Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy (5/SO) vs RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (4) U17 Div II Western Championships
Coeur d’Alene 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‑shot barrage to edge out a 5–4 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 over the frame with a hat‑trick 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’s buzzer‑beater with five seconds left sent CDA into the break up 4–2. 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‑swinging win for CDA in the first game of Pool B round‑robin play.
Notre Dame Hounds (1) vs North Shore Warriors (9) U18 Prep Div II Western Championships
North Shore opened the U18 Prep Division II Western Championship round robin with a No. 1‑seed performance, overwhelming Notre Dame 9–1 in a game where pace, pressure, and finishing touch all swung decisively their way. Ethan Patterson (4G, 1A) drove the opening‑period surge, scoring the first of four straight NSW goals before Sidney Bellfoy (1G, 2A), Brenden Morgan (2G) and Jack Poole (2G, 2A) piled on to make it 4–0 inside sixteen minutes. Notre Dame briefly stopped the bleeding when Bende Szongoth (1G) converted late in the first, but the Warriors’ 24–8 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’s transition game repeatedly carved open the Hounds. Patterson capped his four‑goal 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‑shot barrage, but North Shore’s depth, special‑teams execution, and relentless tempo delivered a commanding opening statement to their playoff run
Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (1) vs Edge School (4) U17 Western Championships
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 4–1 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‑volume edge that saw EDGE outshoot PCHA 16–10 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‑netter in the final 30 seconds. Oliver Boniface (36/39) kept Pacific Coast competitive under a 40‑shot barrage.
North Shore Warriors (2) vs Notre Dame Hounds (3) U17 Div II Western Championships
Notre Dame opened their Pool A run as the higher seed and survived a stubborn North Shore push, rallying late to take a 3–2 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‑play equalizer just 38 seconds in. NSW briefly reclaimed momentum on a late-period man‑advantage, 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‑front touch less than five minutes in, and Devin Doyle (1G) delivered the dagger on the power play minutes later, completing a disciplined, pressure‑driven 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‑robin with the poised finish expected of a higher seed.
Shawnigan Lake School (2) vs BWC Academy (3) U18 Prep Western Championships
BWC Academy opened their U18 Prep Western Championship run with a tight, momentum‑swinging 3–2 win over Shawnigan Lake in Pool A, a matchup between the division’s 6‑seed and 12‑seed that didn’t 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‑robin 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 2–2 equalizer, but the turning point came with BWC skating six‑on‑five on a delayed penalty when Charlie Robinson (1G, 1A) buried the winner at 14:52. Shawnigan outshot BWC 24–11 in the third, but Josh Wu (39/41) held firm throughout a frantic opener to championship weekend.
Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy (4) vs South Alberta Hockey Academy (2) U18 Prep Western Championships
Coeur d’Alene delivered the first true shock of the U18 Prep Western Championship, beating third‑seeded SAHA 4–2 in a Pool B opener that swung on opportunism, special‑teams resilience, and a pair of perfectly timed punches from the tournament’s lowest seed. Easton Margettie (1G) opened the scoring late in the first, and despite being outshot heavily all afternoon, CDA doubled the lead early in the second through Gage Kiselbach (1G). The real dagger came shorthanded just 1:53 into the third, when Ewen Willers (2G) jumped on a loose puck and buried the eventual game‑winner to make it 3–0. 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‑netter seconds later. Bennett Byers (36/38) was outstanding, anchoring a CDA group that needed only 22 shots to stun one of the division’s top contenders in their first step through round‑robin play.
RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (5) vs Balmoral Hall School Female (3) U18 Prep
RINK Winnipeg leaned on early pace and late poise to stay perfect against Balmoral Hall this season, skating to a 5–3 win in a game that opened wide before tightening into a one‑goal 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 2–2 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.
South Alberta Hockey Academy (4) vs RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (5) U17 Prep
RINK Winnipeg and SAHA traded punches all afternoon in a game that never really settled, a 55–50 shot marathon where every surge seemed to be answered almost 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 1–0 deficit into a 3–1 lead in under ten minutes. RHA Winnipeg countered with their own three‑goal push when Atley Feniuk (2G), Sullivan Bowen (1G) and Cole Ewonchuk (1G) all scored in a span that swung momentum back toward the home side before the period closed. SAHA’s power play briefly steadied things in the third when Mason Woychyshyn (1G) tied it, but another late special‑teams moment proved decisive as Feniuk buried his second on a Winnipeg man‑advantage with 5:35 left. Brady Robert (46/50) and Chase Nielson (50/55) were under siege throughout this high event matchup, with Robert’s final stretch of saves ultimately sealing a 5–4 RHA Winnipeg win.
Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (2) vs RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (3/OT) U18 Prep Western Championships
RHA Kelowna survived a scare in their playoff opener, edging 15‑seed Pilot Mound 3–2 in overtime despite outshooting them 68–30 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’s strangest twist, Max Schütz (1G) was credited with the tying goal on a misplayed puck that ricocheted off a RINK Kelowna defender’s 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‑timer 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’s top seed to escape with the win.
Stanstead College (5) vs Ontario Hockey Academy (2) East U17 Prep
Stanstead waited until the third period to truly separate, erupting for four goals in eight minutes to turn a tight, low‑event grind into a 5–2 win over Ontario Hockey Academy. Sean Dwyer (1G, 1A) had opened the scoring with 40 seconds left in the first, but OHA hung around thanks to a late‑second‑period strike from Finlay O’Neil (1G) and an early third‑period finish by Yehor Pyshalko (1G), briefly grabbing a 2–1 lead despite being outshot all night. That wake‑up call sparked Stanstead’s best stretch of hockey, as Jack Adams (1G), Benjamin Rumsey (1G), and Timon Potocny (1G) all scored in a 6:23 span before Alex Jankular (1G) added a power‑play dagger to put things out of reach. Jaxon Ford (18/20) delivered a calm, controlled performance behind a group that owned the shot clock 35–20 and completely suffocated OHA’s offense in the final frame.
Bishop’s College School (5) vs Okanagan Hockey Ontario (2) East U17 Prep
Bishop’s controlled just about every meaningful stretch of play in a 5–2 win, dictating pace early and never letting OHO breathe despite a brief second‑period 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’s lead three minutes later, part of a night where BCS outshot their opponents 42–13 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.
Prairie Hockey Academy (4) vs Delta Hockey Academy (5) U17 Western Championships
Only once in the regular season did Prairie Hockey Academy and Delta Hockey Academy’s U17 squads see one another, a contest that ended 6-2 in Prairie’s 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’s 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’s 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’s 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’s end, but an unsuccessful one on Prairie’s part. Lucas Disiewich stopped 44 of 48 in the game to earn the victory for Delta.
Prairie Hockey Academy (5) vs OHA Edmonton (4) U18 Prep Western Championships
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’d 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’s second made it 4-2, OHAE hit back, and when Keith’s 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’s four points the highlighted performance.
Edge School (2/OT) vs St. George’s School (1) U18 Prep Western Championships
Edge School took a penalty just 15 seconds into Saturday’s U18 Prep clash at the Western Championships against St. George’s School, a penalty that would set St. George’s 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’s 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’s 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’s 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’s, 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’t 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 (2) vs Northern Alberta Xtreme (0) U17 Western Championships
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’s 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’s end. OHAE strained, but never broke, thanks to goaltender Eric Bichel. Bichel hadn’t 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’s 60-save shutout gives him a season-high 60 saves and OHAE a victory to open the Western Championships.
Okanagan Hockey Academy (5) vs BWC Academy (1) U17 Western Championships
The first period of Saturday’s 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’t capitalize on any of their opportunities, running into OHA’s 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 (2) vs Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (3/OT) U18 Prep Western Championships
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’s 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’ lead in half. Barely five minutes after OHA clawed themselves back in the game, Eli Tverdovsky’s 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 (6) vs Yale Hockey Academy (3) U18 Prep Western Championships
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’t 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 (4) vs RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (1) U17 Div II Western Championships
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’s game ran into the brick wall known as Ry Jeffries (42/43), who didn’t 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’s lead early in the third, ultimately enough to put the game out of RHAW’s hands in an eventual 4-1 victory for STAR.
Delta Hockey Academy (4) vs Calgary International Hockey Academy (1) U18 Prep Western Championships
Delta Hockey Academy’s Peter Banicevic (1G, 1A) has been one of Delta’s 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’s 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
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.
