The Everett Silvertips are one win from the first Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history after beating the Prince Albert Raiders 5-2 in Game 4 of the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien on Wednesday at the Art Hauser Centre. In front of an over-capacity crowd of 3,299, Everett answered every push from the Raiders and took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Julius Miettinen set the tone 32 seconds into the game, scoring his 14th goal of the postseason before Prince Albert settled in. Brandon Gorzynski, back in the Raiders lineup after missing time since Game 3 of the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series presented by Nutrien, tied it 9:53 into the second period with his fifth goal of the playoffs. Everett answered late in the period when Rylan Gould scored with 1:17 left to restore the lead and quiet the building for a moment.
The third period turned the game for good. Carter Bear made it 3-1 with a power-play goal 4:24 into the period, his seventh goal of the postseason, before Justice Christensen cut the margin again for Prince Albert. Shea Busch then pushed Everett ahead 4-2 with 9:40 left, scoring his fourth goal of the postseason after a pass from Zack Shantz, and Matias Vanhanen finished it with an empty-net goal with 2:25 remaining in regulation.
Everett coach Steve Hamilton called it a grind and said his team had to bend without breaking. He pointed to timely offense, strong goaltending and key penalty kills as the difference. Prince Albert coach Ryan McDonald said his team played hard to the end and liked its compete, but the Raiders could not overcome Everett’s start or its response each time the game tightened.
The matchup also featured several NHL-affiliated prospects, adding another layer to a series that has grown more physical and more urgent with each game. For Everett, the result carries simple stakes: it can claim the championship with one more victory. For Prince Albert, the next game is survival.
Busch said he had to credit his linemate Zack Shantz for the goal and called himself lucky to see it go in. Gorzynski, who said it was a no-brainer when Duane Bartley gave him the choice to play, said it was special to score and even more special to be on the ice for a championship game. He also captured the feeling around the night with one question: how many times do you get to play in the Championship Series?
