The Rogers BCHL Playoffs begin tonight with Game 1 between the Penticton Vees and the Okotoks Oilers. Today, we break down each series in the Interior Conference in the first part of our Round 1 playoff preview.
#1 Penticton Vees vs. #8 Okotoks Oilers
Head-to-Head:
Penticton won the season series 3-0-1.
Top Performers:
Penticton – F Ryden Evers (60 points), F Luke Posthumus (46 points), F Caton Ryan (42 points), D Nolan Stevenson (39 points), G Will Ingemann (2.52 GAA)
Okotoks – F Kade Duell (40 points), F Hunter Sawka (39 points), F Jackson Rowland (36 points), F Brett Wilson (31 points), F Brock Souch (31 points)
Breakdown:
The Vees come into the playoff as the number-one overall seed in the BCHL, having captured the Ron Boileau Trophy as regular season champion for the third time in the last four years. Penticton has also been to the league finals three straight campaigns and won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. Forward Ryden Evers has been a huge addition to the Vees offence. Last time Evers was in the playoffs, he was carrying the Fred Page Cup around the South Okanagan Events Centre as a member of the opposition, but a year later, he is the key to the Penticton attack. As always, the Vees are one of the top defensive teams in the league, having surrendered the second fewest goals against in the regular season.
As the eighth seed in the conference, the Oilers are undoubtedly the underdog in this series, but they do have some recent experience to draw on. In December, Okotoks beats the Vees in their building in a thrilling overtime game just before the New Year. Kade Duell scored the winner in that contest and has flourished ever since, finishing the season as the team leader in goals (21) and points (40). Going back to last season, the Oilers faced a similar task when they went up against the top-seeded Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Cup playoffs and they exceeded expectations by pushing them to a Game 7, an experience that the returning players can use to their advantage.
#2 Brooks Bandits vs. #7 West Kelowna Warriors
Head-to-Head:
Brooks won the season series 3-1.
Top Performers:
Brooks – F Nathan Free (66 points), F Parker Lalonde (61 points), D Ethan Beyer (47 points), F Nick Peluso (46 points), G Chris Quizi (2.38 GAA)
West Kelowna – F Jackson Kyrkostas (57 points), F Sam LeDrew (47 points), D Axel Löfgren (33 points), G Édouard Gauthier (.928 SV%)
Breakdown:
Brooks was in a battle for top spot in the league and conference with the Penticton Vees all season long, but eventually ended up as the second seed. They are led by a high-powered offence featuring two players in the top-12 of the BCHL scoring list with Nathan Free and Parker Lalonde. They also boast the third leading scorer among defencemen in Ethan Beyer. The Bandits were the best defensive team in the BCHL in 2024-25, surrendering a league-best 2.27 goals per game.
After a slow start to the season, West Kelowna seemed to find their game in the second half to secure their playoff spot. The Warriors were a solid defensive team in 2024-25, posting the sixth-best team goals against in the league. They also seem to have found their starting goalie in Édouard Gauthier. After joining West Kelowna in February, the Quebec native earned a record of 6-3-0 in nine appearances, with a .928 save percentage and one shutout. The midseason addition of Axel Löfgren also seems to have paid off as the Swedish defenceman led the team in points from the back end.
#3 Trail Smoke Eaters vs. #6 Cranbrook Bucks
Head-to-Head:
Trail won the season series 4-2.
Top Performers:
Trail – F Jason Stefanek (63 points), F Christian Kim (58 points), D Lucas Lemieux (41 points), F Ridge Dawson (41 points), G Teagan Kendrick (.915 SV%)
Cranbrook – F Rasmus Svartström (68 points), F Jacob Fletcher (63 points), D Bryce Sookro (56 points), F Patrick Murphy (56 points), G Jaden Cholette (.908 SV%)
Breakdown:
Trail’s 74 points in the regular season was their most since the 2019-20 campaign when the team had future NHLer Kent Johnson in a starring role. This year’s Smoke Eaters relied on a new crop of offensive stars, including Jason Stefanek and Christian Kim who both enjoyed breakout seasons and finished within the top-15 of league scoring. Another significant development was the progression of goaltender Teagan Kendrick into a bona fide starter in the league. The 2004-born netminder enjoyed his best season with the Smokies, finishing as the league leader in save percentage among active goaltenders.
The Bucks made the playoffs this year for the fourth time in their four full seasons in the BCHL, but they are hoping for a series win for the first time in franchise history. The Cranbrook offence is full of high-octane performers at the top of the lineup, headlined by the BCHL’s leading goal scorer Rasmus Svartström who lit the lamp 46 times in 54 games. He also finished with 69 points, good enough for fifth overall in the league. He was not the only one on the league leaderboard with teammate Jacob Fletcher tied for 10th in scoring and Bryce Sookro finishing as the league leader in points by defencemen.
This series should have extra meaning with the geographical rivalry that has built between the teams over the past five years and this being the first time the two have met in the postseason.
#4 Salmon Arm Silverbacks vs. #5 Sherwood Park Crusaders
Head-to-Head:
The teams tied the season series 2-2.
Top Performers:
Salmon Arm – F Dakota MacIntosh (46 points), F Maddux Martin (43 points), F Roenick Jodoin (38 points), D Ben MacBeath (34 points), G Andrew Ballantyne (.909 SV%)
Sherwood Park – F Jeremy Loranger (105 points), F Kale Dach (87 points), F Poul Andersen (59 points), D Connor Gengle (54 points), F Dalton MacGillivray (43 points)
Breakdown:
Salmon Arm has been to the Interior Conference Final two years straight, losing in five games and then seven games to the Penticton Vees. They look to get over the hump this year with their balanced offence and a stingy defence. The Silverbacks allowed the third fewest goals against per game during the season with an average of 2.63. Midseason acquisition Dakota MacIntosh was a key addition to the Silverbacks lineup and ended the season as the team’s leading scorer.
Sherwood Park boasts the top two offensive players in the league during the 2024-25 campaign. 17-year-old Jeremy Loranger ran away with the BCHL scoring title, becoming just the fifth player since 2015-16 to eclipse the 100-point plateau. His linemate Kale Dach also enjoyed a fantastic season, finishing second in points and tying for the league lead with 65 assists. As a team, the Crusaders scored the second most goals in the league and ended the season with the top-ranked power play, scoring at a clip of 32 per cent.
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