The expansion Penticton Vees have proven they belong in the WHL, advancing to the second round after a hard-fought five-game series win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. Now, they face their steepest challenge yet in the Prince George Cougars, who are fresh off a six-game emotional victory over the Spokane Chiefs. While Penticton took home the regular-season series title with a 5-0-1-0 record, the Cougars gained significant momentum by winning the final contest between the two teams in a March overtime thriller. 2026 WHL PLAYOFFS STATS Playoff Records: * Penticton Vees: 4-1-0 * Prince George Cougars: 4-2-0 Goals For/Against: * Penticton Vees: 18 GF, 11 GA * Prince George Cougars: 24 GF, 16 GA Power Play: * Penticton Vees: 26.3% * Prince George Cougars: 52.9% Penalty Kill: * Penticton Vees: 92.9% * Prince George Cougars: 88.5% Leading Scorers: Penticton Vees: * Jacob Kvasnicka: 5 GP, 5 G, 4 A, 9 P * Ryden Evers: 5 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 P * Louis Wehmann: 5 GP, 3 G, 1 A, 4 P * Matteo Danis: 5 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 P * Brady Birnie: 5 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 P Prince George Cougars: * Brock Souch: 6 GP, 5 G, 6 A, 11 P * Terik Parascak: 6 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 P * Kooper Gizowski: 6 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 P * Lee Shurgot: 6 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 P * Carson Carels: 6 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 P Goaltenders: Penticton Vees: * Andrew Reyelts: 4-0-0, 2.19 GAA, .925 SV% * Ethan McCallum: 0-1-0, 2.63 GAA, .910 SV% Prince George Cougars: * Joshua Ravensbergen: 4-1-1, 2.75 GAA, .918 SV% Series Schedule * Game 1: @ Penticton — Friday, April 10, 7:05 PM PT * Game 2: @ Penticton — Saturday, April 11, 7:05 PM PT * Game 3: @ Prince George — Tuesday, April 14, 7:00 PM PT * Game 4: @ Prince George — Wednesday, April 15, 7:00 PM PT * Game 5*: @ Penticton — Friday, April 17, 7:05 PM PT * Game 6*: @ Prince George — Sunday, April 19, 7:00 PM PT * Game 7*: @ Penticton — Friday, April 24, 7:05 PM PT Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/whl]. 2026 WHL Playoffs Preview: 1) Everett Silvertips Versus 4) Kelowna Rockets [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/2026-whl-playoffs-preview-1-everett-silvertips-versus-4-kelowna-rockets] 2026 WHL Playoffs Preview: 1) Prince Albert Raiders Versus 6) Saskatoon Blades [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/2026-whl-playoffs-preview-1-prince-albert-raiders-versus-6-saskatoon-blades] WHL Announces Finalists For 2026 Coach & Executive Of The Year [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/whl-announces-finalists-for-2026-coach-executive-of-the-year] 2026 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 6 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/game-day/2026-whl-playoffs-daily-recap-april-6] 2026 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 5 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/2026-whl-playoffs-daily-recap-april-5] 2026 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 4 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/game-day/2026-whl-playoffs-daily-recap-april-4] 2026 WHL Playoffs Daily Recap: April 3 [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/game-day/2026-whl-playoffs-daily-recap-april-3] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*11e3hua*_ga*MTk0NDM0Mzk0OS4xNzQ2MjQ0ODA2*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NjYzMzYxOTQkbzkwOSRnMSR0MTc2NjMzNzA3NyRqNTYkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e3f885b3-037b-449c-b823-09d6da5dd7a1.png]
