Above image: Everett Silvertips center Julius Miettinen, a Seattle Kraken 2024 draft pick, is named MVP of the Western Hockey League playoffs. Miettinen scored 14 postseason goals.
Conditions outside Prince Albert, Sask. were most unusual on the night of Friday, May 15 – a mid-May snowstorm. Conditions were equally rare inside Art Hauser Centre. For the first time in their 23-year franchise history, the Everett Silvertips were winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup, awarded to the champion of the WHL playoffs.
What’s below are photos and images from the ‘Tips 7-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders in the clinching Game 5, and the celebration that followed. Enjoy!
Shea Busch (38) led the way in Game 5, scoring a hat trick – a goal on all three shots he took.
The celly game is strong with this one. Defenseman Mattias Uyeda (28) picked a dandy time for his 2nd goal of the postseason, increasing the Everett lead to 2-0.
Kraken Prospect & Fellow Finn Packed 1-2 Punch
The Silvertips got terrific output from their Finnish import duo. Miettinen and Matias Vanhanen (37) were 1-2 in WHL playoff scoring, with 14 and 12 goals, respectively. Onneksi olkoon! (Congratulations!)
Let the dogpile begin.
Let the dogpile continue.
Goalie Anders Miller only arrived in Everett last October, after a trade from the Calgary Hitmen. The Anchorage, AK native sparkled in the posteason with 16 wins, a 1.91 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
Everett’s Ed Chynoweth Cup Runneth Over
Unofficial motto of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: “They always get their man.” Even more unofficial RCMP motto: “They always carry the WHL championship trophy to center ice.”
The Silvertips dominated the WHL in 2025-26, winning 57 regular season games while losing 11, and bulldozing through four playoff rounds with a 16-2 record. Never all season, regular or post, did they lose consecutive games.
Silvertips Latest To Represent Evergreen State
Since adopting its current four-team format in 1983, this will be the seventh time the Memorial Cup will include a junior team from Washington State. The Silvertips, of course, are making their first appearance.
This round-robin tournament includes the three Canadian Hockey League champions (WHL, OHL and QMJHL) and the team from the host city. This year, that team is the Kelowna Rockets from Kelowna, BC.
The Seattle Thunderbirds reached the 2023 Memorial Cup Final, losing to the Quebec Remparts. The T-Birds also made the tournament as WHL champs in 2017 and 1992.
The Spokane Chiefs have twice won the Memorial Cup, in 2008 and 1991. The Chiefs also participated in the tournament in 1998.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken 2026-’27 Outlook; First, The Good News
— Kraken 2026-’27; Now, The Bad News
