When most people think of “The Windy City,” they are probably going to think of Chicago, but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the only windy city there is. Lethbridge has earned its team name as the Hurricanes due to the significant winds that blow through the Southern Alberta city. Tonight, our very own Oil Kings will blow through town looking to put a stop to a losing skid that has seen them drop 4 in a row.
While the losses are piling up, this team isn’t getting blown out at all. They have lost each of the 4 games by a 1-goal margin. The first came with the backbreaker in Saskatoon, with only 4 seconds left in regulation to break the tie. It’s starting to feel like this took a big bite out of the team and is spiraling. Since then, they lost to Spokane in a shootout after a feisty effort to fight back from a 2-0 deficit to force the game into extra time. Then they lost to Regina in overtime after allowing the Pats to comeback from being down 4-2 in the third to force the overtime. The downward spiral continued on Sunday when they allowed the Calgary Hitmen to beat them for the 2nd time already in this young season, on a goal with just shy of 12 minutes left in the 3rd that the Oil Kings had no response to.
Losing 4 straight is hard, nobody wants to take the L that many times in a row, but there is some solace in knowing that you are one bounce away from turning your fortunes back around. This team was one of the most exciting teams to watch through the first 11 games of the season. They were sitting tied for first place in the Eastern Division, looking like a threat who could carry the season, and dominating puck possession on a nightly basis.
The injury to our captain, Gavin Hodnett, weighs heavily on the outcomes since it happened against these same Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 weeks ago. The big win against Portland appeared sparked by determination and a dedication to succeed, but this team appears to be missing an intangible with their captain on the sidelines. A spark, or a rallying voice to keep everyone on the same page even when times get tough. Sometimes, it’s tough to truly understand the importance of a strong leader until he’s not there, and this Oil King is looking for someone else to fill the void with Gavin missing from the bench.
Edmonton has dropped in the standings, but still find themselves in 4th among Eastern Conference teams, and only 1 point behind the Medicine Hat Tigers for the Central Division lead. Lethbridge have had a rough start to the season and are sitting dead last in the Eastern Division, only 1 point ahead of the last place Wenatchee Wild in the overall WHL standings.
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.
Andrew O’Neill - One of the lone bright spots through this losing streak has been the play of O’Neill. I praised him last week, and he has continued to produce in the faceoff circle and he has continued to win more than he loses going 13 of 21 through the last 3 games. His contributions have extended beyond the faceoffs, though, as he has scored 3 goals and added an assist for a total of 4 points through his last 3 games. Coach Smith has been shuffling lines around, trying to find some spark, but it doesn’t seem to matter who O’Neill is partnered with as he’s producing throughout the lineup.
Kayden Stroeder - While the Oil Kings are struggling to find W’s, and the roster goes through the blender on a nightly basis, the young Kayden Stroeder continues to impress night in and night out. He’s working his way through linemates, up and down the lineup in playing time, and finding ways to contribute wherever he lands. He has 3 points through his last 4 games, and more impressively is that of his 4 assists so far this season they have been goals for 4 different players, and they have all been primary assists. Even his 2 goals have come with assists from 4 different players. He’s producing no matter who he’s playing with, and that’s a highly promising sign for the young oil king.
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.
Cage Smith - Our thoughts here at The Roil Line go out to another promising young rookie who could miss some time after Sunday’s game. Cage Smith was placed in a headlock by a Calgary player during a scrum along the boards early in the second period. As the puck was swept free, the Calgary player went down and took Cage headfirst down to the ice on a scary looking play. No penalty was called on the play, Smith had to be helped to the back by teammates and trainers, and he is out with what was deemed an “upper-body injury.” From a fan perspective, I fear possible concussion from seeing the impact he made with the ground and hope that he is okay and able to heal fully.
Landon Hanson - This one is tough. I’ve been a strong Hanson supporter since the preseason, and really thought he had looked like a candidate to be a breakout contender this year. Instead, he has found his position on the depth chart in constant flux and really appears to be struggling to translate his pre-season and early season success into a full season. He’s getting chances offensively, controlling the puck well and making highlight reel moves to weave through opposing players, but he is not finding the finish that was there last month. Turnovers are biting him frequently, and then Sunday his offensive pressure resulted in a penalty shot with a chance to tie the game late in the 3rd but couldn’t find a way to bury it. There’s still plenty of time for him to turn things around, and I believe he will, but at this time it’s hard to ignore that he’s struggling out there.
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.
The goaltending duo that had been so strong to start the year is finally showing some holes. Parker Snell has allowed 9 goals against through his last 2 starts, after only allowing 8 goals through his first 7 games played. In both of these games it has allowed the opponent’s (Saskatoon & Regina) to mount comebacks in the 3rd period to ultimately go from trailing to winning the games. The ability he has shown to be a backbone and make the saves when they matter most was missing through those 2 appearances.
Ethan Simcoe has fared better statistically, but still sees the L against his ledger for his last 2 games. He’s allowed 5 goals through those games, but found himself allowing the goals early and having to stand tall while Edmonton fought back to tie the games, only to then lose after tying the games late.
Neither is great scenario, Edmonton builds a lead early in front of Snell only to let the other team back in it, or Simcoe lets them get in a hole early and then has to stand on his head while the team fights back into it. Coach Smith appears content to continue rolling with his goalie rotation, but at some point you’d think he has to find the hot hand and let it ride for a little while. It’s a nice philosophy to make sure both goalies are getting equal playing time, but it also becomes very predictable for teams to look ahead and scout the goalie that falls in the rotation for when they play Edmonton. Based on this rotation, tonight will be Parker Snell’s turn between the pipes as he will get his first look across the ice at Lethbridge.
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.
The Oil Kings head into Lethbridge for the first time this season, looking to duplicate the outcome of the Hurricane’s visit to the Kingdom on October 13th. In that one, the Oil Kings jumped out to a 4-1 lead after 2 periods on two-goal efforts from both Miroslav Holinka and Lukas Sawchyn as their line with Joe Iginla combined for 9 total points in the game, and finished as a 6-2 final for the home team.
Historically, this is a matchup that has heavily favored the Oil Kings through the years. They hold an overall 61-41-2-9 record against the Hurricanes, including 30 wins both at home and in Lethbridge. Last season saw a much more even split, as Edmonton was 4-3-1 against these Hurricanes and they traded victories over the course of the year.
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.
Lethbridge’s rough start to the year has contributed to an equally rough start at home, as they have struggled mightily in front of their own fans. It wasn’t until their seventh home game of the year on October 17th that the Hurricanes finally sent their fans home happy. It was a 7-6 OT barnburner against the Calgary Hitmen. What made it even more impressive is that Calgary was leading that game 6-1 in the second period before Lethbridge rattled off 6 straight goals to tie and then win the game.
That win broke a 4 game losing streak for Lethbridge, but was also their last win as they now enter tonight on a 3 game losing streak. Coincidentally, that was also their last time playing at home as they are returning to the VisitLethbridge.com arena tonight from a 3 game road trip.
Their big comeback victory against Calgary was led by their captain, Logan Wormald , contributing 4 points in the 3rd period and overtime. The undrafted 20-year-old is only one point shy of the team lead for points, but does lead their team overall with 10 assists through 15 games. The feisty forward is tenacious in all 3 zones, and has managed a very respectable 226 points through 251 career WHL games (all with Lethbridge).
Forward Luke Cozens and Shane Smith fill out a loaded top line for Lethbridge, as both have identical 17 point stat lines in the season, and present a threat that the Hurricanes are never truly out of a game until the final whistle blows. If the Oil Kings want to get back into the win column starting tonight, these are the goal scorers they need to watch out for. Smith scored both Lethbridge goals in the last matchup between these 2 teams, so hopefully the coaching staff has a plan to keep him in check this time around.
Former Edmonton Oil King Jack Toogood received a heartfelt well-wishes and ovation from the Rogers Place crowd when Lethbridge visited our building, but shocking news out of Lethbridge this week as the have released the 2007-born forward. Toogood had 1 goal and 1 assist through 8 games with Lethbridge, but again finds himself as an odd-man out and unable to hold a roster spot.
Lethbridge is not a team accustomed to getting much offense from their blue line this year, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable players back there. Put simply, it’s that only one of the defensemen on their roster was a full-time member of the team last season. They are an inexperienced group who are still learning how to play together and adjusting to new roles on a new team. Carsen Adair is that returning player from last season, and proved capable on that team, but he can’t be expected to carry a brand new crop of defenders on his own.
In net, the Hurricanes look frequently to goaltender Koen Cleaver to bail them out of sticky situations The 2026 NHL Draft Prospect was given a “W” ranking by Central Scouting last week, but is struggling to find much success on a rebuilding Hurricanes team this year. Following up on a respectable 12-9-0 record from last season, he has a 2-6-0 record to start this year but a difficult to look at 4.12 GAA and .877 Sv% on the stat sheet. The Oil Kings got rookie backup Leif Oaten for the last matchup, so watch for Cleaver to give them a little bit more trouble in this one.
The Oil Kings blow into Lethbridge, and hope to blow this losing streak down the Old Man River. A matchup against the Hurricanes that injured the captain may be just what the team needs to get itself back on the right track. You can watch the game for free on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio. Puck Drop is at 7pm local Lethbridge time. The next game will be Saturday Afternoon back in Edmonton for Kids TakeOver Day as the Oil Kings welcome the Medicine hat Tigers to Edmonton for a rematch of the Tigers 5-2 victory in Medicine hat. This will be another edition of our Power Saturday contest, so keep your eyes peeled to our social media accounts to get your guess in for a chance to win your choice from our great prizes available. Make sure you’re following us here at The Roil Line for all future Roil Briefings!