Channeling Glinda the Good to describe the aesthetics of the upcoming WHL Finals between the Everett Silvertips and Prince Albert Raiders: “It’s just— You’re green!”
This season has been historic on all fronts for the Everett Silvertips. Regular-season champions for the second year in a row and Western Conference champions for the third time ever, this team shattered pretty much everyone’s expectations for this season and has taken them to another level.
All of that is fine and dandy, but none of it will feel as vindicating to Silvertip Country unless it fills the trophy cabinet with the crown jewel that’s been eluding them all these years: the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
It’s safe to say that this is the best chance they’re going to get. So far this season, it’s all been cruise control. Going 57-8-3 in the regular season, winning 12 of 13 playoff games and 24 of 26 since their Central Division trip in February, just the also-green Prince Albert Raiders now stand in their way from glory.
This postseason has featured many Silvertips coming through in clutch moments. Need a tying goal? Shea Busch has you covered. What about a key shot block late in games? Brek Liske and Luke Vlooswyk are there to mitigate. Night after night during these playoffs, someone new is stepping up.
“When we are at our best, everybody contributes,” said head coach Steve Hamilton, who was recently awarded WHL Coach of the Year.
But what goes into shutting down a team like P.A., and how well does Everett match up with the Raiders?
With Game 1 of the best-of-7 series beginning Friday night at Angel of the Winds Arena, it’s time to take a look at how both teams got to this point, what to watch for in this series, and the keys to victory.
Halting the home-ice Raids
On Nov. 11, the Raiders rolled into AOTW Arena for their only matchup this season, beating an at-the-time ailing Silvertips team 4-1.
Something must’ve gotten into the Tips room on that night, because since then, the team has won 31 of its last 33 home games, including having a perfect 9-0 mark in the playoffs.
P.A. has been superb with a 26-6-2 home record of its own at Art Hauser Centre. It’s worth noting this series will follow the 2-3-2 format, with Games 3, 4, and, if necessary, 5 being played in P.A.
Stars need to shine
This is a big series for top-line players to showcase their pro-quality attributes. For Everett, Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen, Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear, and Matias Vanhanen have been point-per-game players these playoffs for the Silvertips and have been tough for any team to match against.
The Raiders feature a heavy forechecking group led by Braeden Cootes, a first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks and former Seattle Thunderbirds center. He’s joined up front by Aiden Oiring and Brayden Dube, all of whom have been point-per-game players in the playoffs for P.A.
And it’s a great series to get to know some stars of tomorrow. Raiders dynamic defenseman Daxon Rudolph is a top prospect eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft that leads the playoffs in points with nine goals and 14 assists.
Going against projected top pick in 2027 Landon DuPont on the Everett side, watching how these two groups work the blue line will be important in determining how the series flows.
Doing the little things
One area of the ice that often goes unnoticed is the neutral zone, and the Silvertips are effective at making sure that when the puck is on their sticks in the middle area, it’s not there for long.
Against a team like Prince Albert that likes to create offense off rush chances, being efficient and tough to break through in the neutral zone will be crucial for Everett’s defensive units during this series, especially one missing the likes of captain Tarin Smith.
“You have to be really good on the lines. Pucks have to get out, pucks have to get in.” Hamilton said. “That’s probably the greatest area of transition. If you don’t manage pucks on entries then it becomes a short rink for the other team.”
Everett faced a heavy forecheck from the Kelowna Rockets, but possession was often limited, and the Tips were quick to get pucks away from their net.
Envisioning how P.A. will attack—crashing the zone and disrupting plays physically—the Silvertips should be cautious to avoid mistakes in their own zone.
Winning the goaltending battle
The play of goaltender Anders Miller has been outstanding for the Silvertips during these playoffs, and it is bound to continue in the finals.
With an impressive .938 save percentage this postseason, the only concern with his play has been rebound control—juicy ones at that—against a heavy attacking team like P.A. It will be critical in keeping the series on a steady course for the Silvertips.
It’s been an up-and-down playoffs for Raiders goalie Michal Orsulak. With only an .898 save percentage this postseason, he has nights where he’ll go lights out—three shutouts in the playoffs—and others where he’ll allow four or more goals. For him, it’s about finding that consistent middle ground against a high-octane offense like Everett.
The time to strike is now…
This is the biggest series in the history of these two franchises, and it’s make or break time.
In addition to being broadcast on Victory+, the series will also air on TSN across Canada, which means it will be one of the first times a large national audience will be exposed to DuPont and Rudolph.
So, who’s heading to Kelowna for the Memorial Cup? Will the Silvertips stay sound defensively and finally get over the hump, or will the Raiders attack be too much to handle?
Header Courtesy of Evan Morud and the Everett Silvertips
When I watch WHL games on Victory+, the transmission is so choppy. The screen keeps freezing briefly while the audio continues. For example, the play will be in a team’s defensive zone, the action will appear to stop, and then the puck is in the other team’s end –but we don’t know how it got there. I don’t think it’s my computer, since that problem doesn’t occur elsewhere. I hope they can speed up their transmission to provide a smoother viewing experience.