Here’s What Happened Around the WHL’s 2024-25 Opening Weekend

The Start of the Western Hockey League’s 2024-25 Season got underway this past Friday night - with eight games across Western North America.

The Brandon Wheat Kings beat the reigning WHL Champion Moose Jaw Warriors at home - final score 5-2.

Moose Jaw got the RED LIGHT FLASHING in the first period - and it seemed like the Warriors would go back to their old ways.

Then, with the Brandon Wheat Kings down, TWO ZIP.

Brandon center forward Roger McQueen single-handedly SWUNG THE MOMENTUM for Wheat Kings at the KEYSTONE CENTER…getting a goal in the SECOND PERIOD and then ripping off three more in the 3rd. Roger McQueen’s four-goal avalanche helped win him the WHL’s Tempo WHL Player of the Week. Brandon then went into the Brandt Center, spoiling the Regina Pats home opener on Saturday night, winning 5-1.

REGINA entered Saturday night on a high after beating PRINCE ALBERT Friday night in an overtime thriller at the ART HAUSER CENTER…Regina’s Zackary Shantz got the winner.

The pattern of spoiling the Home openers out east continued on Saturday

Prince Albert Returned with a win over Moose Jaw at the Mosaic Place…on a night where the Warrior faithful see their first-ever WHL CHAMPIONSHIP banner hoisted.

Moose Jaw starts the season 0-2 

Next weekend, the champs will have a Home and Home series with Regina.

More games out east

The Lethbridge Broncos at home, beat Edmonton 3-1. Then, beat Red Deer on the Road.

Lethbridge goalie Koen Cleaver allowed one goal in the first period in both games over the weekend. He finished strong…allowing no goals in the 2nd or 3rd period in both games. That earned the draft-eligible Cleaver the WHL goaltender of the week honors.

The Saskatoon Blades opened up the 2024 - 24 campaign with two big wins in a home and home and home versus the Swift Curren Broncos, Friday night at the INNOVATION PLEX in Swift Current. The Blades won 4-1, with Rowan Calvert having a Two-point night. Saturday night - the same two teams at the SaskTel Centre - Toontown blew the doors wide open, winning 9-3.

Saturday night saw the Season opener at the Medicine Hat Co-Op Place, with the Tigers taking it to the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-1. With that loss, Edmonton got out of the starting gate, oh and two, and will get their home opener this coming Saturday night at Rogers Place versus Calgary, who oddly didn’t play on opening weekend. 

As we mentioned - The Hitman opens the season on Saturday at Rogers Place, then home sweet home on Sunday at Scotiabank Saddledome vs. Lethbridge.

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Turning now to the Western Conference.

We saw THREE overtime games out west on Friday. Cameron Schmidt of the Vancouver Giants picked up where he left off last season as a 16-year-old with guns blazing. Cameron notched two goals in the three-to-two Overtime win over the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Langley Events Center. 

The Thunderbirds then traveled South of the border for the Wenatchee Wild’s home opener at the Town Toyota Center. Under new head coach and former WHL coach of the year Don Nachbaur, the Wild took advantage of FOUR Seattle Players still at NHL training camps and throttled Seattle 7 to 1. 

Maddix McCagerty let the Wenatchee Charge with a three-goal hat trick.

Here's more from Coach Clarky after the game:

Seattle—now OH and TWO will travel to Kamloops on Friday before playing their season home opener in Kent at the ShoWare Center on Saturday night versus the Wenatchee Wild.

More games out West

The Kamloops Blazers hosted the WHL Western Division Champs, Portland Winterhawks on Friday night. Portland’s new head coach Kyle Gustafson and the Winterhawks left the Kamloops Sandman Centre with a 5-2 win…Portland’s 20-year-old center, Kyle CHYZOWSKI, got a hat trick - the last one was an empty netter that sealed it.

Another Friday night Game that ended in OT  - with the Spokane Chiefs spoiling the opening night party in Prince George…Spokane won 4-3.

Spokane Blue Liner Owen Schottler got the winner. New Chief Head Coach Brad Lauer is getting a win on his debut. The next night - Prince George got revenge, beating Spokane 3-1…at the CN Centre.

Over to the island

The Victoria Royals defeated the Tri-City Americans 5 to 4 in overtime…Defender Keaton Verhoeff - the 4th pick overall in the 2023 WHL prospects draft got the winner in OT…his second goal of the game. Verhoeff would go on to score another goal Saturday night, featuring another game that had to be decided in OT…this time, Tri-City would win with the same score as the night before. 5-4.

Congratulations to Keaton Verhoeff, whose three goals and one assist earned him the WHL Rookie of the Week award.

Speaking of Rookies with the spotlight

The Number One overall pick in this summer's WHL’s Prospects draft, Everett Silvertips defender Landon DuPont, got a point - it assisted Carter Bear’s 2nd Period goal. But the Vancouver Giants were too much for Everett and the rowdy Angel of the Winds arena, with over 6 thousand and two hundred in attendance. Garret Schmidt has two more goals, making it four for the weekend. Vancouver won 4-3 Saturday night.

Here are some more congratulations for two big NHL signings:

Kelowna Rockets forward Hiroki Gojsic signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Nashville Predators.

Prince George Cougars defenceman Viliam Kmec has inked a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights,