(Image Credit: rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Ian Gustafson

54 saves by Kondro

Rebels upset Tigers in 5-4 OT victory

Feb 13, 2026 | 10:40 PM

It wasn’t a perfect night for the Red Deer Rebels, but an outstanding performance from goaltender Matthew Kondro earned the Rebels a 5-4 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers in overtime.

In front of 4,035 fans at the Centrium on Friday night, Kondro stood on his head and made 54 saves.

The Rebels were outshot by their opponents 58-24, and head coach Marc Habscheid said the young netminder won the game for them.

“Sometimes your goalie’s got to play, and he played tonight and got the win. On the other side, our guys gutted it out and found a way,” he said. “[Kondro’s] played okay for us this year, and sometimes during the season, you’re not going to have your game, and we didn’t. We went through different line combinations, systems, and you name it, and we just didn’t have a great night. I’ll take the blame for that, and we needed our goalie to come through.”

In the extra frame, forward Poul Andersen scored with 38.8 seconds to go on the offensive rush off a nice feed from Beckett Hamilton.

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Cue the boots – the barn went wild!#RDREBELS #WHL https://t.co/vpgFe1rejR

— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) February 14, 2026

With the win, the Rebels remain in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, which is the final playoff spot, with 44 points. They are also just one point back from the seventh-place Moose Jaw Warriors.

“To find a way to win, especially with the position we’re in, is crucial,” Habscheid said. “We did find a way to win, our goalie bailed us out, and we got some timely goals.”

rdnewsNOW caught up with Beckett Hamilton after the game. Hear what he has to say in the video below:

@rdnewsnow Rebels forward Beckett Hamilton after an important 5-4 OT victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday. #WHL #Rebels ♬ original sound – rdnewsNOW

The Rebels struck first in the opening period thanks to a tally from Hamilton.

The club’s leading scorer gathered the puck behind the net off the feed from Owen DeWitt and tucked it in on the right side. This came after Tigers rookie netminder Carter Casey misplayed the puck behind the net.

Take it home, Hamilton! #RDREBELS #WHL https://t.co/K9TfBJYs9c

— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) February 14, 2026

With just under a minute left in the first period, Tigers forward Noah Davidson found the equalizer with a one-timer from the slot, assisted by Markus Ruck.

In the second period, the Tigers took the lead 31 seconds in off a snipe by Markus Ruck from the right circle. He was left wide open after his brother Liam fed him from the right corner.

With 14.7 seconds left in the second, captain Talon Brigley scored his 17th goal of the season while on a five-on-three power play.

While stick handling near the left side of the net, the veteran forward attempted a pass through the crease when it redirected off a defender and in.

TALON BRIGLEY🫡🫡🫡@Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/7VpY31qdBV

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 14, 2026

The Rebels then took a 3-2 lead 1:20 into the third period.

While still on the man advantage, Rebels defenceman Nate Yellowaga blasted one in from the blue line, assisted by Poul Andersen and Patrick Sopiarz.

LIGHT WORK, NO REACTION.

Nate Yellowaga takes the lead!👏👏@Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/dbRX5X1Vcy

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 14, 2026

However, 32 seconds later, the Tigers tied the game once again with a tally from Yaroslav Bryzgalov.

In the third period, Hamilton scored his second goal of the game with 8:03 to go from the left circle.

With just a few minutes remaining, the Rebels took a costly penalty to give the Tigers their second power play of the evening. The Rebels nearly killed it off, but forward Noah Davidson tipped in a shot past Kondro with 2:11 remaining.

In overtime, the Rebels came out on top thanks to the last-minute heroics by Andersen.

Next up, the Rebels will look to build on their momentum when they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Centrium