Everett Silvertips Win Game 4 of 2026 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien
Published on May 14, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release
Prince Albert, Sask. - The Everett Silvertips are on the verge of a franchise first Ed Chynoweth Cup following a 5-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders in Game 4 of the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien Wednesday at the Art Hauser Centre.
"That was a grind," said Steve Hamilton, Head Coach of the Silvertips. "You can bend, you can't break. Our guys got some timely offense, got some great goaltending, some pretty key penalty kills and that was probably the difference in the game."
Florida Panthers prospect Shea Busch put the game out of reach when he scored his fourth goal of the postseason with 9:40 to go in the third period, giving Everett a 4-2 advantage. 2026 NHL Draft-eligible forward Matias Vanhanen extended the cushion by scoring an empty-net goal with 2:25 remaining in regulation.
"I just got to credit my linemate [Zack Shantz] there," Busch said postgame. "I was lucky enough for that one to go in the back of the net."
Through 40 minutes of play, the game was up for grabs, with the Silvertips carrying a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen continued to impose his will on the WHL Championship, recording another multipoint night with a goal and an assist. A mere 32 seconds into the affair, the burly Finn slammed home a rebound for his 14th goal of the postseason, giving Everett a 1-0 advantage. Fellow Finn Vanhanen drove down the right wing and shovelled the puck towards the net, resulting in a rebound that Miettinen made quick work of.
The Raiders were boosted by the return of Dallas Stars prospect Brandon Gorzynski, who had been out of the lineup since Game 3 of the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series presented by Nutrien. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound product of Scottsdale, Ariz., made an immediate impact, tallying his fifth goal of the playoffs 9:53 into the second period, injecting life into the over-capacity crowd of 3,299 at Prince Albert's Art Hauser Centre.
"Obviously, it's the championship and everyone wants to play in games like this," Gorzynski said Wednesday night. "It was special for that goal to go in and to even be playing tonight.
"Obviously, you want to play in special games like this in the playoffs. When Puff [Duane Bartley] said it was my choice to play tonight, it was a no brainer. How many times do you get to play in the Championship Series?"
As the second period wound down, the Raiders had built momentum off the strength of back-to-back power plays. A late penalty against Prince Albert stole the energy and veteran forward Rylan Gould made the hosts pay, finishing off a pass from Miettinen to restore the Everett lead with 1:17 to go in the second period.
The Silvertips continued to make the Raiders pay on special teams, as Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear collected his seventh goal of the postseason with a power-play marker 4:24 into the third period, giving Everett a 3-1 lead at the time.
Raiders captain Justice Christensen provided a quick response, tallying his fourth goal of the postseason and third of the WHL Championship to make it a 3-2 game, but it wasn't enough for the Raiders on this night as the Silvertips claimed a stranglehold on the best-of-seven series.
"Our guys played hard right to the end," said Ryan McDonald, Head Coach of the Raiders. "Really liked our effort, liked our compete. Consistency, at times, we needed to make sure was there. But again, really liked our push, liked our urgency, and desperation as we continued to settle into the game. We got to our push in the second period and created some o-zone chaos and some havoc, got to our Raider way. For us, making sure our emotions are in check and we're three or less on the penalty clock. That was a hard-fought battle."
Silvertips defenceman Landon DuPont finished Game 4 with two helpers, pushing his playoff point total to 22 points (4G-18A) in 17 games.
"It helps when you have the team and the D-core that we have," DuPont said. "Everyone is stepping up - whether you're a 16-year-old or a 20-year-old."
Miettinen's multipoint night pushed him to 27 points and into a tie for the WHL Playoffs scoring lead with Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph, who returned to the series following a one-game suspension.
In net, Anders Miller turned in a 31-save performance to secure his 14th victory of the 2026 WHL Playoffs. The 19-year-old product of Anchorage, Alaska, has enjoyed an outstanding postseason with a record of 14-1-1-0, a 1.91 goals-against average, .933 save percentage, and one shutout.
Everett outshot Prince Albert by a narrow margin of 35-33.
The Silvertips wrapped Game 4 having converted on two of five power-play opportunities, while the Raiders went 0-for-6.
The Everett Silvertips lead the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien 3-1 through four games. Game 5 of the WHL Championship Series is set for 7:30 p.m. MT on Friday, May 15, 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+.
Western Hockey League Stories from May 14, 2026
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- Everett Silvertips Win Game 4 of 2026 WHL Championship Series Presented by Nutrien - WHL
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