Round 2 of the Rogers BCHL Playoffs begins tomorrow night with all four series kicking off. With that in mind, we have a full preview of each series below.
Interior Conference
#1 Penticton Vees vs. #6 Cranbrook Bucks
Head-to-Head:
Penticton won the season series 4-0, with one win coming in overtime.
Top Playoff Performers:
Penticton – F Max Heise (seven points), F Caton Ryan (five points), F Luke Posthumus (four goals), G Ethan Buenaventura (.935 SV%), G Will Ingemann (.923 SV%)
Cranbrook – D Bryce Sookro (six points), F Blake Cotton (five points), F Rasmus Svartström (five points), F Shane Baker (five points), G Jaden Cholette (.918 SV%)
Breakdown:
The Vees were one of two teams to sweep their first-round series when they took care of business against the Okotoks Oilers in the minimum four games. Penticton outscored Okotoks 19-5 over the series, spreading out their offence as they have done the entire year. 2025 NHL Draft prospect Max Heise had points in three of four contests, including a goal and five assists in their two road games to clinch the series. The Vees split goaltending duties evenly between Will Ingemann and Ethan Buenaventura, who both performed admirably, allowing the least goals of any team in the first round.
Cranbrook upset the Trail Smoke Eaters in the first round in six games to win their first playoff series in franchise history. After going down 2-1 in the series and trailing by three goals in the third period of Game 4, the Bucks stormed back to tie the game in regulation, then won it in triple overtime on a Blake Cotton hat trick goal. That seemed to change the momentum of the series and they went on to win the following two games to advance. Cranbrook was once again led by their Top Defenceman Award finalist Bryce Sookro who had the most points on the team in the first round, same as in the regular season. In net, Jaden Cholette started all six games and saved his best for last, coming up with a 26-save shutout in Game 6.
#2 Brooks Bandits vs. #5 Sherwood Park Crusaders
Head-to-Head:
The teams split the season series 3-3.
Top Playoff Performers:
Brooks – F Luke Bibby (seven points), F Nick Peluso (seven points), F Parker Lalonde (five points), D Drew Mackie (five points), G Zach Zahara (2.86 GAA)
Sherwood Park – F Jeremy Loranger (11 points), F Kale Dach (nine points), F Poul Andersen (six points), G James Venne (.948 SV%)
Breakdown:
In a battle of the last two remaining Alberta teams, this matchup is one of the highlights of Round 2 as the teams split the season series, combining to tie 18-18 in goals over the six games.
Brooks is coming off a five-game series win over the West Kelowna Warriors that featured several tight contests. The Bandits won twice in overtime in the series, as well as another one-goal game. The series ended when Nick Peluso capped off his hat trick in overtime in Game 5 at home. His teammate Luke Bibby is also enjoying a strong postseason so far, tying for the team lead in points with at least a point in all but one game. In net, Zach Zahara has taken the reigns as the starter after mostly splitting time during the regular season.
The Crusaders were the other team to sweep their opponent in the first round when they defeated the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in four straight. The dynamic duo of Jeremy Loranger and Kale Dach continue to lead the charge offensively for Sherwood Park. Loranger, who finished as the regular season leading scorer and is a finalist for both Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, currently leads the playoffs with 11 points. He registered a hat trick and two assists in their Game 4 series clinching win. Not to be outdone, Dach is just two points back and has the most assists in the postseason with eight. Another positive development for the Cru is the play of goaltender James Venne, who currently leads the postseason with a .948 save percentage among goalies with a minimum two games played.
Coastal Conference
#1 Chilliwack Chiefs vs. #7 Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Head-to-Head:
Chilliwack won the season series 4-0, with one win coming in overtime.
Top Playoff Performers:
Chilliwack – F Mateo Mrsic (six points), F Brady Milburn (five points), F Nico Grabas (four points), G Quentin Miller (.930 SV%)
Alberni Valley – F Cole Bishop (six points), D Wyatt Davis (five points), F Jacob Terpstra (four points), F Brady McIsaac (four points), G Colin Winn (.938 SV%)
Breakdown:
Chilliwack ousted the Prince George Spruce Kings in the maximum seven games in Round 1 with every game in the series going in favour of the home team. After being shut down offensively by Spruce Kings standout goaltender Charles-Edward Gravel for a long stretch of the series, the team broke through in Game 7 to win 4-0 on the strength of two goals by forward Caleb Elfering. The team’s captain, and a finalist for Most Valuable Player, Mateo Mrsic led the team in scoring in the first round with six points. In net, midseason acquisition Quentin Miller started all seven games and performed well, posting a .930 save percentage, a 2.02 goals-against average and earning his first BCHL playoff shutout in Game 7.
Facing the Surrey Eagles in the playoffs for the third straight year, the Bulldogs pulled off the upset as the number-two seed to eliminate the defending champions in five games. Alberni pulled off a clutch 4-3 win in triple overtime of Game 4 to take a commanding series lead and they never looked back. In that contest, Bulldogs goaltender Colin Winn faced an astonishing 81 shots and only allowed three goals. The Bulldogs workhorse netminder, who finished with the most minutes played in the regular season, started four of five contests, going 3-1 with a .938 save percentage and a 2.29 goals-against average. Defenceman Wyatt Davis was a key addition to Alberni’s blueline in the regular season and it’s also paying off so far in the playoffs as he averaged a point per game in the first round. Although they are the lower seed, the Bulldogs can draw on recent playoff success against Chilliwack, having eliminated them the previous two seasons.
#3 Cowichan Valley Capitals vs. #4 Victoria Grizzlies
Head-to-Head:
Cowichan Valley won the season series 4-3, with two wins coming in overtime.
Top Playoff Performers:
Cowichan Valley – F Camden Bajzer (nine points), F Jordan Bax (seven points), F Hayden Russell (seven points), F Gavin Giesbrecht (six points), G Dylan Krick (.912 SV%)
Victoria – F Chase Pirtle (seven points), F Reegan Hiscock (seven points), F Landon Mackie (six points), G Kyle Kelsey (.922 SV%), G Oliver Auyeung-Ashton (.920 SV%)
Breakdown:
Cowichan Valley earned their first playoff series victory since 2019-20 with their Round 1 win over the Nanaimo Clippers in five games, despite Nanaimo coming into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the league. Camden Bajzer put up nine points in the five games and is tied for second in playoff scoring, just two back of the league lead. Rookie of the Year finalist Hayden Russell had a strong series with seven points, as did Jordan Bax who also finished with seven points. A big reason for the Capitals success in Round 1 is due to special teams. Cowichan scored six power-play goals in the series and their 33.3 per cent average tied for the best in the conference. Their penalty kill was strong as well, finishing at 84.6 per cent, second highest in the Coastal in the first round.
Victoria defeated the Coquitlam Express in a back-and-forth six-game series which saw a mix of tight-checking games and wild high-scoring affairs. After the home team won the first five contests, the Grizzlies broke the trend in Game 6 in Coquitlam, winning 5-1 to advance to the second round for the second year in a row. Chase Pirtle continues to be the go-to guy offensively for Victoria, tying for the team lead in points along with standout forward Reegan Hiscock. The Grizz split goaltending duties evenly with Oliver Auyeung-Ashton and Kyle Kelsey each getting into three games and ending the series with nearly identical save percentages.
