Drew Scott & Team East Defeat Michael Bublé & Team West in 2026 WHL Prospects Game
WHL Vancouver Giants

Drew Scott & Team East Defeat Michael Bublé & Team West in 2026 WHL Prospects Game

Published on February 19, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Team West celebrates at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
Team West celebrates at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)

Langley, B.C. - Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph scored the overtime winner, helping Team East and celebrity coach Drew Scott to a 5-4 victory in the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass on Wednesday night in front of 4,522 fans at Langley Events Centre.

All it took was 14 seconds of overtime for Rudolph to decide the game after Michael Bublé's Team West had clawed back into the contest by erasing a 3-0 deficit.

Wednesday's WHL Prospects Game had a little bit of everything for every kind of hockey fan.

From the celebrity aura, energy, and entertainment of Bublé and Scott behind the benches, including a friendly wager between friends, to fisticuffs, pretty scoring plays, and swings in momentum, there was no shortage of excitement at the Langley Events Centre.

Three Giants played for Team West: Joe Iginla, Brett Olson and Tobias Tomik. Though neither found the scoresheet, Iginla did drop the gloves with former Edmonton Oil Kings teammate Dylan Dean in the second period.

Calgary Hitmen forward Landon Amrhein (85th - NA Skaters / Celina, Texas) opened the scoring 7:59 into the first period. Amrhein picked up a loose puck in the right faceoff circle before beating Team West netminder Harrison Boettiger (7th - NA Goaltenders / Wheat Ridge, Colo.) to give Team East a 1-0 lead early in the proceedings.

Moments later, 6-foot-8 Penticton Vees blueliner Sean Burick (119th - NA Skaters / San Clemente, Calif.) dropped the mitts with a fellow defenceman from the Golden State - Noa Ta'amu (94th - NA Skaters / San Diego, Calif.) of the Edmonton Oil Kings. The two engaged in a spirited bout that brought a near sellout crowd to its feet at the Langley Events Centre.

After 20 minutes of play, Team East held the 1-0 lead, and they built on it from there.

An all-Saskatoon connection saw Team East push ahead 2-0 a mere 67 seconds into the middle period. Saskatoon native Beckett Hamilton (75th - NA Skaters) of the Red Deer Rebels carried the puck to the top of the left circle before sending a beautiful backhand pass through the slot to Saskatoon Blades forward Cooper Williams (42nd - NA Skaters / Calgary, Alta.), who fired a one-time pass back across to the backdoor, where Blades forward Zach Olsen (43rd - NA Skaters / Calgary, Alta.) deposited it into an open cage.

Williams and Team East weren't done.

Making the most of a power-play opportunity moments later, Williams hit Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Giorgos Pantelas (58th - NA Skaters / Victoria, B.C.) with a seam pass and the 6-foot-2 rearguard made no mistake, finding twine for a 3-0 Team East lead.

Just as it looked like Team East was in full control, Team West found a spark - quite literally.

With 2:37 on the clock in the second period, Spokane Chiefs forward Tyus Sparks (63rd - NA Skaters / Meridian, Idaho) took advantage of a beautiful backhand pass from captain Carson Carels (3rd - NA Skaters/ Cypress River, Man.), firing a one-timer home to get Team West on the board, injecting life into Bublé's squad heading into the intermission.

Sparks had more to come.

The 5-foot-11, 182-pound pivot came back in the third period and deposited his second of the night only 50 seconds in, pulling Team West back within a goal. Once again - this time on a power play - Sparks was teed up for a one-timer in the left circle. Kamloops Blazers forward JP Hurlbert (10th - NA Skaters / Allen, Texas) placed a perfect pass into the perfect spot for Sparks, who wired another one-timer to the back of the net, making it a 3-2 game.

If two goals from Sparks weren't enough to satisfy Chiefs fans, Brody Gillespie (138th - NA Skaters / Vancouver, Wash.) added to the fun minutes later.

With another power-play opportunity on the board, Gillespie hung around the Team East net, fishing for a loose puck before chipping it over the outstretched reach of Medicine Hat Tigers netminder Carter Casey (12th - NA Goaltenders / Grand Rapids, Mich.) to tie the game.

When it seemed as though Team West had brought a wave down upon Team East, the twin power - of Drew Scott down to the Rucks - emerged to stem the tide.

Markus Ruck (31st - NA Skaters / Osoyoos, B.C.) gained the zone before shuffling the puck to Medicine Hat Tigers teammate Yaroslav Bryzgalov (99th - NA Skaters / Minsk, Belarus), who sent it back across to Liam Ruck (26th - NA Skaters / Osoyoos, B.C.), who stuck with the play and banged home a rebound to restore the advantage for Team East. Suddenly, the pressure was back on Bublé's Team West with 12:36 to go.

Team East found themselves in penalty trouble late in the game, and the fire power of Team West went back to work with the man advantage. Hurlbert - the WHL's leading scorer - found himself with time and space just inside the offensive zone. Walking into the high slot, Hurlbert made no mistake snapping a quick shot past Casey to knot the affair at 4-4 with 6:19 to go.

Overtime was needed, but Rudolph had no interest in sticking around for long, as he ended the back-and-forth contest 14 seconds in, securing the victory for Team East and - perhaps most importantly - for celebrity coach Drew Scott, who emerged triumphant in his friendly wager with Bublé. The prize? Bublé is now committed to a lifetime of serenading Scott's mother.

Had the outcome gone the other way, Bublé was looking at a complete home renovation courtesy Drew Scott, of Property Brothers fame. Alas, the Canadian crooner will need to search for home improvement elsewhere.

The captains for both teams shone in front of more than 100 NHL scouts.

Carels logged four assists, factoring into each of his team's goals to secure Player of the Game recognition for Team West.

Rudolph's overtime winner, along with a plus-3 rating, earned him Player of the Game honours for Team East.

Both Players of the Game were selected by NHL Central Scouting.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics

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Images from this story

Team East celebrates at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
Team East celebrates at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
(Rob Wilton)		 Action at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
Action at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
(Rob Wilton)		 Team East gathers after a goal at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
Team East gathers after a goal at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
(Rob Wilton)
Team West celebrates at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
Team West celebrates at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game
(Rob Wilton)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from February 19, 2026


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