Talk about snapping a slump in style. After dropping three straight games, the Red Deer Rebels returned to the Marchant Crane Centrium last night and treated the hometown faithful to a 6-4 goal-fest victory over the rival Saskatoon Blades. It wasn’t just a much-needed two points; it was an explosive offensive statement that vaulted the Rebels (8-4-1-1) right back to the top of the Central Division standings. Fans on social media were buzzing over the electric energy in the building, especially during a chaotic, five-goal second period where the team proved they could weather a heavy counter-punch and keep their feet firmly on the gas.
The big story of the night belonged to the youth movement, leaving the Rebels faithful incredibly excited about the club’s future depth. Rookie forward Paxson Madill had a massive breakout performance, factoring into three goals with a slick tally of his own and two prime assists to earn top praise from the fan base. Combined with a thrilling penalty-shot goal from fellow rookie Cash Arcand-Vandale that absolutely energized the bench, the Rebels showed they have the grit and secondary scoring required to be a serious threat in the WHL. Though a late third-period push from the Blades tested everyone’s nerves, the boys held strong until Jake Banicevic iced it with a long-range empty-netter, leaving no doubt that Red Deer is ready to defend their turf.
Shots on goal in the scoreless first period were 8-5 for the Blades.
Former Medicine Hat Tiger and Colorado College commit Hayden Harsanyi opens the scoring at 4:42 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Russian Yegor Gusev and David Lewandowski.–In the second period, the Saskatoon Blades went ahead with 15:18 left after a redirected puck in front of the net bounced free to forward Hayden Harsanyi, who finished it off.
Cole Temple tied the game up on the Power Play for the Rebels at 8:21 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Patrick Sopiarz and Cameron Kuzma.–Just under four minutes later, Rebels forward Cole Temple tied the game with a shot from in front that slipped under the goaltender’s pad. Forwards Patrick Sopiarz and Cameron Kuzma collected the assists on the power-play goal.
Paxon Madill gives the Rebels a 2-1 lead at 11:50 of the second period. The assist on the goal went to fellow Minnesotan Poul Andersen.–Madill notched his first WHL goal around the midway mark. After beating a defender on the rush, he rifled a shot over the goaltender’s blocker to put his team up 2-1.
Saskatoon ties the game up with almost a copy of their first goal at 12:54 of the second period when 20 year old Hunter Laing scored his 8th goal of the season. The assists on the goal went to Brayden Klimpke and Kazden Mazies.–Barely sixty seconds later, Hunter Laing found the back of the net to level the score at 2-2 for the Blades. It was a tough break for Red Deer, as another unfortunate deflection sent the puck sliding past their goaltender.
Beckett Hamilton makes it a 3-2 game with his 10th goal of the season with only 3 seconds left in the 2nd period at 19:57. The assists on the goal went to Paxon Madill and Kaden Meyer.–With only 2.7 seconds remaining in the second frame, Hamilton put the Rebels out front ahead of the final period. He buried a quick shot into a yawning cage after a slick give-and-go with Madill pulled the goaltender completely out of position.
Shots on goal in the second period were 15 each
Cash Arcand-Vandale scores his first WHL goal on a penalty shot to make it a 4-2 game for the Rebelsa t 2:09 of the third period. Thats his first goal in the WHL.–In the third period, Rebels rookie Cash Arcand-Vandale scored on a penalty shot early in the frame after he was hooked on a breakaway attempt.
Poul Andersen makes it 5-2 for the Rebels at 6:39 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Paxson Madill and Zeb Lindgren.–The Rebels kept their foot on the gas as forward Poul Andersen cashed in from the doorstep, converting a feed from Madill.
Kazden Mathies gives the Blades some life at 17:01 of the third period to get the Blades within 2. The assists on the goal went to Brayden Klimpke and Gavin Andersen.
Blades make it 5-4 with their goalie pulled at 17:56 of the third period when Kazden Mathies scores his second of the game on the Power Play. The assists on the goal went to Hunter Laing and David Lewandowski.
Jake Banicevic with a bankshot empty net goal with 7 seconds left at 19:53 sealed the game making it 6-4. The assist on the goal went to Zeb Lindgren.
Shots on goal in the third period were 18-8 for the Rebels. The Rebels outshot the Blades 38-31 in the game
For the Rebels Matthew Kondro made 27 saves on the 31 shots he faced for the win for the Rebels. For the Blades Martin Psohlevec made 33 saves on the 37 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Paxson Madill 2) Kazden Mathies 3) Cash Arcand-Vandale
Attendance in Red Deer was 2584
Rebels next game is Friday October 30th against the Calgary Hitmen in Red Deer
The Saskatoon Blades acquired 19-year-old goaltender Koen Cleaver from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Monday in exchange for a ninth-round pick in the 2029 WHL Prospects Draft. Cleaver, a 6-foot-2 product of Port Alberni, B.C., was the first goalie taken in the 2022 WHL draft when Lethbridge selected him in the third round. He had appeared in 76 regular-season games over parts of five seasons with the Hurricanes, posting a 24-41-2-1 record, 4.25 goals-against average and .872 save percentage with three shutouts. This season he was 2-3 with a 3.85 GAA and .871 save percentage in six games while serving as the backup to Leif Oaten. He also made two playoff appearances during Lethbridge’s 2025 run to the Eastern Conference Final, stopping all 23 shots he faced.Chl
Cleaver had been strong in limited action lately, coming on in relief for both of the Hurricanes’ weekend games and stopping every shot he saw—10 against Swift Current on Friday and 17 the next night against Red Deer, where he earned first-star honours in a 4-3 overtime win. With Oaten expected to handle the bulk of the workload in Lethbridge, the move gives Cleaver a fresh start and a chance to form a tandem with the Blades’ Martin Psohlavec. Still, more than a few observers felt the Hurricanes could have squeezed out something better than a late-round 2029 pick for a solid, experienced backup with that kind of track record and upside.