Start your engines!
For the second time in three seasons, the Prince George Cougars and Spokane Chiefs are set to battle in Round One of the 2026 WHL Playoffs.
Just a handful of players remain from those teams, but they all come in with much to prove and high expectations on their shoulders.
The Spokane Chiefs look to mount another deep run after battling all the way to the 2025 WHL Championship Series, while the Prince George Cougars look to convert years of regular-season success to playoff glory.
Prince George is coming off a third straight season with 30 or more wins with a deep roster that features six players with 20 or more goals, including Washington Capitals first-rounder Terik Parascak, top 2026 NHL Draft defensive prospect Carson Carels, and waiver pickup Kooper Gizowski.
The Cougars have iced some of the WHL’s best special teams, with Gizowski sitting second in the league in powerplay goals (17) and Carels ranking third in powerplay assists (27).
In net, 2025 San Jose Sharks first-round pick Joshua Ravensbergen is on a career tear and now leads the WHL in active wins (91) while helping the Cats tie as the third-stingiest club.
Spokane has revamped and found its groove in the second half of the year to slide into the postseason.
Captain and Toronto Maple Leafs pick Nathan Mayes and St. Louis pick Will McIsaac will anchor the Chiefs’ blueline and try to shutdown Prince George’s wily forwards.
General Manager Matt Bardsley made waves on the trade front by bringing in veteran Logan Wormald in December, but the biggest move came in sending Mathis Preston to Vancouver in exchange for another draft-eligible forward in Tyus Sparks and defenceman Marek Howell.
Sparks has been just shy of a point per game with his new club, netting 12 goals (including two game-winners) and 16 assists for 28 points in 29 contests.
Sophomore Carter Esler has also been a bright spot in his first turn as a starter, most notably logging a WHL-best five shutouts.
Prince George swept the season series with four wins, but two of those victories came way back in the opening weekend of the season.
Game 1 is set for Friday, March 27, in the Northern Capital.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. PT at the CN Centre before the series shifts south of the border for Game 3 on March 30 at Numerica Veterans Arena.