Coaching Staffs Named for 2026 WHL Prospects Game Presented by Showpass
WHL Western Hockey League

Coaching Staffs Named for 2026 WHL Prospects Game Presented by Showpass

Published on January 20, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today the coaching staffs for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, which is scheduled to be held Wednesday, February 18, at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.

All six B.C. Division head coaches will be involved in the coaching staff for the two squads.

Shaun Clouston of the Kamloops Blazers will serve as Head Coach for Team East, while Mark Lamb of the Prince George Cougars will be the Head Coach for Team West.

Joining Clouston behind the bench as assistant coaches for Team East are Derrick Martin of the Kelowna Rockets and Fred Harbinson of the Penticton Vees.

Lamb and Team West will be bolstered by assistant coaches Parker Burgess of the Vancouver Giants and James Patrick of the Victoria Royals.

Tickets for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass are available now by visiting vancouvergiants.com/tickets.

Clouston, a 57-year-old native of Viking, Alta., is in his seventh season as Head Coach of the Blazers. With a record of 19-14-5-4, Clouston's Blazers rank fourth in the B.C. Division and sixth in the WHL's Western Conference. Prior to his time in Kamloops, Clouston spent nine seasons as Head Coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He won two WHL Championships as an Associate Coach with the Tigers (2004, 2007) and has also represented Canada on the international stage, serving as Assistant Coach on Canada's gold-medal winning Hlinka Gretzky squad in 2015.

Lamb, a 61-year-old native of Ponteix, Sask., is in his seventh season as Head Coach of the Cougars. With a record of 26-16-2-0, Lamb's Cougars rank second in the B.C. Division and third in the WHL's Western Conference. Prior to his time in Prince George, Lamb spent seven seasons as Head Coach of the Swift Current Broncos. In 2023-24, Lamb was recognized with the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL Coach of the Year, after leading the Cougars to a B.C. Division title with a record of 49-15-1-3.

Martin, a 41-year-old native of Vermilion, Alta., is in his first full season as Head Coach of the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets. He was originally named Interim Head Coach of the Rockets on January 10, 2025. Martin's Rockets rank third in the B.C. Division and fifth in the WHL's Western Conference.

Harbinson, a 54-year-old native of Port Alberni, B.C., is in his first season as Head Coach of the WHL's expansion Penticton Vees. In his rookie campaign in the WHL, Harbinson has guided the Vees to an impressive record of 26-9-4-3, good enough to rank first in the highly competitive B.C. Division and second in the WHL's Western Conference. Prior to his time in the WHL, Harbinson oversaw the BCHL's Penticton Vees for 18 seasons, serving as the architect and coach for six BCHL championships.

Patrick, a 62-year-old native of Winnipeg, Man., is in his second full season as Head Coach of the Victoria Royals. He was originally named Head Coach of the Royals on November 6, 2023. With a record of 18-15-5-3, Patrick's Royals rank fifth in the highly competitive B.C. Division and eighth in the WHL's Western Conference. Patrick is a two-time winner of the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy, presented to the WHL Coach of the Year. In 2021-22, he led the Winnipeg ICE to a Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy on the strength of a WHL best record of 53-10-3-2. In 2024-25, Patrick's first full season with the Royals saw the Club claim the B.C. Division crown with a record of 40-17-4-7. Prior to his time with the Royals, Patrick spent six seasons as Head Coach of the Kootenay / Winnipeg ICE.

Burgess, a 40-year-old native of Calgary, Alta., is in his first season as Head Coach of the Vancouver Giants. With a record of 18-25-1-2, Burgess's Giants remain in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL's Western Conference. Prior to joining the Giants, Burgess led the Muskegon Lumberjacks to a USHL championship in 2025.

The 2026 WHL Prospects Game will serve as the first all-WHL event of its kind since January 19, 2000, when Kelowna hosted the 2000 WHL All-Star Game, in which the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference by a score of 10-8 in front of 5,420 fans at Prospera Place.

Since the WHL was established in 1966-67, there have been 26 previous WHL all-star or top prospects-style events.

Vancouver last hosted a WHL All-Star Game on January 19, 1972, when the East Division defeated the West Division by a 4-2 margin.

For more information on the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, please visit WHL.ca.

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