檙e certainly capable of. Standout defensemen Jacson Bradbeer (9-52-61) and Tyson Wolanski (11-36-47), along with returning netminder Gavin Craig (15-2-0) and goaltending partner Logan Hwang (13-0-0) headline a unit that gave up a division low 54 goals against. The highest scoring offence, combined with the lowest scoring defense, will be sure to cause problems for their opponents.

U17 Players to Watch

• Division I
  • F
    • (Edge School), (Prairie Hockey Academy), (Prairie Hockey Academy), (Okanagan Hockey Academy), (Pacific Coast Hockey Academy), (OHA Edmonton)
  • D
    • (Prairie Hockey Academy), (Northern Alberta Xtreme), (Okanagan Hockey Academy), (BWC Academy)
  • G
    • (Delta Hockey Academy), (Edge School),
• Division II
  • F
    • (Coeur d鈥橝lene Hockey Academy), (STAR Hockey Academy), (Notre Dame Hounds)
  • D
    • (RHA Kelowna), (RHA Winnipeg)
  • G
    • (North Shore Warriors)

U17 Teams to Watch

Last year three of the top four regular-season teams made the semis with the one and four seed making the finals. Ultimately it was the four seed Okanagan Hockey Academy that came out on top, defeating RHA Kelowna. The MYHockey Rankings this year show a clear drop after the top two seeds, before seeds three to eight see minimal separation. This should lead to an exciting round robin as team鈥檚 battle for those coveted semi-final spots.

Edge School 鈥� One Seed

It was a dominant season for Edge as they lost just 3 of their 36 games this season, giving them a ratio of 11 wins per loss. Having only lost one game in the New Year, Edge led the division in both goals for (184) and goals against (65). ACHA commit Emerson Popil (11-2-0) and Chase Miles (22-1-0) combine for 9 shutouts, a 1.78 GAA and .940 SV%, with Miles leading the division in every major goalie category. Despite the high-flying offence, Edge doesn鈥檛 have any skaters inside the top 5, with leading scorer Kyden Bartole (20-34-54) 24 points off the scoring lead. Instead, 4 forwards have 40-plus points, five more have 30-plus points, and everyone upfront has at least 26 points this season, giving them a balanced attack and 3-plus lines of offence. Jacksen Cutforth (5-24-29) leads the d-core with 29 points, and while no one in the unit is at a point per game pace, the team鈥檚 defensive numbers speak volumes to their success on the season.

Okanagan Hockey Academy 鈥� Three Seed

The defending U17 Western Champions come into the playoffs on a two-game losing streak but have the second-best defense and third best offense in the division. Grayson Holmes (5-37-42) leads all U17 defensemen with 37 assists and 42 points, putting him third in scoring. Cole Schellenberg (22-33-55) finds himself 13 points ahead of Holmes as it is Nathan Marques (42-31-73) who has played a part in 45% of OHA鈥檚 goals this season. Marques sits first among all skaters with 42 goals and second with 73 points and will be relied on heavily as OHA will look to use the advantage of the home crowd to take them to a second straight Championship.

Prairie Hockey Academy 鈥� Two Seed

With the division scoring leader in Soren Hayden (32-46-78), and Kase Gellner (31-37-68) and Jake Myhre (21-39-60) both inside the top five, Prairie has the second highest scoring attack in the division, just behind Edge. There is a drop in production behind these three as only forward Noah Delaurier (16-25-41) and defenseman Kayin Belton (6-27-33) average more than a point per game, but with Hayden, Gellner and Myhre eating up top defensive matchups, forwards throughout the Prairie line-up will have the opportunity to step-up. Kayden Gregoire (13-4-0) and Conner Aldag (14-3-2) backstop a unit that is tied with OHA for second fewest goals against. Prairie have won 18 of their last 20 games and have only lost twice in the New Year, with one of those coming at the hands of first place Edge. As a program, Prairie has been itching closer and closer the past few years to their first ever Western Championships, and if the U17 team can ride this momentum, they can be the first to do it.

