Silvertips sweep Penticton to reach WHL Finals
Published 11:30 pm Tuesday, April 28, 2026
The Everett Silvertips are not used to playing from behind, but that’s exactly where they found themselves entering the third period in Game 4 of the Western Hockey League Western Conference Finals against the Penticton Vees at South Okanagan Events Centre on Tuesday.
The host Vees grabbed a 2-1 lead early in the second period, and with the shots an even 20-20 through 40 minutes, kept up with Everett’s pace in the fight to keep their season alive.
In the end, the league-best Silvertips proved to be inevitable.
With three unanswered goals inside the final nine minutes, Everett stormed to a 4-2 victory and punched its ticket to the WHL Championship Series with a sweep of Penticton.
After losing in the WHL Finals in 2004 and 2018, Everett hopes the third time will be the charm.
Nolan Stevenson opened the scoring for Penticton at 15:33 of the first period on a power-play one-timer, but Everett answered when Liske fired a shot off of Nolan Chastko and in at 4:01 of the second period.
The Vees regained the lead just over a minute later when Jacob Kvasnicka scored off a centering pass into the slot, and Penticton held the lead into the final 10 minutes of regulation.
The Silvertips were relentless in the offensive zone fighting for a tying goal approaching the midpoint of the third period, and they finally got it when Jesse Heslop punched the puck through amid a scramble in front of the net at 11:05.
Only two minutes passed before Matias Vanhanen put Everett in front.
Curling in from the neutral zone, Carter Bear fanned on a shot and decided to drop it back for Liske. The 18-year-old fired on net from behind the left circle, and Vanhanen got his stick up to deflect it on the way through at 13:05.
Penticton pulled goaltender Andrew Reyelts with just under three minutes left to make it 6-on-5, which has been the Silvertips’ one true weakness in the postseason so far. Everett allowed three extra-attacker goals over its previous five games, but ultimately won two of the three in overtime anyway.
The Vees threatened to make it a fourth goal allowed when Stevenson sent a point shot through traffic to goalie Anders Miller, who made the stop before forward Zackary Shantz scooped the puck out of danger and flipped it towards the empty net. It drifted just wide.
Before Penticton could threaten again, Liske poke checked the puck loose and got it up to Julius Miettinen along the left boards, and the forward threw it in the empty net with 1:47 left to push it to 4-2 and seal the deal.
The Silvertips will have some downtime before learning of their opponent. Medicine Hat holds a 2-1 series lead over Prince Albert in the Eastern Conference Finals as of Tuesday night.
For now, they’ll take the time to rest and prepare for Game 1 at Angel of the Winds Arena on May 8. Everett captain Tarin Smith has missed each of the past two series with an undisclosed injury, and his return would be a welcome boost against either Eastern Conference opponent, but coach Steve Hamilton has remained tight-lipped about Smith’s status.
