Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Scott Savard
Okotoks, AB (March 20, 2026) – The Okotoks Oilers and the Bandits faced off for the final time during the 2025-2026 BCHL season in Brooks as the Green and Gold fell 9-2 against their Interior East Division rivals.
The Green and Gold’s unfortunate injury woes would continue as Justin Giguère (Saguenay, QC) made the start in net, but was replaced by Patrik Kliment (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia) in the first period after Bandit’s Leon Bussmann collided with Giguère. The Bandits wouldn’t give Kliment an easy night as they outshot the Oilers 41-20. Lincoln Molind made the start for the Bandits.
The Oilers and Bandits would trade goals to open up the scoring in the first period, with Liam Fitzpatrick collecting the first marker of the frame just before the two-minute mark. Okotoks’ assistant captain Michael Kowalski (Chicago, IL) answered back just over a minute later with a power play goal on Bussmann’s goaltender interference penalty. Dmitrijs Dilveka gave the Bandits their lead back, another two minutes after Kowalski’s tying goal, followed by Fitzpatrick adding his second of the night just over six minutes into the first period.
The second period would see the Oilers fall behind 6-1 with Jack Rosentsteel, Jack Good, and Dante Siciliano all finding the back of the net.
It was more of the same in the third frame as the Bandits would continue to add to their lead with Bussmann and Tanner Wineguard picking up a goal each. Oilers’ assistant captain would stop the bleeding with just under five minutes remaining in the game with a penalty shot goal, as he beat Molind farside with a nice shot. Isaac Johnson would pick up the game’s final tally with less than a minute left in the game.
The Oilers will play their final road game of the 2025-2026 BCHL season tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. MST in Blackfalds against the Bulldogs.
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
