WHL’s Early Winners and Losers: Free Hockey, Statement Starts and Warning Signs

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October 13, 20267 min read

Through games played October 12, 2026.

The opening month of a WHL season rarely provides definitive answers, but it does give us a few reasons to reconsider our expectations.

Some teams have handled difficult schedules impressively. Others are finding that generating chances and collecting points are very different things. Individual performances are beginning to separate players from the pack, while the league itself has made one of the most fan-friendly decisions of the young season.

Thanksgiving weekend added plenty to the conversation. Brandon finished an impressive road trip, Red Deer continued building momentum, and Victoria delivered two convincing performances in Alberta. Elsewhere, the problems are becoming harder to dismiss as opening-week rust.

There is plenty of hockey remaining. These labels reflect what has happened so far, with every opportunity for teams and players to change the conversation.

Winner: The WHL Makes Its Best Sales Pitch by Letting People Watch

The WHL’s biggest early winner might be the league itself.

Moving regular-season games to YouTube has made following the league considerably easier. The arrangement was announced on an interim basis, so fans should not assume it represents a permanent commitment. For now, however, free access is a significant benefit. chl.ca

Junior hockey has an enormous amount to offer. The challenge is getting people to watch enough of it to become invested.

A casual fan might recognize a prospect’s name from an NHL draft ranking without knowing anything about his game. A parent might want to follow a former minor-hockey teammate of their child. Someone watching their hometown club might become interested in a player on the opposing team.

Each of those situations presents an opportunity to gain a regular viewer. Putting another subscription between that person and the game makes the opportunity harder to convert.

YouTube lowers that barrier. Most people already know how to use it, and watching a game does not require committing money before knowing whether the product interests them.

From an independent media perspective, the benefits are easy to appreciate. Accessible broadcasts make it simpler to follow other markets, evaluate performances and cover more than the team playing down the road.

That does not prove the move has increased attendance or revenue. Those conclusions would require numbers we do not have. Our argument is that accessibility creates opportunities the league should want to pursue.

The WHL has given people an easy invitation to watch. Preserving that access should be a priority when determining what comes next.

Winner: Brandon Turns a Difficult Road Trip Into an Early Statement

Road trips can reveal problems that a comfortable home schedule allows teams to hide.

Travel cuts into recovery time. Practices become less frequent. Players have to maintain their habits in unfamiliar buildings, sometimes against opponents who have been waiting at home.

Brandon came through its British Columbia trip with plenty to feel good about. The Wheat Kings finished the swing atop the league standings, with Nathan Slobodian supplying the overtime winner in Kelowna during a demanding stretch of four games in five nights. chl.ca

That ending also gave the club’s recent acquisition a memorable introduction. Slobodian arrived with substantial WHL experience, and an overtime winner provided an immediate example of what a veteran addition can contribute.

Brandon now sits at 7–2–0–0 with five consecutive victories.

Those results deserve attention, especially given the conditions in which they were earned.

Winning when rested is one thing. Finding another result late in a busy road trip offers a different kind of evidence. Brandon has shown an ability to keep competing when the schedule becomes uncomfortable.

It is too early to declare the Wheat Kings the team to beat. It is fair to say they have earned a place in that discussion.

Winner: Red Deer Gives the Central Division Something to Think About

Red Deer’s Thanksgiving victory brought several encouraging developments together.

The Rebels shut out Edmonton behind Kondro’s 34 saves, extended their winning streak to four games and received a Gordie Howe hat trick from Cameron Kuzma. Poul Andersen, Beckett Hamilton and Kalder Varga also scored.

Andersen deserves particular attention. He earned WHL Player of the Week honours for the week ending October 4 and reached 18 points through nine games after Thanksgiving.

A productive start from one forward can lift an entire lineup. It gives opponents someone to account for and teammates someone who can help turn their opportunities into goals.

The broader story is how Red Deer’s contributions are coming together. Monday featured strong goaltending, multiple scorers and a performance that left a divisional opponent without an answer on the scoreboard.

