Hurricanes advance to second round of playoffs

By Lethbridge Herald on April 4, 2025.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Lethbridge Hurricanes Jordan Gustafson battles for positioning in front of Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Ethan Eskit during WHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series action at VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Friday night.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes advanced to the second round of the WHL playoffs after eliminating the Brandon Wheat Kings in five games in the first round with a 5-2 victory on Friday night at VisitLethbridge.com Arena. 

“Yeah, really happy and proud of our team tonight and the way we kind of  responded after the first (with) being down ,” said Canes captain Noah Chadwick.

“I think there was unwavering confidence in our group.”

“I thought we were poised to take over in the first,” said Bill Peters, Canes head coach.

“We wanted to play a four-line game but when we lost Smitty (Shane Smith) it changed the dynamics of the game a little bit. But I thought the guys dug in when the game was on the line in the second and the third.”

 It was the first time since 2018 that the Canes won a playoff series. 

Brayden Yager made up for a missed penalty shot early in the first period by opening the scoring on the powerplay 4:28 into the game from Miguel Marques and Chadwick.

Brandon tied the game when Quinn Mantei’s shot found its way into the net 6:04 into the first period.

Nolan Flamand and Nicholas Johnson assisted on Mantei’s second goal of the postseason.

The Wheat Kings then made the Hurricanes pay after Shane Smith was assessed a  five-minute major and a game misconduct for checking to the head with 5:12 to go in the first period.

It was on that powerplay that Joby a Baumuller tipped in a Jordan Gavin slapshot to give Brandon a 2-1 lead 

Luke Shipley also got an assist on the goal. 

The Canes Jordan Gustafson drove the net and tipped in a pass 3:07 into the second period to tie the game at two. 

Logan McCutcheon and Kooper Gizowski assisted on the goal. 

Chadwick’s wrist shot from the slot  found its way through a screen 33 seconds into the third period on the powerplay to push the Canes ahead to 3-2.

McCutcheon and Logan Wormald assisted on Chadwick’s marker.

McCutcheon then took a nice feed from Yager and wristed it top corner on Wheat Kings goalie Ethan Eskit at the 2:51 mark of the third period to double Lethbridge’s lead to 4-2. 

Miguel Marques also got an assist on McCutcheon’s first goal of the playoffs. 

Brayden Edwards scored into an empty net with 2:27 to go in the game to give the Canes a 5-2 lead. 

Wormald and Trae Johnson assisted on Edwards goal. 

Lethbridge outshot the Wheat Kings  53-26 in the game.

The Canes went 2-for-8 on the powerplay.