East triumphs 5-4 in overtime thriller. Two fights erupted as prospects battled fiercely, culminating in Rudolph's lightning-fast winner.
WHL Prospects Game Recap
Team East came out victorious 5-4 in overtime in the 2026 WHL Prospects Game at the Langley Events Centre on Wednesday night.
The game opened with Team East surging to a dominant three-goal lead before Team West ignited a furious rally to force overtime.
- Landon Amrhein (East): Corralled a loose puck and ripped home the first-ever goal in WHL Prospects Game history at 7:59 of the first period.
- Zach Olsen (East): Doubled the lead early in the second period, finishing a play set up by Saskatoon teammate Cooper Williams.
- Giorgos Pantelas (East): Extended the lead to 3-0 on a power play, assisted by Daxon Rudolph and Ethan MacKenzie.
- Tyus Sparks (West): Led the comeback for Team West with two goals, including a power-play marker early in the third period, assisted by JP Hurlbert.
- Brody Gillespie (West): Tied the game 3-3 at the 3:37 mark of the third period after tapping in a loose puck.
- Liam Ruck (East): Restored Team East's lead later in the third period, with assists from Yaroslav Bryzgalov and his brother Markus Ruck.
- JP Hurlbert (West): The league's leading point scorer knotted the game at 4-4 with a high-slot power-play goal with under seven minutes remaining in regulation.
The overtime period didn't last long. Daxon Rudolph secured the win for Team East just 14 seconds into the extra period, evading a defender and slipping the puck five-hole for the 5-4 final.
Prince George Cougars defenceman Carson Carels was named Player of the Game.
The prospects game also featured two scraps, with Noa Ta'Amu and Sean Burick dropping the gloves, as well as Joe Iginla and Dylan Dean. The game was a physical affair, featuring 38 minutes of penalties.
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