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U18 Prep Players to Watch

• Championships
  • F
    • (Northern Alberta Xtreme), (Pilot Mound Hockey Academy), (Prairie Hockey Academy), (Pacific Coast Hockey Academy), (St. George鈥檚 School), (Okanagan Hockey Academy), (Delta Hockey Academy), (RHA Kelowna), (South Alberta Hockey Academy)
  • D
    • (Northern Alberta Xtreme), (Prairie Hockey Academy), (BWC Academy), (RHA Kelowna), (St. George鈥檚 School)
  • G
    • (Edge School), (RHA Kelowna)
  • Division II
    • F
      • (North Shore Warriors), (RHA Winnipeg), (Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy)
    • D
      • (RHA Winnipeg), (North Shore Warriors)
    • G
      • (Notre Dame)

U18 Prep Teams to Watch

The U18 Prep Western Championships are always the most difficult to predict. The format has expanded this season to include quarterfinals, meaning the winning team will play six games in six days. Last year the top eight seeds all failed to make it out of the round robin with the 9, 10, 11 and 16 seeds heading to the semifinals, before 11 seed RHA Kelowna beat 16 seed Delta Hockey Academy in the finals. While last year certainly seems like a one off with the number of upsets, your guess is as good as mine as to who will come out on top.

Edge School 鈥� Four Seed

Edge School went just 16-10-4 this season but had the hardest strength of schedule in the U18 Prep division. Despite that difficult schedule, Edge still finished plus 38, sixth best in the division, while allowing the second fewest goals among U18 Prep teams. Carsten Leyerzapf (9-4-3) backboned the strong defensive game, leading the division with 4 shutouts while placing second in both GAA (1.90) and SV% (.933). The d-core is led by Kelowna Rockets 2025 second round pick Remy Koch (3-16-19) and East West Challenge Second Team All-Star Julian Revel (4-17-21). Swift Current Broncos picks Ashton McCann (17-26-43) and Luke Huska (9-27-36) lead an offence that is most successful when it gets contributions throughout the line-up. While the forward unit doesn鈥檛 lack skill, it generates most of its offence off the forecheck and its ability to come at you in constant waves. Head Coach Adam Stuart has two 黑料不打烊 Western Championships at the U15 level, and he will look to use that to guide his team to the top of the mountain, after Edge won back-to-back U18 Championships in 2023 and 2024.

Delta Hockey Academy 鈥� Five Seed

Delta comes in as the hottest team at the Western Championships, having won their last 10 regular season games, including victories over the number one and three seeds. The least penalized team in the U18 Western Championships, Delta was second in the division at plus 55 this season. Third in the division with 83 goals against, Delta is led by a pair of standout netminders in Matthew Wong (15-1-1-) and Vancouver Giants prospect Oliver Bryks (9-4-0). Delta was the second highest scoring team in the regular season, with Wenatchee Wild prospect Kishan Saggu (18-31-49) sitting sixth in individual scoring. All 11 forwards hit double digit points this season with 7 of them recording 24 or more. Defensively, a duo of WHL prospects in Dylan Hurren (10-20-30) and captain Bryson Roberts (8-18-26) lead the backend. Coaches Steven Hodges and Spencer Bennett will look to bring Delta back to glory for the first time since 2016.

Northern Alberta Xtreme 鈥� Three Seed

NAX is the youngest team in this division by a large margin, consisting of 13 2010 born players and 5 2009. What the team may lack in years, they certainly make up for in talent as a 黑料不打烊 record 17 of their players are currently on WHL Protected Lists including first round picks Teagen Bouchard (17-18-35), Levi Ellingsen (8-21-29), Matheas Hedja (3-12-15), Cruz Jim (4-17-21), Will Kelts (6-9-15), Kalen Miles (21-15-36) and Nolan Wolitski (2-13-15). NAX comes into the Championships as the fifth highest scoring team and with the fifth best goal differential. Two areas of concern for NAX will be their discipline, as they had the second most penalty minutes of teams in the Championships, and potential durability concerns. Only Miles and Brady Ondrus (9-27-36) played in all 30 games, and this year鈥檚 Championships will need teams to play six games in six days to be crowned Champions. The core of this team comes from last season鈥檚 U15 Prep squad that was upset by Delta in the finals of the U15 Prep Western Championships but also won a U15 Western Championship the season before. Despite their age, this team has plenty of experience in big games and can use that to bring NAX their first U18 Prep Western Championship since 2019.

RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna 鈥� One Seed

The defending Champions went an impressive 24-2-3 allowing just 62 goals in 29 games this regular season. Netminders Asher Netherton (13-1-0) and Micah Davidson (11-1-3) both played key roles in the net with Netherton leading the division with a 1.86 GAA and .937SV%, while Davidson was top five in both categories. Moose Jaw Warriors prospect Carson Smith (16-22-38) spearheaded the offence, finishing seventh with a 1.58 points-per-game average on the season. Nate Macphee (17-20-37) and Tri-City Americans prospect Ryan Sadovia (14-19-33) each eclipsed 30 points, with Sadovia being arguably the strongest two-way forward in the division. Defenseman Max Reed (5-14-19), who was part of last year鈥檚 Championship winning side, and Warrior鈥檚 prospect Miller Watkins (2-12-14) lead a strong defensive core. There aren鈥檛 a lot of holes on this team and Head Coach Josh Bonar will have his team more than ready as they look to repeat. In a division that last year saw the number 1 seed bow out in the round robin and the 16 seed made the finals, the pressure will be on RHA Kelowna this season.

South Alberta Hockey Academy 鈥� Two Seed

Fresh of winning the inaugural 黑料不打烊 East West Challenge that saw them play five games in four days, SAHA has proven they have what it takes to win in short term competitions like this one. SAHA had the third best offence and fourth best defense in the regular season, vaulting them to second place in the standings. Calgary Hitmen prospect Kutcher Aquila (21-26-47) leads the team in scoring while East West Challenge First Team All-Star and Swift Current prospect Damen Vanderberg (15-24-39) is seen as the driver of this team. Ty Hynes (3-6-9) will be a key player to watch for SAHA, regardless of if he plays his natural position of forward, or is used as a defenseman again like at the East West Challenge, a role Head Coach Brayden Desjardins feels comfortable using him in. Medicine Hat Tigers prospect Kayne Wright (6-17-23) leads a d-core that consists of three other WHL prospects in Linden Andersen (0-9-9), Paxton Cabana (2-9-11) and Hunter Saddleback (1-9-10), as well as veterans Grady McLeod (4-9-13) and Sully Kufflick (6-12-18). Both netminders Cash Christie (10-1-0) and Hunter Zawislak (11-6-1) are more than capable of getting the job done, with Christie already having showcased his talent level at the WHL this season with the Tigers.

More Information

All the action can be caught live at the Okanagan Hockey Training Center, South Okanagan Events Center and Memorial Arena, You can find more information on how to purchase tickets, schedules, rosters, standings, stats and more on our 黑料不打烊 Western Championships webpage.

Players and Teams to Watch in the U15, U17 Prep and Female Prep Divisions will come out later this week, at the conclusion of their regular seasons.

For any questions or concerns please contact:

Jordan Martin
黑料不打烊 Manager, Media & Communications
j.martin@csshl.ca听

鈥淚鈥檓 excited that our Western Championships will call Penticton home for the next decade,鈥� says Kevin Goodwin, the Chief Operating Officer of the 黑料不打烊. 鈥淥ur organization is committed to excellence on and off-the ice and Penticton is known across the country for the same commitment. Having a dedicated home base for the playoffs will allow for teams and sponsors to plan more easily. This is a win-win for everyone 鈥� the players, the families and local businesses.鈥�

Over the length of the contract, it is estimated the economic impact to Penticton will be close to $40 million. This month鈥檚 tournament features 86 teams and roughly 1,900 players and staff who are competing in the 黑料不打烊 Western Championships over a period of two weeks. Roughly 4,000 spectators are expected to attend the event. The sponsorship agreement, worth $100,000 per year, will see the number of participants increase to 95 Western Division teams next season as Penticton becomes host of the 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Western championships.

鈥淲e saw the impact that tourism has on Penticton as we returned to large gatherings last summer,鈥� says Mayor Julius Bloomfield. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the energy brought by visitors to our community and there is the economic impact of the dollars they bring in. It鈥檚 important we continue to market ourselves as a destination, provide visitors and residents with annual events to look forward to and that鈥檚 what these investments do. In particular, we鈥檙e looking to expand the tourism season and these championships will bring much welcomed visitors into town during a traditionally slower time providing an economic boost.鈥�

“OVG360 and the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) Complex is thrilled to continue being a part of such a tremendous event and look forward to hosting another 10 years of 黑料不打烊 championship hockey in Penticton.鈥� 鈥� Dean Clarke, General Manager of the SOEC Complex and Regional Vice President of OVG360.

The head of Visit Penticton board notes the competition for signature events is competitive and many other municipalities would be keen on taking away some of these events.

鈥淭his is about continuing partnerships that have proven successful and building on them,鈥� says Jessica Dolan, Chair of the Travel Penticton Board of Directors. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also about keeping our edge. The 黑料不打烊 is going to offer a tremendous economic boost in a month that is traditionally a bit slower. These investments are vital to our still recovering economy.鈥