Q: When is Silvertips WCF Game 1 vs the Penticton Vees?
A: Game 1 of the WHL Western Conference Final is Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:05 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Game 2 follows Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM PT, also in Everett. Everett enters the series 7-0 in the playoffs after sweeping past Tri-City and dispatching Kelowna 4-1 in Round 2.

Silvertips Open the Western Conference Final at Home Thursday Night — Here’s Everything You Need Before Puck Drop

This is the part of the playoff run where Everett gets to find out exactly how good it is. The Silvertips are perfect through two rounds. The Penticton Vees just punched the last ticket to the Western Conference Final after eliminating Prince George in six. The two best teams in the WHL’s Western Conference start their series Thursday night in Everett — and if you’ve been waiting for a reason to get to Angel of the Winds Arena this spring, this is it.

Game 1 is Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 PM PT. Game 2 is Saturday, April 25 at 6:30 PM PT. Both at home. The series then shifts to Penticton for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday. If a Game 5 is needed, it comes back to Everett.

How Everett Got Here

The Silvertips finished the regular season with 117 points on a 57-8-2-1 record — the franchise’s best regular-season showing in 12 years. Then they swept Tri-City. Then they took out Kelowna in five games, with Landon DuPont’s overtime winner 29 seconds into OT closing out Game 5. They’re 7-0 in the postseason.

Through those seven games, they’ve outscored opponents 40-9. That isn’t a typo. The defense has been a brick wall and the offense has been opportunistic when it needs to be — and a sledgehammer when it doesn’t.

The Goalie Matchup Is the Story

Anders Miller has been ridiculous. His .948 save percentage in this postseason is the best in WHL history for any goaltender with nine or more playoff games. His goals-against average sits at 1.55 — the league lead. He held Kelowna to one goal in Game 5 with 30 saves on 31 shots. He’s the most important reason Everett is here.

Penticton’s AJ Reyelts is no slouch either. He’s posted a 2.44 GAA and a .914 save percentage in the playoffs. And the part that should make Silvertips fans pay attention: Reyelts went 1-1-1-0 with a .929 save percentage against Everett in the regular season. He has seen these guys, and he has shut them down before.

The Players to Watch

For Everett, the names you already know are doing what they do. Landon DuPont leads all WHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 13 points (3G, 10A) — and his shot from the point is the kind of weapon that decides series. Matias Vanhanen has 14 points (7G, 7A) and has been Everett’s most consistent forward in the postseason. Carter Bear has 10 playoff goals and a habit of scoring shorthanded when the team needs it most. Julius Miettinen has eight playoff goals — second most in the entire postseason — and he’s also a Seattle Kraken prospect, which means there are NHL eyes on every shift.

For Penticton, the load is being carried by Jacob Kvasnicka (13 points, 7G, 6A), Ryden Evers (11 points), and Louie Wehmann (11 points). Kvasnicka, notably, is the only Vees skater drafted by an NHL club. Evers is also a Seattle Kraken prospect, so Saturday and Thursday nights are essentially a Kraken pipeline showcase between the two benches.

The Regular-Season History Gives the Vees a Little Hope

This isn’t a series Penticton should walk into terrified. The two teams played four times in the regular season. Everett won the season series 3-1, but the one Vees win was a 7-0 road shutout that handed the Silvertips their first regulation loss after Everett opened the year 10-0-1. The teams scored 15 goals each across the four meetings.

So Penticton has both proof of concept and proof of vulnerability — they know what it looks like when the Silvertips lose, because they’re the ones who made it happen.

What’s at Stake

The winner of this series goes to the WHL Championship — the Ed Chynoweth Cup Final — and from there to the Memorial Cup. Everett hasn’t been to a Conference Final since the 2017-18 season. They haven’t won a league championship since 2017. The pieces are all in place this year, and the bracket has set up about as cleanly as a top seed could ask for.

For the Vees, this is their first WHL Conference Final since making the jump from junior A to the WHL. A team that didn’t even exist at this level a few years ago is now two series away from a Memorial Cup berth.

Getting to the Game

Doors at Angel of the Winds Arena open about an hour before puck drop. The arena is at 2000 Hewitt Avenue in downtown Everett, with paid garage parking next door and street parking around the perimeter. Tickets for Game 1 and Game 2 are still available through the Silvertips’ official site and Ticketmaster as of Wednesday night, though lower-bowl options are getting thin for Game 2.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to come back to a Silvertips game, this is it. The team hasn’t been this good in over a decade. The arena is going to be loud. And the Western Conference Final only happens here every few seasons — when it does, you don’t miss it.

The Full Series Schedule

• Game 1: Thursday, April 23 — Penticton at Everett, 7:05 PM PT, Angel of the Winds Arena
• Game 2: Saturday, April 25 — Penticton at Everett, 6:30 PM PT, Angel of the Winds Arena
• Game 3: Monday, April 27 — Everett at Penticton
• Game 4: Tuesday, April 28 — Everett at Penticton
• Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, May 1 — Penticton at Everett
• Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, May 3 — Everett at Penticton
• Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, May 5 — Penticton at Everett

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is Game 1?
Game 1 is Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 PM PT at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.

Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets are available through everettsilvertips.com and Ticketmaster. Lower-bowl seats for Game 2 are getting limited — check early.

Who are the Penticton Vees?
The Vees are a relatively new WHL franchise that made the jump from junior A. They beat Prince George in six games to advance to the Western Conference Final.

What is Anders Miller’s playoff save percentage?
.948 — the highest save percentage in WHL playoff history for a goaltender with nine or more games played.

Who leads the Silvertips in playoff scoring?
Matias Vanhanen leads with 14 points (7G, 7A). Landon DuPont leads all WHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 13 points.

Can the Silvertips win the Memorial Cup this year?
They have to win this series first, then the WHL Championship, but they enter the Conference Final as the strongest team statistically in the entire CHL postseason.

When was the last time Everett made the Western Conference Final?
The 2017-18 season. The last WHL Championship was 2017.

Is there a Game 5 in Everett?
Yes, if the series is tied or close after Game 4. Game 5 would be Friday, May 1 at Angel of the Winds Arena.