As the 2026 regular season comes to a close, it was a tale of two wildly different battles.

The newly realigned South division seemed to up the ante even further than we’ve seen before, while the North and East divisions were wrapped up in, what we’ve called on the network, a pillow fight. The South division wrapped up with a dominant 39-4-1 record over the other two divisions combined. The North division started to find their footing in the latter half of the season, as the Outlaws and Rampage had a solid battle for 3rd into the final weekend, and the SWAT had the woes of the Jr A team taking a lot of top talent to fall short of the Queen City Kings.

All that being said, here’s my 5 key things to watch heading into the 2026 playoffs:

1. The Fort Saskatchewan Rebels Dominance of the North (and their undoing)

The Rebels started the year on a tear, one that we didn’t expect them to go on given some key names lost with players aging out. This didn’t waver the foundation of the Rebels, going 8-1 in the first half of the season, and showing they would once again be the team to beat in the North. Fast forward to the second half, the Rebels finish with a 6-3 record in those last 9 games. While it may not show at an overhead glance, take into account some of the games: A 7-5 loss to the Warriors, a 12-8 win over the Outlaws that was tied 7-7 after 40, and a tight 6-5 victory over the Outlaws, where the Rebels didn’t lead for the first 58 minutes. Are the late season stumbles from the Rebels going to bite them when it comes to the Rampage series? And if they make it to the North final, are those struggles bound to rear their ugly head against the aforementioned Outlaws or Warriors? Only time will tell.

2. The Okotoks Marauders 2026 Offensive Prowess

The Okotoks Marauders finished the season +121 in goal differential in the South. The next closest? The Calgary Shamrocks at +69. That’s over a 50 goal difference in a division where the top three teams were within three points, bottom three teams within one point, and the whole division within nine. The Marauders present an interesting case heading into the playoffs – this is a team that has been knocked out in Round 1 in each of the last two seasons. Does the mental game get into the heads of the Marauders again this year, knowing the woes of the past? Or does this leadership group, now in year three under Head Coach Geoff Thompson, fight through the trials and tribulations of the past, continuing their heavy offensive approach to knock off a Calgary Chill squad that beat them 10-9 just a couple weeks ago? Head Coach Geoff Thompson thinks so. You can listen to our interview with him on the Junior Beast podcast last week here. Watch the Marauders to make a strong case for themselves, and if they beat the Chill, they could be the one to head the whole way in the South.

3. The Late Season Pushes of the Edmonton Warriors and Beaumont Outlaws

Don’t get it twisted – the Edmonton Warriors and Beaumont Outlaws are on the hunt. While these two teams match up in the 1st Round, these are two teams that are hungry to win. The Edmonton Warriors are heating up at the right time coming into the playoffs 9-3 against the remainder of the North (including a shelling of the Outlaws 12-3 three weeks ago), and while they had a stretch of 10 consecutive losses, the Beaumont Outlaws are playing the late part of this season like as much of a unit as we’ve seen since their days in Sherwood Park, winning their last 5 including a 10-9 victory over the Warriors. That being said, does the Outlaw have what it takes to slay the Warrior in a Best of Three? Or will the Warrior strike before the Outlaw can get his footing? This matchup is one of the most intriguing ones I’ve seen in several years of covering Junior B lacrosse.

4. Is This the Calgary Shamrocks’ Year?

With an appearance in every single Larry Bishop Memorial Cup since 2018 (excluding the COVID seasons), Jason Crook’s squad is the epitome of Junior B lacrosse in Alberta. An organization that has been built upon years of success under his guidance, Jason Crook will look to course-correct after a devastating loss in the Larry Bishop Memorial Cup final against the Mavericks Elite Lacrosse Club. While the Shamrocks made the Founders Cup as hosts last year, could this be the year that the Shamrocks reclaim the Larry Bishop Memorial Cup? A first-round matchup against Silvertips in the newly realigned South Division provides an intriguing start to the playoffs, even with the Shamrocks sweeping the season series against the Tips. Keep in mind, this is a Shamrocks club that only lost thrice this year, all coming from teams they could meet in the South final, and a Shamrocks team with their worst goal differential since 2023. If the Shamrocks make it past the Silvertips, which horror awaits them on the other side?

5. The Silvertips’ Unlikely Good Fortune for a Playoff Berth

The Silvertips aren’t a club to take lightly. And honestly, I think I took them way too lightly as they’ve sat near the bottom of my power rankings for the last several weeks. Coming into the last weekend with the Mounties and Mavericks as the two you had to crawl past in the standings for this spot was no easy feat. Our predictions on the Junior Beast podcast had the Silvertips on the outside looking in, as they faced the Shamrocks and the Mavericks to end the year. Maybe it’s luck, maybe it’s skill, maybe it’s something else entirely, as the Silvertips would go 1-1, which, with the win against the Mavericks, gave them the season series and would slip them into a playoff spot over the Mavericks, who matched the Tips’ 10-7-1 record. We’re looking now at a Silvertips club who is hungry and ready to prove that the season series against the Shamrocks was a fluke. The Shamrocks are coming off their worst season since 2023 (which is INSANE to say for a club who finished 14-3-1), so could the Silvertips slay the Shamrocks beast? My money would stay on the ‘Rocks given the hotly contested end to the season, but don’t count out Rockyview.

The 2026 playoffs are shaping up to be the biggest in years.

There’s no shortage of storylines heading into the 2026 playoffs, as this has been the most intriguing and competitive season I’ve ever seen, ever since I entered the junior lacrosse world in 2019. The talent in this league has been on full display, and I love that we’re going to get to see more of it on display than ever with the expanded playoff format. As a reminder, this season is 1v4 and 2v3 in a Best of Three, followed by the winners of the respective series’ in a Best of 5. The East will be contested between the SWAT and Kings in a single Best of 7 series. I’ll have a full recap of the first round and a second round preview for you next week, as well as 5 things to watch heading into the Division Finals.