Game 5, Round 1 Preview: Vees vs Thunderbirds
Published on April 3, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Penticton Vees News Release
The Penticton Vees take on the Seattle Thunderbirds in Game 5 of their first round series. A win tonight would advance Penticton to the second round as they enter with a 3-1 series lead. Puck drop is 7:05PM from the SOEC.
If you can't make it down to the SOEC, 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.
In Game 3, the two teams went back-and-forth for much of the night. Penticton would strike twice in the third and hang on to a 4-3 victory.
The Thunderbirds stayed alive in Game 4 scoring the first four goals of the game before hanging on for a 4-3 win. The Vees outshot Seattle 53-20 in the loss.
The Vees penalty kill has gone 13/13 in their four games in the post-season and are the last team in the playoffs not to give up a goal while down a man.
Vees Player to Watch: G AJ Reyelts: Reyelts is expected to get the start in Game 5. He's 3-0 with a 1.93 GAA and .933 save-percentage so far in the playoffs.
Fast Fact: Ryden Evers (57) and Matteo Danis (55) are third and fourth in the post-season in faceoff wins.
2025-26 Playoff Scoring Leaders:
Vees:
Jacob Kvasnicka- 6 points (3g, 3a)
Ryden Evers- 5 points (3g, 2a)
Brady Birnie- 3 points (2g, 1a)
Tristan Petersen- 3 points (1g, 2a)
Nolan Stevenson- 3 points (0g, 3a)
Thunderbirds
Joe Gramer- 4 points (2g, 2a)
Noah Kosick- 4 points (1g, 3a)
Cameron Schmidt- 3 points (2g, 1a)
Western Hockey League Stories from April 3, 2026
- Vees Advance to Round 2 with Game 5 Win - Penticton Vees
- Oil Kings Fall to Blades in Game Five - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Game 5, Round 1 Preview: Vees vs Thunderbirds - Penticton Vees
- Oil Kings and Blades Now Involved in Best-Of-Three Series - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Silvertips Complete Sweep with 6-3 Comeback in Portland - Everett Silvertips
- Prince George Cougars Provide Medical Update on Townes Kozicky Following Game 5 Incident - Prince George Cougars
- Chase Harrington Ties Game Late, Wins It in Overtime to Send Series to Game 6 - Spokane Chiefs
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.
