Silvertips vs. Penticton Vees Western Conference Final Preview: Two Games at Home This Weekend

When and where is Silvertips vs. Penticton Vees Game 1?
Game 1 of the 2026 WHL Western Conference Final is Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 7:05 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Game 2 is Saturday, April 25, at 6:30 PM PT, also in Everett. The Silvertips host the expansion Penticton Vees in a best-of-seven series, with the winner advancing to the WHL Final and a Memorial Cup berth in Kelowna.

Two wins away from the WHL Final. Four wins away from the Memorial Cup in Kelowna. And it all starts Thursday night at Angel of the Winds Arena.

The Everett Silvertips open the Western Conference Final at home against the Penticton Vees on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 7:05 PM PT. Game 2 follows Saturday, April 25, at 6:30 PM PT. Both games are at Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett, and if you’ve been waiting all season for the playoff run to come home, this is the weekend to be there.

How the Silvertips Got Here

Everett’s road to the Western Conference Final started with the best regular season a WHL team has posted in more than a decade. The Silvertips finished 57-8-2-1 with 117 points — the most a WHL club has recorded in 12 years — and captured the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the league’s regular-season champion.

They carried that form straight into the playoffs. Round 1 against the Prince George Cougars was a sweep. Round 2 against the Kelowna Rockets went five games and ended with one of the most memorable goals of the Silvertips’ season: defenseman Landon DuPont walking off Kelowna with an overtime winner 29 seconds into the extra frame, sending Everett through 4-1 in the series.

Carter Bear broke the deadlock in that Game 5 with a shorthanded goal in the third period. Raymond Miller stopped 30 of 31 shots. And DuPont — a finalist for WHL Defenseman of the Year — added another chapter to what is becoming a trophy-case season.

Meet the Penticton Vees

The Vees are the first-year WHL expansion team, and nothing about their first postseason has looked tentative. They beat the Prince George Cougars in six games in the Western Conference Semifinal, closing out the series in overtime on a goal from Jacob Kvasnicka, a New York Islanders prospect and Penticton’s only NHL draft pick.

Head-to-head in the regular season, Everett took three of four from Penticton, including both games in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre. DuPont led the Silvertips scoring against the Vees with six points in those four games. Kvasnicka piled up eight points (1 goal, 7 assists) against Everett and is the guy Silvertips fans should be watching every shift.

But regular season head-to-head means exactly what it always means in playoff hockey: a little, and not nearly as much as you’d like. The Vees already took down a top team in Prince George. They’ve earned the right to be called a threat.

Silvertips Players to Watch

Through two playoff rounds, Carter Bear and Landon DuPont each had 10 goals in the 2026 WHL playoffs — among the league leaders. Bear’s six-goal outburst in Round 1 against Kelowna was the kind of performance that rewrites an NHL Draft evaluation in real time. DuPont has been a complete player: offense, defense, and now overtime heroics.

Goaltender Raymond Miller has been steady through two rounds, including the 30-save performance in Game 5 that held a 2-1 lead against Kelowna when it mattered most. And shout-out to Steve Hamilton, a finalist for WHL Coach of the Year, who has this team playing the best hockey in the league from October through April.

What’s on the Line

The winner of this series heads to the WHL Final against either Prince Albert or Medicine Hat. The winner of that series heads to Kelowna for the 2026 Memorial Cup — the Canadian Hockey League championship and the biggest stage in junior hockey. The Silvertips have been to the WHL Final before. They have not won a Memorial Cup. A 117-point regular season and two decisive playoff rounds say this is the year to finish the job.

Tickets, Parking, and Getting to the Game

Game 1 and Game 2 tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Angel of the Winds Arena box office. Puck drop is 7:05 PM PT Thursday, 6:30 PM PT Saturday. The arena is at 2000 Hewitt Avenue in downtown Everett, and downtown parking fills up early on big playoff nights — plan to be there by 6:15 PM for Thursday’s game if you want to grab a pre-game bite at one of the Hewitt Avenue spots first.

If you’re new to Silvertips playoffs: the atmosphere at Angel of the Winds Arena on a big night is one of the best sports environments in the Puget Sound region. Loud. Local. Kids in hockey jerseys. The orange towels come out. If you’ve been telling yourself all year that you’d get to a game, this is the one.

Series Schedule

Game 1: Thursday, April 23 — Penticton at Everett, 7:05 PM PT
Game 2: Saturday, April 25 — Penticton at Everett, 6:30 PM PT
Game 3: Wednesday, April 29 — Everett at Penticton (if necessary)
Game 4: Friday, May 1 — Everett at Penticton (if necessary)
Game 5: Saturday, May 2 — Penticton at Everett (if necessary)
Game 6: Wednesday, May 6 — Everett at Penticton (if necessary)
Game 7: Friday, May 8 — Penticton at Everett (if necessary)

Schedule per Silvertips and WHL. Game times for later games in the series may shift slightly; confirm before heading out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do the Silvertips play in the Western Conference Final?

The expansion Penticton Vees, who won Round 2 against the Prince George Cougars 4-2 on a Jacob Kvasnicka overtime goal.

Where is Game 1?

Angel of the Winds Arena, 2000 Hewitt Avenue, Everett, WA. Puck drop Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 PM PT.

What was Everett’s regular season record?

57-8-2-1, 117 points — the best WHL regular season in 12 years and the 2025-26 Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy.

Who should I watch on the Silvertips?

Carter Bear and Landon DuPont each had 10 playoff goals through two rounds. DuPont is a finalist for WHL Defenseman of the Year. Raymond Miller in net has been sharp.