Young Rebels impress at annual black and white game

However, forward Cameron Kuzma tied the game in the second period for Team White off a pass from Swedish defenceman Zeb Lindgren.

Just seconds later, Arcand-Vandale scored from the left side of the net to put Team White on top 2-1.

In the third period, Team Black tied it at two with 1:57 left in the third period off the stick of captain Beckett Hamilton, assisted by Poul Andersen.

Despite Team Black’s efforts to get back in the game, Team White came out victorious.

Hamilton told the media after the game that there has been lots of competitiveness throughout training camp and his teammates played with high intensity.

“The boys are looking good. Obviously, [there’s been] lots of games, lots of one-on-one battles, but it’s been good,” he said. “I’m excited.”

He added that the intensity of the camp is what impressed him more than anything else.

“All of us are a pretty close group, but it’s great to see all of that competitiveness and the battle in games and practices. It’s really good to see,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton felt that a lot of the younger players made a great impression, including rookie forward Danny Ramazanov, who the Rebels selected in the first round of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.

“A lot of those guys impacted every game in their own way, so I’m excited to see what the future holds here this upcoming season,” Hamilton added.

Rebels head coach Brent Kisio said his team competed and has worked hard all week.

“To get to this game and see the competition that they had tonight, I thought we showed a lot of skill. We showed we had some skill, and we showed our work ethic. It’s good for the guys, and it’s a good start,” Kisio said.

The Rebels will now head into preseason action beginning this Friday in Calgary against the Hitmen, followed by a rematch in Red Deer on Saturday.

Red Deer will trim the roster down ahead of the preseason before finalizing it ahead of the season opener on Sept. 18.

Kisio said what he liked through training camp was the fact that the team’s competitive levels got better every day, as well as their pace and execution.

He said if you have those attributes, you’re going to be in a good spot.

“It’s early, but we’ll see when we are playing somebody else right away here. Then we’ll learn, and we’ll grow,” Kisio said.

The Rebels bench boss said he liked the way Paxson Madill played alongside Hamilton and added that the backend contains a lot of exciting players. He also liked how forward Chace Turchak played.

He admitted that there will be some tough decisions to be made on defence, with a mixture of returning talent and young faces in the mix.

“A lot of times it sorts itself out as you play along,” he added.

by Ian Gustafson

Young Rebels impress at annual black and white game

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