(Red Deer Rebels/ Taylor Lachance)

By Ian Gustafson

Postseason aspirations

Red Deer Rebels playoff hopes on the line this weekend

Mar 6, 2025 | 3:30 PM

To say this weekend’s slate of games for the Red Deer Rebels is important for their playoff chances, would be an understatement.

With nine games to go in the Western Hockey League regular season, the Rebels are 11 points back from the Swift Current Broncos for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Riding a three game win streak, Red Deer has two games on hand this weekend. The first is against the red hot Medicine Hat Tigers who are 9-1 in their last 10 games and first in the conference.

They’ll welcome the Tigers to the Centrium on Friday night and on Saturday they’ll face the Broncos in a must-win game in Red Deer.

“Every day is a playoff day for us,” said Rebels head coach Dave Struch.

Discriminatory Slurs

Sundre RCMP investigating damage to NDP election signs

7h ago

For properties

Lacombe County avoids increase in municipal tax rate

9h ago

4 new cases

AHS reports 30 confirmed cases of measles in central zone after recent exposures

12h ago

“We have to win hockey games. We’ve been very persistent with that and our players have responded well daily. For us, we’ll get ready here today. It’s a playoff day for us and we go into tomorrow against Medicine Hat like it’s a playoff game. We have to win that one before Saturday so that’s our focus right now.”

If Red Deer loses both matchups and Swift Current wins both of their games, the Rebels will miss the postseason.

However, two wins for the Rebels and a pair of losses by the Broncos would bring Red Deer to within seven points of the playoffs, with 14 available points to close the season.

“I think we’re feeling really good about our game,” said defenceman Jace Weir. “These are really big games and it’s nice we’re at home for both. Our whole team has been on a hot streak here for a little bit and we’re hoping to keep that going.”

The Rebels have come up clutch as of late. A big part of that has been the health of the team that’s been able to dress a full roster down the stretch after losing key players at different times throughout the season. With the exception of forward Jaxon Fuder and goaltender Chase Wutzke, the team now has a clean bill of health.

They recently defeated the Calgary Hitmen 2-1 to kick start the win streak followed by a 10-2 blow out over the Kelowna Rockets.

On Tuesday, they also defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-2 to continue their success.

“I think every game you’re going into it trying to play your best and give it your all,” added Weir, who’s in his final season with the Rebels. “We can only control what we can control and I thought we’ve been doing that really well over the last couple of weeks. If we can keep this going and do what’s in our hands, we’ll see what happens.”

Fellow 20-year-old Jhett Larson, who will also be graduating from the club at the end of the season, doesn’t want to see his campaign end so soon.

“I’ve been here so long, it’s home now… It’s going to come down tight with the playoff run but I’m just trying to make it worth my while here and have some fun,” Larson said.

“We’re just going to treat it one game at a time. The first game obviously is tough against Medicine Hat. I haven’t played them for a while and they look like a brand new team. It’s going to be a great game with the way we’ve been playing. We’re a great team too.”

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the rdnewsNOW newsletter here. You can also download the rdnewsNOW mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.