Game 3, Round 1 Preview: Vees vs Thunderbirds
Published on March 31, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Penticton Vees News Release
The Penticton Vees head on the road looking to take a 3-0 series lead in the WHL Playoffs opening round against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Puck Drop from The Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent is 7:05PM.
Catch all the action on Victory+, Summit 800 AM and Summit 98.5 Summerland.
In their first ever WHL playoff game the Vees used a strong penalty kill and solid play from their goaltender AJ Reyelts to guide them to a 3-2 OT victory.
In Game 2, the Vees were dominant from start to finish on their way to a 4-1 win and 2-0 series lead. Jacob Kvasnicka and Tristan Petersen each had a goal and an assist in the Game 2 victory while for a second straight game the penalty kill went 4/4.
Vees Player to Watch: G AJ Reyelts: Reyelts has started both games so far posting a 1.42 goals against average and a .947 save percentage in his two wins.
Fast Fact: Matteo Danis will play in his 30th career WHL playoff game tonight in Kent.
2025-26 Regular Season Scoring Leaders:
Vees:
Jacob Kvasnicka- 85 points (35g, 50a)
Ryden Evers- 74 points (35g, 39a)
Brady Birnie- 70 points (22g, 48a)
Matteo Danis- 59 points (30g, 29a)
Brittan Alstead- 58 points (22g, 36a)
Thunderbirds
Cameron Schmidt- 100 points (51g, 49a)
Coster Dunn- 55 points (25g, 30a)
Noah Kosick- 54 points (16g, 38a)
Western Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2026
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