(Image Credit: Randy Feere/Medicine Hat Tigers)

By Ian Gustafson

Will face P.A. Raiders

Rebels clinch WHL playoff spot despite loss to Tigers

Mar 21, 2026 | 9:56 PM

The Red Deer Rebels are headed back to the Western Hockey League playoffs.

They clinched a spot in the 2026 postseason on Saturday evening, despite an 8-3 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers.

They earned their spot after the Swift Current Broncos defeated the Moose Jaw Warriors. The ninth-placed Warriors were looking to overtake the Rebels with a victory but fell short.

As a result, the Rebels held on to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference standings with a 26-36-4-2 record. It marks the first time Red Deer will play postseason hockey since the 2023-24 campaign, where they were eliminated in the second round by the Saskatoon Blades.

They’ll now face the mighty Prince Albert Raiders, who clinched first place in the conference, in the first round of the playoffs.

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The full schedule will be announced on Sunday, but we do know the Rebels will host Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1 at the Centrium.

In the game on Saturday at Co-op Place, the Tigers scored the first four goals in the first period to take a commanding lead.

The first two came from Andrew Basha and Kade Stengrim before they were even five minutes into the game. Later in the frame, Veeti Vaisanen and Liam Ruck extended the Tigers’ lead.

However, Red Deer finally got on the board with 3:24 to go in the first period with a power play marker from Poul Andersen.

He ripped a one-timer from the left side of the offensive zone off the feed from forward Beckett Hamilton on the team’s first man advantage of the evening.

POOOOOOOOOUL ANDERSEN🚨🚨🚨@Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/cmTPAxsU1o

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 22, 2026

The Tigers picked up where they left off with a goal from Basha 37 seconds into the second period, followed by another approximately four minutes later from Noah Davidson to lead 6-1.

Red Deer made up some ground with a goal from their captain, Talon Brigley, who knocked in the rebound on the power play near the midway point of the middle frame.

The Tigers then went on to add two more power-play goals before the second intermission from Markus Ruck and Dayton Reschny.

In the third period, the Rebels notched their third power play goal of the game, scored by forward Kalder Varga.

In net, goaltender Matthew Kondro made the start but was replaced in the first period by Peyton Shore after Kondro let in four goals. Shore made 25 saves on 29 shots.