Venturing into Vees Country feels like the natural next step for an Oil Kings team that spent the weekend collecting victories from every corner of the letter V. Edmonton survived a razor-tight visit to Victoria on Friday, pulling ahead late on a puck over glass power play before vaulting the result home with an empty-netter. Twenty-four hours later in Vancouver, they swapped survival for swagger as Lukas Sawchyn’s third-period volley completed his hat-trick and vaulted the Oil Kings to a 7–4 win. With the streak now standing at eight straight victories, Edmonton heads into Penticton looking to add to their growing collection of Vees and bring this winning streak victory number nine.
Coach Gator kept things interesting over the weekend by flipping his goaltending matchups. Instead of saving Ethan Simcoe for the more structured Royals and handing Parker Snell the more chaotic Vancouver assignment, he reversed the script. The gamble could not have played out better. The group defended with purpose in front of Snell in Victoria, and Simcoe held firm in a high-scoring track meet against the Giants. Both goaltenders rewarded the trust, which has become something of a theme through the first third of the season.
Landon Hanson brought his scoring streak to seven games with an assist on Friday, while Sawchyn saw his six-gamer come to an end. Twenty-four hours later, the two traded roles. Sawchyn erupted for three goals in Vancouver, and Hanson was kept off the scoresheet for the first time in November. It was a good reminder that on this line, quiet nights don’t tend to last long.
On the injury front, the weekend was a mixed bag of relief and near-misses. Parker Alcos returned from his injury and stepped back into the lineup like he never left. Miroslav Holinka had the scare of the trip after appearing to take a shot up high in Victoria and staying down for a while. He returned the next night showing no lingering effects. Hanson left late on Friday and didn’t finish the game, but he was right back in the lineup in Vancouver. Considering the general state of the Oil Kings’ medical chart, any stretch with more good news than bad feels like a small victory of its own.
The team’s days between games weren’t idle either. The group joined Rugby Canada for some team-building, trading sticks for scrums. Whether any rugby lessons translate to the WHL remains to be seen, but nobody on the ice in Penticton should be surprised if the Oil Kings arrive tonight ready to push, pull, and grind their way through contact.
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.
Ethan MacKenzie - He continues his hot stretch of games with 2 goals in the game against Victoria, breaking the 1-1 tie late in the game and proving why he has been such a difference maker. On Saturday, it was touted as a matchup between the Top 2 scoring defensemen in the WHL, and both MacKenzie and Giants star Ryan Lin each provided 2 assists to the scoreboard. The difference between them coming down to MacKenzie as a +3, and Lin as a -4 in the game. He’s pushed his point streak to 3 games, with 5 points over those games, and brought his season total to 25 points as he leads all defensemen this year.
Lukas Sawchyn - Lukas saw his point streak get snapped on Friday, but bounced back in a big way on Saturday. With 14 points through his last 8 games, he was allowed to have one down night in the midst of this winning streak. His game has really taken off, his line is the most dangerous line on the ice every night, and his draft stock should be soaring. While big brother Gracyn is still sitting on only 1 Goal in the AHL, Lukas has confidently put up 12 for the Oil Kings this year. I’d guess that there’s a good chance Lukas will be putting pen to an NHL ELC before the year is done.
Joe Iginla - Quietly consistent, Iginla continues to rack up points and provide important moments in games. He recorded 1 assist in each game this weekend, bringing his streak back to 5 games. More importantly, each assist came on the eventual game winning goal. When the Oil Kings need a play for an insurance marker, or to separate a tight game, it seems Joe is always in the middle of it. He’s not afraid to show emotion and get his hands dirty, but he’s also more than capable of taking the play into his own hands to make something out of nothing.
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.
Kanjyu Gojsic - He remains a work in progress through three games as an Oil King. Penalties, missed connections, and fumbled chances defined his debut, and his weekend didn’t move the needle much. He’s finding soft areas and getting fed quality looks, but the finish hasn’t followed. He’s also losing more battles than expected, especially along the boards, where his frame and style should shine. Still, the situation is far from ideal for a newcomer. New system, new coaches, no practice time, long travel, and being thrown into a tight schedule is not a recipe for instant chemistry. For now the most interesting note is this: both of his WHL points came against Penticton earlier this season when he was with Kelowna. Maybe his comfort against the Vees sparks something tonight.
