RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna (7) vs. Pacific Coast Hockey Academy (1) U15 Prep Div II Western Championships
The first twenty minutes of RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna and Pacific Coast Hockey Academy’s Thursday morning clash was extremely evenly-fought; Aksel Smith had given RHA Kelowna the lead, but the Sea Devils out-chanced their opponents on the back of two unsuccessful powerplay opportunities. They’d make good on a first powerplay of the second period, with Jason Thomson scoring in the early stages to make it 1-1. Following the equalizing goal, though, the Sea Devils had no response. The goal lit a fire under RINK Kelowna, who ruthlessly and efficiently went to work from there. RHAK scored three to end the second and three more to end the third, outshooting PCHA 16-5 in the second and 24-5 in the third periods. Nixon McLean (3G, 1A) scored a hat-trick to lead the way for RHAK, with his two quick goals in the second helping open the floodgates.
Shawnigan Lake School (2) vs. North Shore Warriors (7) U15 Prep Div II Western Championships
The North Shore Warriors’ U15 Prep squad have been rampaging their way through division two at the Western Championships, posting some of the best performances among any of their adversaries, a trend that continued into their third and final round robin game against Shawnigan Lake School. North Shore’s superstars helped them get the wheels off the ground early, with Will Thompson (2G, 3A) opening the scoring with his first of what would end up being five points. Thompson provided the primary assist for Easton Brooks’ goal to double the lead not long after. Drew Fulton popped in with a hat-trick, his first three goals of the playoffs, with North Shore’s seven goals far more than Shawnigan could muster in response.
Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (10) vs. Notre Dame Hounds (5) U15 Prep Div II Western Championships
It took only 38 seconds for the first goal of the game to hit the back of the net in Thursday’s U15 Prep Div II Western Championships clash between Pilot Mound Hockey Academy and the Notre Dame Hounds, with Zac Klassen (3G) hitting the back of the net to give PMHA the lead early. The early goal simply set the stage for the rest of proceedings, with the goals coming early and often. PMHA took 2-0 and 4-1 leads in the first period, but Notre Dame had pulled themselves back into the game, down 4-3 in the second. After Alex Abbott (1G, 2A) had pulled the Hounds back within one, though, Klassen quickly responded for the Buffaloes, starting a run of four straight goals that left the Hounds stranded behind. Klassen’s hat-trick was added to by three goals off the stick of Aiden Kelly (3G, 1A), as well as multi-point efforts from Max Faulkner (2A), Oliver Helsen (3A), Ryder Spurrill (1G, 1A), Manav Bhathal (2A), Brock Vodden (1G, 1A), Hinata Hashimoto (1G, 1A), and Nash Ramage (2A) in the eventual 10-5 win.
Ontario Hockey Academy Mavericks (1) vs Okanagan Hockey Ontario (9) East U18 Prep
It looked from the outset like the Ontario Hockey Academy Mavericks had a huge test in front of them, and while there were no doubt some positives to be taken out of their clash with Okanagan Hockey Ontario, it was largely a day to forget. Four of OHO’s most prominent skaters scored in the first, with Thomas Garas (2G, 1A), Kenton Wong (2G, 2A), Easton Choffe (2G, 1A), and Adam Clark (1G, 1A) establish OHO’s 4-0 lead through one. The trajectory of the game continued as such from there, with OHO scoring the next five to eventually prevail 9-1.
Ulysse Academie (0) vs Bourget College (5) East U18 Prep
Bourget rolled into JC Perreault like a team that already knew the script and then spent sixty minutes underlining every line in bold. From the opening shift they played with clean exits, layered pressure, and that quiet confidence that comes from knowing your depth can win you any style of game. Jacob Dagenais (1G) cracked things open with a point shot that knifed through traffic for his first of the season, and Olivier Tétreault (1G) doubled it with his second of the season. Ulysse tried to counterpunch, but Bourget’s structure just kept absorbing and turning play the other way. The second period became the Thinel‑Roy show with both of them getting on the board. By the time Elie Robert (1G, 1A) hammered home the power‑play dagger in the third, the only drama left was whether Zachary Botelho (19/19) would get his shutout and he did, sealing a 19‑save, zero‑doubt performance.
St. George’s School (2) vs OHA Edmonton (6) U15 Prep Western Championships Consolation
OHA Edmonton and St. George’s met in the consolation game with both teams already eliminated from the U15 Division I Western Championship, but OHAE played the opening forty minutes like a group intent on finishing the season in a high note, rolling to a 6–2 win behind a second‑period surge that broke the game wide open. Kobe Pellack (1G, 2A) opened the scoring on a first‑period power play, and the #1 seed, stung by missing the elimination round, unloaded five goals in a 10‑minute span early in the second. Austin Rideout (1G, 1A) struck 23 seconds into the frame, Artello Forestal (2G) buried two in quick succession, and Braydon Lynam (1G) and Hayden Harvey (1G, 1A) piled on as OHAE’s forecheck and puck pressure overwhelmed the opposition. St. George’s pushed back with goals from Luca Rogers (1G) and Max Hoeft (1G), and Hudson Waddell’s perfect relief appearance (19/19) steadied things late, but the damage was long done. OHA Edmonton’s depth, supported by Pellack’s playmaking and a 16‑save half from Rowen Germain, carried them through a dominant final outing, while St. George’s closed their run with a spirited but uphill third period.
