A trio of Oilers showcased their talents at the BCHL All-Star weekend in Spruce Grove

Written by: Scott Savard

Headline photo: Scott Savard

Okotoks, AB (January 21, 2026) – The Okotoks Oilers were well represented at the BCHL All-Star weekend in Spruce Grove on January 16 and 17, with captain Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB), Jordan Murray (Decker, MB), and Michael Mikan (Edina, MN) all making the trip while showcasing why they earned a ticket to the showcase.

Team Interior took the first game of the weekend 5-3, followed by Team Canada defeating Team World 7-2.

All three players made an impact, with Wilson making a sweet move against the Coastal Conference during the BCHL College Prospects game, earning the primary assist on Edvin Nilsson’s goal in the second period. Murray wouldn’t register a point, but started a play that he would end up getting the third assist to help team Interior take a 5-3 win, and was a threat every time he hit the ice, which earned him a ton of ice time.

Mikan would also get on the scoresheet in the Canada vs World All-Star game on Saturday as he picked up the game’s opening goal after banging home a rebound past Canada’s netminder Rhett Stoesser.

Not only was the weekend a great event for the trio of Oilers to show the league and scouts why they earned their All-Star selections, but it was also a place where they were able to interact and get to know other top talent across the BCHL.

“It was great, I met a lot of new faces around the league. It was a good experience, a great game, and I enjoyed the whole time,” Wilson said about the All-Star weekend. “It’s a great opportunity, everyone enjoyed it. There’s a ton of schools and some Chel (NHL) teams there, too, so it’s a huge opportunity to take seriously, and it could open some new doors.”

Wilson would end up playing on a line with Brandon Funk from the Saints and Braeden O’Keefe from the Sherwood Park Crusaders, two teams that the Oilers are currently chasing in the standings for a playoff spot.

“You go in with the mindset of, yeah, you are enemies before this, but you get to know them in the locker room and whatnot, but you realize ‘all right, you’re a player’. Obviously, you don’t know how they play exactly, but just kind of learn and adapt, and kind of started making things happen throughout the game. But, yeah, it’s neat to play with different players that have the same skill level,” he said about playing with two players whom he has and will continue to battle against this season.

Wilson made the most of his opportunities when called upon during the College Prospects game, which was evident with his highlight reel assist on Nilsson’s marker.

“I just followed up the play and then Nilsson, he rips it off the crossbar, it comes to me, and I see the defender’s legs, tall guy, like there was a big opening, I put the puck through (his legs). It works out, I get around him and then find an open man in the slot, wrapped around the defender, and then post and in,” Wilson explained about the play that led to his primary assist.

Along with Wilson, Murray also got an opportunity to showcase his talents during Friday’s BCHL College Prospect game.

“It was pretty fun. It was cool to meet some new guys, get to know the things that they do, and get an interesting look at different coaching styles, different ways teams present themselves. It was fun to go up with Mike (Mikan) and Willy (Wilson). Obviously, spend a little bit more time with those guys and get to know them even more, since showing up later into the season and just expanding my relationship with them a little bit more,” Murray explained about his experience.

Murray was happy with the opportunities he earned during the game, giving him tons of time to show college scouts why they should offer him a shot at post-secondary hockey.

“I felt pretty good. My D partner from Brooks, Deleau, was really fun to play with, and I got along with him really well. We were chatting a lot on the bench, and it was pretty quick chemistry with him, and they (Team Interior) were rolling all six defencemen pretty much, so all of us got our own opportunities to showcase ourselves, and they handled that really well as a coaching staff,” he said.

Just like Wilson, Murray was playing with a player from a division rival team, who he will be competing against this weekend. He added that Zachary Deleau from the Bandits was a player he had previously watched closely and was excited at the opportunity to play with the “smooth-skating” defender.

“At the start of the season, I noticed some of those guys’ names. So, I was watching the odd game of Brooks at the start of the year and picked him out as a pretty smooth-skating defenseman on their team right away. So playing against him on Tuesday (Jan. 13), I knew what he was capable of. Then, going in when they said that we were going to be D partners, it’s like ‘Oh, this is going to be a pretty good fit ‘. We both play similar, we played well together, and then it worked out really well. We had a good game together,” Murray said about playing with Deleau.”

While Murray couldn’t get credit for a tertiary assist, scouts in the arena saw the defenceman from Manitoba help set up the game’s opening goal, which came on the power play from Quincy Supprien.

“It was on the power play, I was on the halfwall on the breakout, and it got kicked out to me, picked it up in my skates and just dragged the defenceman as well as I could, and then I dropped it back to my D partner below there and he just fired it on net and a couple of rebounds off the scamble and the boys popped it in,” he added.

Not only did Murray get the opportunity to continue to grow his relationship with his current teammates, but the weekend also provided the chance to catch up with friends as well as former teammates with the Cranbrook Bucks, including Jack McMinn and Adam Csabi.

“Yeah, it was fun to see (McMinn) again, and Csabi was on our team as well, and then he played for Team World. It was amazing to see those guys again. I got along with them really well. Minner (McMinn), I was with him last year for the tail end of the season and then for the start of this year, and we got along really well, hung out with each other pretty much all day last year and the start of this season. It was really fun to see him again,” Murray said about McMinn.

As for players who will take part in the All-Star games in the future, Murray said, “Just go in there with an open mind and go in there calm. You’re going to be playing with people that you’re normally not playing with. So, just go out there and have fun. Expect some miscommunication, expect some things that you’re not used to happening, but if you’re going anywhere with an open mind, things will play smoothly, and it’s just a fun experience.”

While Wilson and Murray, who are veterans in the BCHL, took part in the College Prospects game to earn a commitment, Oilers rookie forward Mikan, who already has a commitment to Harvard, took part in the final game of the weekend with Team Canada vs Team World.

“It was a fun experience, a lot of good competition. It was good to represent Okotoks,” Mikan said about the weekend. “Just every time I stepon the ice, I feel like I play to win, I’m a competitive guy. I play there to show that I’m one of the top players in the league, and I was there for a reason.

Mikan wouldn’t get away from playing with division rivals either, as he played a full game with Saints forward Felix Haibock and, at times, with Blackfalds Bulldogs forward Thomas Neu.

“Definitely back-and-forth with those guys when you play against them, but they’re good guys, fun to play with, and it was a good experience to see their skill levels as well,” he added about playing with Haibock and Neu.

When it came to hanging out with his current teammates in Murray and Wilson, Mikan said he enjoyed his time with them and joked by calling them “two clowns”.

It didn’t take long for Mikan to make an immediate impact as he potted the Saturday game’s opening goal less than three minutes after puck drop to start the first frame. Mikan’s goal would be his first since November 29 against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

“It felt good to get to score again. It’s been a few games, but it was nice. It felt good to get the team rolling by getting on the board,” Mikan said about his opening goal.

It should be no surprise that Mikan, who loves to be on the ice, said his favourite part of the weekend was playing hockey.

“Probably just playing games, hockey is the most fun. It was cool to warm up with a hat on or whatnot, but it was fun just to go out there and compete,” he added.

Now that the BCHL All-Star weekend has passed, Wilson, Mikan, Murray, and the rest of the Oilers have their minds set on getting back in the win column. They will have two chances this weekend to get back on track as the Spruce Grove Saints head to Viking Rentals Centre Friday night and the Green and Gold head to Brooks to get redemption against the Bandits on Sunday.