By Cami Kepke via Western Hockey League

RED DEER, Alta. - Manitoba put an exclamation point on its pristine run at the 2025 WHL Cup with a 6-1 win over British Columbia in the title match.

Tournament-leading scorer Athens Shingoose (Prince Albert Raiders / Waywayseecappo, Man.) continued his torrid pace by opening the scoring with a breakaway snapshot just before the halfway mark of the first period.

Despite piling on the shots, it remained 1-0 for Manitoba until the early goings of the second frame.

That’s when Brady Filmon (Prince Albert Raiders / Winnipeg, Man.) sprang Owen Murray (Everett Silvertips / Winnipeg, Man.) for another breakaway and another goal as Murray pulled up to outwait the sprawling goaltender and roof the puck into a yawning net.

British Columbia would slice the lead in half as Logan Henry (Regina Pats / Prince George, B.C.) swung behind the Manitoba net and centered for a Peter Banicevic (Penticton Vees / Burnaby, B.C.) powerplay tally.

The third period saw Manitoba dominate on the man advantage as the prairie squad bagged three consecutive powerplay goals.

Crewe Schimnowski (Portland Winterhawks / Winnipeg, Man.) started the onslaught with a deft wrister that was set up by Cole Landreville (Edmonton Oil Kings / St. Claude, Man.) before captain Dylan Russell (Red Deer Rebels / Winnipeg, Man.) got the final stick on a scrambled play in front of the B.C. net.

Schimnowski and Landreville linked up once more with under seven minutes left in regulation as Landreville wired a long shot on net with Schimnowski wide open in the slot to bury the rebound with a swift one-timer.

Talon Scinocca (Penticton Vees / Brandon, Man.) capped off the scoring with an empty-netter and a 6-1 final.

Logan German (Kelowna Rockets / Winnipeg, Man.) denied 27 of 28 shots (.964 save percentage) and Jack Utsunomiya (Penticton Vees / Delta, B.C.) stopped 39 of 44 (.886 save percentage).

Banicevic earned Player of the Game honours for B.C., while Owen Murray added to his collection of hardware as Manitoba’s top skater.

Alberta captured bronze with a 4-2 win over Saskatchewan earlier in the day.

But Saskatchewan struck first with one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament.

Up against two Alberta defenders, Dawson Baht (Penticton Vees / Martensville, Sask.) wove through both of his opponents before working a toe-drag release for a low blocker goal.

Less than a minute later, Weston Kostiuk (Swift Current Broncos / Martensville, Sask.) doubled the lead with his first tally of the tournament.

But Alberta managed to get on the board before the end of the period after Cohenn Rotar (Swift Current Broncos / Grade Prairie, Alta.) made a long wrist shot and followed it to the net, finally tucking it home after the puck slipped loose behind the Saskatchewan goaltender.

The host province levelled the match in the second period after Luke Huska (Swift Current Broncos / Calgary, Alta.) set up Dylan Sherban (Seattle Thunderbirds / Rockyview, Alta.) for a one-timer in the slot with a backhanded centering pass.

Alberta took its first lead in the third frame as Ben Oliverio (Tri-City Americans / Calgary, Alta.) posted up in front of the Saskatchewan net to convert a low feed from Chace Turchak (Red Deer Rebels / Calgary, Alta.).

The markers from the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft ninth-overall pick would stand as the bronze medal-winner, with Turchak adding some insurance with an empty-netter.

Chase Nielson (Red Deer Rebels / Fort MacLeod, Alta.) put forward a winning performance with 14 stops on 16 shots (.875 save percentage), while Ben Meyer was solid with 41 saves on 44 shots (.931 save percentage).

Baht and Sherban were recognized as Player of the Game for each of their teams.

WHL Cup All-Star Team

• F- Reid Nicol, Manitoba (Everett Silvertips / Brandon, Man.)
• F- Kalen Miles, Alberta (Wenatchee Wild / Edmonton, Alta.)
• F- Justin Moon, British Columbia (Tri-City Americans / Surrey, B.C.)
• D- Cruz Jim, Alberta (Brandon Wheat Kings / Grande Prairie, Alta.)
• D- Crosby Mateychuk, Manitoba (Vancouver Giants / Dominion City, Man.)
• G- Logan German, Manitoba (Kelowna Rockets / Winnipeg, Man.)

Athens Shingoose (Prince Albert Raiders / Waywayseecappo, Man.) finished as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and scoring leader with 12 points (6G-6A) in five games, highlighted by a hat trick against Saskatchewan in round-robin action.