There is one team in the JPHL that has faced more adversity and was more battle-tested than anyone else after the last two seasons. Okanagan HC came within a goal of knocking out last year’s defending champions HC Edmonton in the B.C Division championship last year. This year their season started late due to the devastating wildfires in the Okanagan area.
But it made them stronger along the way. They bested Edmonton in the Winter Championship in December to earn home ice throughout the playoffs and needed overtime in all 3 games against Island HC in the B.C. Division championship this year. In fact over the last two seasons, Okanagan had gone to extra time, 60% of the time heading into the championship final.
So the fact that both games against Edmonton required more work didn’t faze the Warriors who play out of West Kelowna and are affiliated with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Nash Walters, in his first playoff game of the season due to a lower-body injury, put away a Keegan McCoy pass on a 2 on 1 Friday night to stake Okanagan to a 1-0 series lead.
Saturday was a game of wild comebacks. Okanagan chased starter Joseph Quintillio in building up a 4-1 lead, only to watch Edmonton do the same to OHC goaltender Mason Hillier who was replaced by Kaden Clegg after Edmonton tied things at four. 70 minutes wasn’t enough, so a shoot-out was necessary to decide the outcome and in storybook fashion, Okanagan defenceman Noah Weir, in his last hockey game, scored the only goal to allow Okanagan to celebrate on HC Edmonton’s home ice for a second time this season.
