Everett Silvertips Win Game 3 of 2026 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien
WHL Western Hockey League

Everett Silvertips Win Game 3 of 2026 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien

Published on May 13, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


Prince Albert, Sask. - Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen scored the game-winning goal with 4:28 to play in regulation, giving the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien Tuesday at the Art Hauser Centre.

For Miettinen, who hails from Helsinki, Finland, the dagger was his 13th of the 2026 WHL Playoffs and it silenced the overcapacity crowd of 3,299 at the Art Hauser Centre. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound centre now sits second in WHL Playoff scoring with 25 points (13G-12A) in 16 games.

"The puck just came right on my stick and I had an empty net," Miettinen said postgame. "You can't really miss those when you have a chance."

Miettinen's goal broke a 2-2 tie that had stood since late in the second period.

"I thought the second half of the second period we kind of found it a little bit," said Steve Hamilton, Head Coach of the Silvertips. "We got a little bit harder, more physical, got involved, and we started to really get into it. We did a good job supressing chances and it felt like we were more in stride in that second half of the game."

For the third straight game, the Silvertips opened the scoring. This time, it was 2026 NHL Draft-eligible forward Matias Vanhanen finding the back of the net for his first goal of the series. Ranked 54th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, the product of Nokia, Finland, gained the offensive zone on the right side, cut to the middle and snapped a quick shot from the slot past the blocker of Raiders netminder Michal Orsulak to give Everett a 1-0 lead.

San Jose Sharks prospect Max Heise tied the game in the late stages of the first period. With the Raiders on a power play, the 20-year-old product of Calgary, Alta., finished off a nifty passing play with a one-timer that beat Everett goaltender Anders Miller, knotting the game 1-1 with 1:41 to go. It was Heise's fourth goal of the postseason.

The Raiders maintained that momentum early in the second period, as 16-year-old Ben Harvey found the back of the net for his fourth goal of the playoffs. Captain Justice Christensen's shot from the left point found the stick of the 5-foot-11, 184-pound right winger, who redirected it past Miller for a 2-1 Prince Albert lead a mere 1:59 into the second period.

"Really good first 30 minutes - we were quick, we were direct, we got pucks behind and got to work," said Ryan McDonald, Head Coach of the Raiders. "Then they were able to tilt the ice on us and discipline has to be a big key for us. You have to stay out of the penalty box. We gave them some opportunities on the power play - I thought our penalty kill did a great job when they were out there, but those are hard minutes you have got to play.

"[This is] an opportunity for us to reset, refocus, and get ready for tomorrow."

Towering Philadelphia Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk was the one to draw Game 3 even late in the second period. With 1:53 on the clock, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound blueliner walked the blue line before sailing a wrist shot high blocker side through traffic. The seeing-eye single hit the back of the net, tying the game 2-2 through 40 minutes of play.

"It was pretty exciting to get that monkey off the back," Vlooswyk said of scoring his first goal of the playoffs. "It felt unbelievable, it was a big goal and I think we got a lot of energy off of it."

The two teams battled through the bulk of the third period before Miettinen struck late.

Between the pipes, Miller finished with 18 saves for Everett, while Orsulak was peppered with 44 shots and made 41 saves.

Silvertips defenceman Brek Liske wrapped up his night with two assists.

Everett went 0-for-5 on the power play, while Prince Albert was 1-for-6.

The Everett Silvertips lead the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien 2-1 through three games. Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series is set for 7:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday, May 13, at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Sask. The winner of the best-of-seven series will advance to the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota in Kelowna, B.C., which is scheduled for Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 31.

All seven games of the WHL Championship Series are available in Canada on TSN. Viewers can also stream the entire series globally and for FREE on Victory+.

Check out the Western Hockey League Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from May 13, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central