On this day, we begin with a moment of remembrance. November 11th stands as a day of quiet reflection and gratitude for those who gave everything in the name of freedom, for those who returned carrying its weight, and for those who continue to defend it today. To our veterans, our active service members, and all who have served this great country, we thank you. Because of your courage, we are free to gather, to celebrate, and even to enjoy the simple joy of a game of hockey.
This Remembrance Day, the Edmonton Oil Kings take to the ice in Kamloops for their lone meeting of the season with the Blazers. The team arrives riding a five-game winning streak, fresh off a hard-fought 4–3 shootout win against Medicine Hat on Friday night, a win earned through the combined effort of a shorthanded lineup, timely scoring, and another stellar performance from Ethan Simcoe. The second-year netminder stopped all six shooters in the shootout, while Poul Andersen sealed the deal with the lone goal of the six-round marathon.
Edmonton entered that game missing several regulars. Parker Alcos and Dylan Dean remained out, and Rhys Pederson was a late scratch with no official update. Ryan Gower and Niko Tsakumis filled the defensive gaps, while Presley Kerner and Tucker Tullikopf were called up from the AJHL to plug the forward holes. Both have since returned to their clubs after helping Edmonton weather the storm.
Even down key pieces, the Oil Kings fought through adversity. Andrew O’Neill, Blake Fiddler, and Landon Hanson found the back of the net, while Simcoe’s composure ensured Edmonton came out with two points. Jonas Woo and Kadon McCann continued to be the biggest thorns in Edmonton’s side, each collecting a goal and an assist for Medicine Hat, but the Oil Kings held firm, extending their point total to 30 on the season tying them with Everett for top spot in the WHL standings.
The win came at a small cost to the stat sheet, however. Ethan MacKenzie, Adam Jecho, Max Curran, and Josh Lee all saw their point streaks snapped. But even with those streaks ending, the depth of Edmonton’s offense kept rolling. Lukas Sawchyn and Landon Hanson each extended to five-game point streaks, Fiddler moved to four, and Jensen Marsh added another assist to continue an impressive start since returning from Drumheller.
Off the ice, the Oil Kings made a move to bolster their forward group, acquiring Kanjyu Gojsic from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for future draft picks. Gojsic brings size, grit, and a relentless work ethic, he's the kind of player who wins the puck in the corners and battles through traffic to create scoring chances. Edmonton has been strong lately, but second-chance pucks and board battles remain an area for improvement. Gojsic’s arrival aims to help fix that.
Meanwhile, Kayden Stroeder has wrapped up an excellent run with Team Canada White at the U17 World Hockey Challenge, earning six points in five games and a silver medal. He’s expected to rejoin the Oil Kings in Kamloops, bringing an extra spark to the lineup. Hodnett, Smith, and Powell remain out, but there is hope for updates soon on Dean, Alcos, and Pederson.
On The Throne
Those players that are considered to be trending upwards, on a hot streak, or otherwise impressing will be seen as being On The Throne.
Lukas Sawchyn - Most of the other long point streaks came to an end on Friday, but Sawchyn’s point streak keeps going along with the winning streak. He has 8 points over this 5 game streak, and is up to 22 points through 20 games on the season. A season without his brother at his side saw a slow start in September, before Lukas really got it going. Through October, he only had 3 games (all losses) without at least a single point registered. Overall, the Oil Kings are 13-0-1-1 when Sawchyn has at least 1 point in a game this year, and they are 1-4-0-0 when he is held off the scoresheet. As goes Lukas Sawchyn, so go the Oil Kings, so they want him to keep scoring and never stop.
Landon Hanson - His streak of scoring the opening goal of the game may have come to an end last Wednesday after 3 consecutive games scoring the Oil Kings first goal, but Hanson hasn’t let his contributions slip. He’s quietly moved himself up to 5 games straight with at least a point, and has matched Sawchyn with 8 points in that time. On Friday, instead of scoring the first goal he tried his best to be the Game-Winner when he put the Oil Kings ahead 3-2 with only 13 minutes left in the game. It nearly held, too, until the Tigers tied the game with only 41 seconds left.
Jensen Marsh - The 2nd Round Pick of the 2024 WHL Bantam Draft has had himself a very interesting start to the 2025-26 WHL Season. He starts the year with the Oil Kings and gets 1 assist in each of the first 2 games against Red Deer. Then he finds himself sent to the Drumheller Dragons to make roster space. In Drumheller, he scored 9 points in 14 games before getting the callback to Edmonton to fill in on the injury riddled Oil Kings. He arrives just in time for a 3rd game against Red Deer, this time scoring his first WHL goal only 2:36 into the game and adds another assist for good measure. Now an assist in another win over Medicine Hat, and Marsh has 5 points in 4 games, while the Oil Kings are 4-0-0 with him in the lineup. With the success he’s had in the lineup, it makes it hard to believe that he could find himself heading back to the AJHL once players get healthy again. But if he were to stay in Edmonton, who does the odd man out become to keep him in the lineup?
Off The Throne
Players that are struggling through a rough patch, on a cold streak, or possibly battling the puck at times will be viewed as being Off The Throne.
Parker Snell - He remains the only player that can go here, and sadly will remain here until he gets a chance for a bounceback game. It will be interesting to see where Snell gets his next start, as the road trip kicks off with some tough teams in Kamloops and Victoria, then Vancouver on the back half of a back-to-back. Common hockey logic would suggest that Snell would be given the lower-ranked team (Vancouver) of the back-to-back to have a more comfortable position to get in as the “back-up.” But the WHL doesn’t always follow standard convention. Wherever Snell gets his chance, you can be sure he’ll be determined to get going in the right direction again.