STAR Hockey Academy (1) vs Okanagan Hockey Academy (8) U15 Prep Div II Western Championships
Okanagan stamped themselves as the class of Pool A in the final game of the U15 Prep Division II round robin, overwhelming STAR 8–1 in a matchup that was never in doubt after a three‑goal first period built entirely on pace, pressure, and opportunistic finishing. Mason Liebel (2G) opened the scoring before Cohen Short (3G, 2A) took over the night, striking shorthanded and then again late in the frame to put OHA firmly in control. The second period brought more of the same with Liebel adding another shorthanded marker, Isaac Zeeman (1G, 2A) wiring one late and STAR’s mounting penalty trouble only widened the gap. Owen Magness (1G, 1A) and Levi Thiessen (1G, 1A) added third‑period insurance before ET Kennedy (1G) finally broke through for STAR, but Nathen Bazley (19/20) stayed steady behind an OHA group that outshot their opponent 48–20 and dictated every major moment. With the win, OHA clinched first in Pool A, while STAR, despite the loss, held onto second via tiebreaks, setting up semifinal matchups of OHA vs. RHA Kelowna and STAR vs. PMHA.
RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg (3) vs BWC Academy (7) U15 Prep Western Championships QF
BWC Academy looked every bit like an undefeated round‑robin team in their quarterfinal matchup, jumping on #7‑seed RHA Winnipeg early and riding a four‑goal second period to a 7–3 win that never truly felt in doubt despite a late RHA Winnipeg push. Kenzo Gibson (2G, 1A) opened the scoring and helped set up Kristian Lima (1G, 1A) as BWC built a 2–0 lead through twenty, then the floodgates opened in the middle frame with Theo Falk (1G, 1A), Carter Yule (1G, 1A), Wyatt Lowther (1G), and Hayden Carpenter (1G) all finding the back of the net in a relentless 3‑goal burst that stretched the advantage to 6–0 before RINK Winnipeg finally answered. To their credit, RHA Winnipeg pushed back behind goals from Aiden Christie (1G), Eli Wasylyk (1G), and Marko Malbasa (1G), but every spark was met with another BWC response, capped by Gibson’s second of the night to put things away. Tyson Oake (33/36) delivered a composed performance behind a BWC group that matched Winnipeg shot‑for‑shot but controlled the game’s biggest moments, punching their ticket to the semifinals while RHAW’s playoff run came to an end.
Calgary International Hockey Academy (5) vs Yale Hockey Academy (1) U15 Prep Western Championships QF
Calgary International delivered one of the most composed, complete performances of the U15 Prep Division I quarterfinals, knocking out #3‑seed Yale 5–1 in a game where CIHA controlled the pace early, survived Yale’s second‑period push, and then slammed the door in the third. Kai Dingwall (2G, 1A) set the tone less than three minutes in, and CIHA’s depth kept rolling, Jake Gerstenbuhler (1G, 1A) finishing a slick passing play before Liam Nycholat (1G) extended the lead to 3–0 midway through the second. Yale finally broke through on a Marcus Phillips (1G) strike, but every time they threatened to tilt momentum, Alexandre Montembeault (33/34) answered with another calm, positional save. CIHA’s third period sealed it: Cohen St. Louis (1G) restored the three‑goal cushion, and Dingwall buried an empty‑net power‑play dagger in the final minute to cap a statement win. Calgary moves on with confidence after knocking out a Yale team that had dominated round‑robin play, while the tournament bracket shifts dramatically with the #5 seed advancing and the #3 seed heading home.
South Alberta Hockey Academy (1) vs Northern Alberta Xtreme (6) U15 Prep Western Championships QF
Northern Alberta Xtreme, the highest seed left standing in a bracket that had already chewed up the top two teams, played with the confidence of a group that understood the opportunity in front of them, rolling past #9‑seed SAHA 6–1 to book their spot in the U15 Prep Division I semifinals. NAX struck three times in the opening frame, Liam Bordt (1G) on a power play, Jared Ryan (2G) finishing in stride, and Danel Ramazanov (1G) capping a crisp transition sequence, to seize full control before the game had time to settle. The second period brought more of the same: Rylan Edwards (2G, 1A) scored 43 seconds in, Ryan added his second minutes later, and Edwards buried another late to stretch the lead to six. SAHA finally broke through on a point shot from Lincoln Bensler (1G), but every push was met by Zayden Maclean (45/46), who turned aside all but one shot he faced and never let momentum wobble. Despite a win over the #1 seed OHA Edmonton, SAHA’s spirited round‑robin run falls short. NAX’s depth, pace, and special‑teams edge carried the night, setting up a semifinal appearance for a team now carrying the weight of being the tournament’s top remaining contender.
Edge School (3/SO) vs Delta Hockey Academy (2) U15 Prep Western Championships QF
Edge, a #6 seed that slipped into the quarterfinals on tiebreaks, played their most disciplined, resilient game of the tournament when it mattered most, outlasting #4‑seed Delta 3–2 in a shootout after a tense, low‑scoring battle where every mistake felt magnified. James Butterwick (1G) opened the scoring midway through the first, only for Delta to answer on a power‑play strike from Eli Vickers (1G, 1A) as the teams settled into a tight, defensive rhythm. The second period brought no separation, and the third turned chaotic in the best playoff way with Brody Antignani (1G) burying a shorthanded break to give Edge a late lead, followed 29 seconds later by Jake Dunlop (1G) tying it on a Delta power play to force overtime. Both teams traded chances in a tense extra frame, but it was Cohen Spencer (34/36) who kept Edge alive long enough for the shootout, where Antignani and Cade Mazurski scored with identical moves while Spencer turned aside two of three attempts. In a bracket where margins have been razor‑thin, Edge’s combination of timely scoring, goaltending composure, and shootout nerve sends them through to the semifinals, an improbable but earned step forward after an 0‑2‑0‑0 round robin.
