The Red Deer Rebels are proving they won’t back down easily.
That was clear on Wednesday night when they battled their way to a gritty 3-2 victory in regulation time against Swift Current. The win kept the Broncos from locking up the last playoff spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, showing the Rebels are determined to keep their postseason hopes alive. But lets be realistic here. The Broncos only need one point to clinch the last playoff spot. Rebels have to win every single game. Broncos have to lose every single one. Oh yeah the Broncos play the Mighty Moose Jaw Warriors 2 more times. Oh and Regina 2 more times. The last place teams in the conference. So yeah, The Rebels may as well book tee times now because their odds of going to the playoffs to get the honor of being swept in the first round by Medicine Hat is not going to happen. Swift Current can do that.
Jaxon Fuder scored his 10th goal of the season, and first since returning from injury to make it a 1-0 gamee at 15:06 of the first period. The assists on the goal going to Doogan Pederson and Jake Missura.
Shots on goal in the first period were 9 each.
Doogan Pederson made it a 2-0 game on a onetimer from the face off circle at 9:44 of the second period the assists went to Jhett Larson and Ollie Josephson.
Brett Calhoon made it 3-0 on the Power Play at 12:23 of the first period when he snipes one top corner while waiting in the slot. The helpers on the goal went to Gleb Semenev and Derek Thurston.
Former Blackfalds Bulldog/Okotoks Oiler Otto Hanson got his second goal of the season for the Broncos at 15:42 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Swift Current native Parker Rondeau and Kurt Rookes
Shots on goal in the second period were 12-6 for the Rebels
2024 Seattle Kraken 5th rounder Clarke Caswell got the Broncos within one when he scored at 3:09 of the third period while on the Power Play. Assists on the goal went to former Rebel D Man Hunter Mayo and Rylan Gould.
Shots on goal in the third period were 7 each. The Rebels outshot the Broncos 29-22 in the game.
Peyton Shore made 20 saves on the 22 shots that he faced for the win for the Rebels. For the Broncos Reid Dyck made 25 saves on the 28 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Clarke Caswell 2) Brett Calhoon 3) Parker Rondeau
Attendance in Swift Current was 2475
The Rebels next game is Friday March 14th against the Prince Albert Raiders
Several Red Deer Rebels players are included in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s mid-season rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft, released on January 14, 2025. Here’s where they stand among North American skaters:
- Matthew Gard (Forward, born 2007) – Ranked 42nd
- Luke Vlooswyk (Defence, born 2007) – Ranked 109th
- Jaxon Fuder (Forward, born 2006) – Ranked 170th
- Derek Thurston (Defence, born 2006) – Ranked 192nd
- Ty Coupland (Forward, born 2007) – Ranked 195th
These rankings reflect their positions among the top 224 North American skaters evaluated by NHL Central Scouting. No Rebels goaltenders were listed in the top 32 North American goaltenders for this mid-season update. Note that these are mid-season rankings, and the final rankings will be released closer to the draft in June 2025, so their positions could shift based on performance throughout the season.