At the Gate
Who is the man standing between the pipes, the soldier standing between the opponent’s hopes and dreams? The man in the mask, and heavy padding, is the man At the Gate. This is our section where we will look at the starting goaltenders.
Ethan Simcoe has been a one-man highlight reel for the last few games, and he did it again in Medicine Hat. Stopping all 6 shooters in the shootout victory would be impressive on any other night, but it looked like a walk in the park for Simcoe after he stopped the Tigers 2-on-0 breakaway in Overtime. Jonas Woo and Bryce Pickford got in behind the Oil Kings all alone with a chance to win the game, Simcoe managed to get the pad down on Woo’s initial attempt and then somehow kept himself in front of the puck to deflect the rebound chance from Pickford up into the air and into the corner.
Ethan is now 8-3-0-1 through 12 games played, with a 2.36 GAA and a .911 Sv%. He’s been spectacular in the last 2 wins, and secured himself the WHL Save of the Night on each occasion with his ridiculous diving recovery against Red Deer and now the 2-on-0 save against the Tigers. Oil Kings fans are waiting with baited breath to see what he has in store to outdo those last 2 performances against the Blazers.
The Roil Ledger
How well do the Oil Kings match up with their opponents? How have they fared against them in recent seasons? Is there a lot of red in that ledger, or have the results been more positive? We’ll take a look at recent history and notable stats between the two teams.
This will be the first and only game of the season between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Kamloops Blazers. Last season’s lone contest saw the Oil Kings secure a 7-3 victory at Rogers Place on the back of a 4-point performance from Gracyn Sawchyn. Simcoe started that game and made 31 saves on 34 shots in the win.
All time the Oil Kings sit with a nearly even overall record against these Blazers, going 13-13-2-1. Somewhat surprisingly, they have actually been better in Kamloops than at home, going 7-6-1-0 on the road as compared to 6-7-1-1 at home.
The Threats Beyond the Wall
What awaits the Oil Kings on the other side of the ice? Who should they be keeping an eye on? How has the opponent stacked up around the league? We’ll be looking at the players to watch, those high on prospect draft boards, and the ones already drafted by NHL teams. The team’s place in the standings, win or loss streaks, and other important information to prime everyone to be ready for the opposition.
The Kamloops Blazers are an interesting team to be meeting right now, as they have had a very up and down start to their year. They are sitting 5th in the Western Conference with a 8-7-2-2 record, they have not lost in regulation in 4 straight games, and they boast one of the most talented players in the WHL this year.
Seventeen-year-old JP Hurlbert has announced himself to the league in spectacular fashion this year, and is carrying a jaw-dropping 34 points through 19 games played. Even more impressively, is considering that he has 6 games where he was held without a point, which puts him at 34 in 13 games, over 2.5 points per game when he does score. Edmonton’s defense will face a tough task trying to shut down the highly skilled forward. Hurlbert was named the WHL Player of the Month for September/October, he was one of only 5 WHL players to receive an “A” Ranking in the NHL Central Scouting Rankings, and has moved himself into high first-round draft position as of right now. He will be the toughest test the Oil Kings have faced so far.
Winger Nathan Behm has been playing alongside Hurlbert for much of the year, and reaping the rewards. The 2025 third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks has posted a strong 27 points through 18 games played, and shown a propensity for spectacular moves. He loves to carry and cut through defenders, draw everyone to himself, and then find Hurlbert wide open. It’s a dangerous top line threat that requires defense to keep their heads on a swivel.
Providing some depth to this lineup is Edmonton Oilers’ third-round draft pick Tommy Lafreniere. The 6 foot winger slots in on the second line behind Hurlbert, and provides his own offensive skills while also being a responsible 2 way forward with a high-end hockey sense and strong puck skills. Edmonton hockey fans should be interested in getting to see him for the only time this year, as he is someone who could be competing for an Oilers roster spot in the coming years.
Kamloops offensive threats are many, and they have accumulated the fourth highest goals scored in the WHL this season. They score early, they score often, and they average at over 4 goals scored per game. The downside for the Blazers, is their highly explosive offensive is backed by a less than stellar defense. 77 Goals For is a strong number on the offense, but an equal 77 Goals Against is a struggle to make up for, which explains how the Blazers are sitting where they are in the standings.
20-year-old Ryan Michael, and 19-year-old Carson Olsen lead the team as the top defensive pair, but have not had the amount of sustained shutdown success that teams would hope for. Michael is in his 5th year with Kamloops, and on pace to shatter his personal bests in goals and points, but his plus-minus stats are struggling mightily. Olsen joined the team last month in a trade from Lethbridge and has seen some individual success being on the top pair, but it hasn’t translated into any overall team improvements from before he arrived.
Kamloops goaltending situation is much the same as the team and the defense situation. While the offense fires on all cylinders, the team’s success is very reliant on it’s ability to keep the puck out of it’s own net. Third-year Blazer Logan Edmonstone is looking to improve his own draft stock, but has struggled to find consistency. He’s facing over 30 shots/night and manages to hold a 5-3-1-2 record but needs the team to step up in front of him if he’s going to have a chance.
The bus rolls through the Rockies, and the Oil Kings are chasing a sixth straight win as they carry both momentum and meaning into Kamloops. On this day of remembrance, we pause to honor those who gave us the freedom to live, love, and play. Hockey is a part of that freedom. A reflection of community, perseverance, and passion, and today we remember those who made it possible. You can watch the game for free on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio. Puck Drop is at 2pm local Kamloops time, that’s 3pm Edmonton time. The next game will be Friday Night in Victoria as the Oil Kings bus boards the ferry across the Strait of Georgia. Make sure you’re following us here at The Roil Line for all future Roil Briefings!