(Photo: WHL on YouTube)

By Christian Oldale

Hurricanes win two of three over weekend against Central Division rivals

Jan 27, 2025 | 1:36 PM

The Lethbridge Hurricanes had a very busy weekend, with games on all three days.

January 24, 2025 vs. Red Deer Rebels

The Canes kicked off the three game set on Friday night hosting the Red Deer Rebels.

In the first, Lethbridge found themselves on a powerplay 8:31 in, and a goal came just 10 seconds later. In a scramble in front of the net, Leo Braillard knocked in a puck past Peyton Shore for his 17th goal of the season. Brayden Edwards and Brayden Yager added the two assists.

Four in-game seconds after the goal, the Rebels were sent to the box once again for a faceoff violation. On the ensuing man advantage, the Yager passed the puck to Logan Wormald, who then fed it cross-ice to Braillard, who one-timed his second goal in just 14 seconds.

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A little under eight minutes later at 16:42, the Hurricanes scored their third powerplay goal of the period, this one from Wormald, who tipped in a point shot from captain Noah Chadwick for his 27th of the season. Edwards picked up his second point of the night with the second assist.

In the second period, Red Deer broke the shutout 2:03 in with a goal from Talon Brigley to make it 3-1. The Hurricanes had another great chance on a 2-on-1 with Edwards and Wormald, but the latter hit the post with his shot.

In the third, Braillard secured his first WHL hat trick 5:12 into the period, firing a pass from Wormald past a sprawled Shore to send the hats flying to the ice. Chadwick added the secondary assist for his 34th point of the season.

Koen Cleaver stopped all seven shots he faced in the third, and 24 of 25 in the game for his eighth win of the year. The 4-1 win was also the ninth straight for Lethbridge.

Braillard was named first star of the game, with Wormald and Shore getting second and third.

January 25, 2025 vs. Calgary Hitmen

The next day, the Hurricanes hit the ice again for a very important matchup at home against the Calgary Hitmen, who they have been fighting with for second place in the Central Division.

Unlike the Rebels game, the Hurricanes found themselves in a dire situation after the first period, trailing 3-0 to the Hitmen after goals from Ben Kindel, Carson Wetsch and Hunter Aura. The Hurricanes put up nine shots on Daniel Hauser, but could not get one past the Calgary netminder.

In the second period, the Hurricanes went onto the penalty kill after a minor to Braillard. However, it would be Lethbridge who capitalized, with Wormald grabbing an open puck and feeding a streaking Edwards, who put it past Hauser to cut the deficit to two. The goal was Edwards’ 19th of the season, and third shorthanded tally.

In the final frame, the Hurricanes continued their comeback bid with a powerplay goal, with Wormald finishing a tic-tac-toe play, unloading a one-timer past Hauser for his 28th of the season. Yager and Chadwick continued their point streaks with the two assists.

However, despite the goal and the Hurricanes outshooting Calgary, the comeback fell short, as the Hitmen held on for a 3-2 win, snapping the Canes’ win streak at nine games.

Wormald was the game’s first star with Aura and Axel Hurtig rounding out the three.

January 26, 2025 @ Edmonton Oil Kings

After the split at home, the Canes headed five hours north on Highway 2 to take on the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday for the final game of the weekend.

The Hurricanes got on the board first in this game, taking advantage of a powerplay following a slashing penalty to Ethan MacKenzie.On the man-advantage, Noah Chadwick fed the puck to Brayden Yager near the blue line, who walked in and fired a wrist shot home for his 15th of the season and fourth with the Hurricanes. The goal gave Yager a six-game point streak with eight in that time.

In the second, the Hurricanes would add their eventual game winner 14:29 in. On a turnover, Brayden Edwards grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and rushed in, outmuscling defenceman Blake Fiddler and chipping it past Ethan Simcoe for goal number 20 on the season. The goal was named the WHL’s Highlight of the Night on Sunday.

The Oil Kings would add a goal in the third period off the stick of Rylen Roersma after a miscommunication behind the Hurricanes net between Unger and his defenceman. That would be the only one surrendered by the Hurricanes netminder, as he stopped 27 shots for a 2-1 win.

Unger and Edwards were named first and third star, respectively, while Roersma got second star honours.

Following the weekend slate, the Hurricanes will get nearly a week off before a rematch against the Oil Kings in Lethbridge on Saturday, February 1.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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