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.
There will be a new face on the bench tonight, as the Oil Kings have dug deep into their reserves and recalled goaltender Elias Mitrikas from North Shore Warriors U18 Prep. The Oil Kings third round selection from the 2025 WHL Draft has not even been on my radar until this news broke. Rail Schollar played well enough in camp to be the only other goaltender on roster in Preseason. With the team travelling through BC, it is possible this decision was purely based on geographical location as it is closer for Elias to travel to Penticton than it would be for Rail to join the team on the road trip.
Parker Snell appears to be getting the start, following his strong play in Victoria resulted in only 1 goal against. Ethan Simcoe gets the night off, perhaps due to the workload he has shouldered lately and earning himself a rest, or perhaps another unknown reason. Both goalies looked fine in their respective outings over the weekend, so we’ll keep an eye out for anything of concern about Simcoe’s situation.
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 is the first ever matchup between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the WHL’s newest expansion team, the Penticton Vees. Not much history to discuss. Kanjyu Gojsic is the only Oil King to have ever played the Penticton Vees, and he has 2 points in 3 games against the franchise.
Penticton’s inaugural season has been impressive to start. They are 10-7-2-2 through 21 games played, sitting 4th in the Western Conference going into tonight’s game. They sit 3 points ahead of the Victoria Royals, and 7 points ahead of the Vancouver Giants in the tight Western Conference standings. Edmonton will look to get a good start to the all-time record with a victory in this one, as this will be the only time this season that the two teams meet.
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.
In the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft, Penticton selected 13 players from WHL Clubs, and made trades with 7 other clubs in place of selections, to complete their inaugural roster. Of those selections, Edmonton Oil Kings 2008-born goaltender Kaenan Smith was taken with the 2nd pick of the Expansion Draft. Penticton selected three other goaltenders along the way, and Smith is not on the roster this year and will not have to face the team he was taken from this year.
Leading the way for Penticton is rookie forward Jacob Kvasnicka, a New York Islanders Draft Pick who has made the switch to the WHL quite quickly this year. He has 26 points through 21 games and received a Rookie of the Week nod in mid October. He’s an aggressive forward with high end speed and not afraid to take any angle at the net that’s given to him.
Their captain Nolan Stevenson brings a veteran presence to the defense that has molded a tight group in front of their goaltending duo. As a 20-year-old draftee from the Swift Current Broncos, he has been the leader this new team needed to start their franchise off right. With 9 powerplay assists, watch for him to be the one running the powerplay on any Vees opportunities.
In net, the Vees chose to go with a pairing of Andrew Reyelts (Wenatchee Wild) and Jesse Sanche (Everett Silvertips) while they let Smith continue to develop as a 17 year old. Sanche has struggled to be consistent, but Reyelts has shown starter qualities as he has gone 9-3-2-1 in his starts and holds an impressive .910 Sv% and 2.39 GAA on the year.
Penticton is among the teams with the fewest goals allowed on the year, so expect goals to be tough to come by for Edmonton this year. However Penticton has also been in the lower tier of goals scored as well. This game could turn out to look very similar to the low-scoring, tight contest against the Royals last week.
The road trip continues to roll in the right direction. Injuries keep popping up, but the Oil Kings keep absorbing them and finding answers. Penticton is establishing an identity and will want to make a strong first impression. Edmonton is building one of their own and arrives with momentum, purpose, and an eight-game streak pushing behind them. One franchise is writing the first chapter of their story. The other is trying to keep theirs rolling. You can watch the game for free on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio. Puck Drop is at 7:35pm local Edmonton time. The next game will be Tomorrow Night in Kelowna as the Oil Kings stick around the Okanagan for a matchup with Joe Iginla’s older brother.. Make sure you’re following us here at The Roil Line for all future Roil Briefings!