The Penticton Vees' run in the 2026 Western Hockey League Playoffs has concluded, and although the team ultimately fell short of a championship, they made an overall statement with their first WHL season.
A 4-2 Vees loss in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on April 28 allowed the Everett Silvertips to advance to the league's championship round. Coincidentally, the Vees' inaugural WHL season's result was the best since those very Silvertips, back in 2003-04, made it to the championship round.
Penticton's forward group had several options on offence, led in points by Jacob Kvasnicka who had 15 total points over the three rounds. Four other Vees skaters reached at least 10 points during the run: Ryden Evers, Louis Wehmann, Brady Birnie, and Matteo Danis. Birnie led the team in the goals category, with nine of them, and Danis led in assists, also with nine.
Throughout their playoff run, the Vees continued to receive the same solid goaltending that they had gotten all season. Andrew Reyelts was the goaltender of record for all eight Penticton playoff victories, finishing with a goals-against average of 2.77 and a save percentage of .907 over the course of the postseason.
Although this season ended on a disappointing note, Penticton's squad can continue to make history next season. The earliest an expansion WHL team has won the league's Ed Chynoweth Cup was in 1999 and 2000, when the Calgary Hitmen and Kootenay Ice, respectively, each captured the trophy in just their fourth year in the league.