That combination matters more than any single highlight.

Teams want to know they can win in different circumstances. Some nights require a goalie to make difficult saves. Others demand an important goal from outside the usual sources. Red Deer’s recent results suggest it is finding enough of those contributions to build momentum.

The next challenge is sustaining it. For now, the Rebels have made themselves worth watching.

Winner: Victoria and Hayden Moore Make Alberta an Uncomfortable Place for the Hosts

Hayden Moore made Thanksgiving afternoon his own.

Four goals against Calgary, including a shorthanded marker, powered Victoria’s victory. Cameron Schmidt opened the scoring just 40 seconds into the game, giving the Royals an immediate foothold.

That performance followed a 6–1 win in Medicine Hat on Saturday.

Scoring 11 times across those two games is impressive. Allowing only three goals makes the weekend more convincing.

Victoria has opened 5–1–0–0, with all five victories coming in regulation.

There is value in closing games before overtime. It keeps opponents from collecting an extra point and avoids leaving the outcome to a short extra period or shootout.

Moore’s performance will understandably receive the headlines, but the Royals’ weekend deserves attention as a whole. They travelled into Alberta and delivered results that give their strong start more substance.

There will be tougher stretches ahead. Victoria has already given itself a useful foundation.

Loser: Prince Albert’s Road Game Leaves Too Much Work for Home

Prince Albert’s early road results are difficult to overlook.

The Raiders sit at 2–6–0–1 overall, including an 0–5–0–1 record away from home.

Friday’s 5–1 defeat in Regina offered another frustrating example.

A team can withstand an occasional poor trip. Repeatedly returning home without victories places a growing burden on every game in its own building.

It also reduces the room for an ordinary off night. A home loss becomes more expensive when the road schedule has produced so little.

The immediate task is to make those away games more competitive and find a result that can interrupt the pattern. One win will not erase the start, but it can give a team something concrete to build upon.

Prince Albert has time to recover. It also has a problem that needs attention now.

Loser: Edmonton’s Offence Needs More Than Shot Volume

Edmonton has scored 18 goals through seven games, approximately 2.57 per game.

Monday’s loss in Red Deer illustrated the frustration. The Oil Kings generated 34 shots but finished without a goal, while their power play went 0-for-6. chl.ca

Kondro deserves credit for his performance. Edmonton still has to examine what it can do differently when a goalie is having that kind of afternoon.

Shot totals alone cannot tell us how dangerous every opportunity was. They also do not change the result. The Oil Kings need enough finishing and special-teams production to make their chances count.

A successful power play can rescue a difficult offensive night. Six opportunities without a goal instead allowed Red Deer to keep control of the game.

The concern is consistency. Edmonton needs more nights when its offence gives the team a reasonable path to victory, rather than requiring almost everything else to go right.

Loser: Calgary’s Recent Defending Makes Winning Too Expensive

Calgary allowed eight goals against Red Deer on Friday and five more against Victoria on Monday.

Thirteen goals against across two games is difficult for any offence to overcome.

The Hitmen showed some fight against Victoria. Artem Katsuro and Julien Maze helped bring Calgary within one before Moore scored twice in the third period to pull the game away. Calgary also killed all seven Royals power plays.

That successful penalty kill is a positive. It also means the result cannot simply be blamed on being unable to defend while shorthanded.

The Hitmen need to give themselves a more manageable job. Scoring enough to stay involved is useful, but regularly needing another goal to repair the latest defensive setback is a difficult way to collect points.

There is no need to turn two losses into a verdict on Calgary’s season. There is every reason to treat the number of goals allowed as an early warning.

The coming weeks will reveal which teams can maintain their momentum and which can correct their problems. Brandon, Red Deer and Victoria have earned attention through their results. Prince Albert, Edmonton and Calgary have clear areas to address.

And thanks to the WHL’s YouTube access, fans can follow those stories as they unfold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arik Krause

Editor

Arik Krause is the Founder/COO of NetFront Sports