Written by: Scott Savard
Okotoks, AB (October 24, 2025) – The Okotoks Oilers came out with a 4-3 win at Viking Rentals Centre tonight after a back-and-forth third period with the Vernon Vipers.
Newly acquired defenceman Jordan Murray (Decker, MB) made an instant impact in his Oilers debut, scoring the Green and Gold’s first goal of the night.
“Feels great. I mean, to have that big of a goal, start the third period down by one, just jumped into a whole Brett (Wilson) found me and just unbelievable feeling,” Murray said about scoring in his first game in an Oilers uniform.
Murray has already meshed with the group, explaining that it was easy with the personalities throughout the Green and Gold’s lineup.
“It was a quick transition. I only got here Sunday afternoon, and right from the day I walked in, the guys were welcoming. They’re a loud group, goofy group, so it’s easy to fit right in,” he said.
While Murray looked great in his first game with his new team, Brady Engelkes (Middleton, WI) got back on the board with a snipe as he continues to be a valuable weapon for the Oilers.
“It was a really good play. I just saw an opportunity to use my speed and skate a little bit there and get up the ice. I saw a pretty good gap with the defenceman and put a good shot on net. So that was great,” Engelkes said about his goal tonight.
Engelkes is currently in a four-way tie for most points on the Oilers so far this season, with eight points (3G, 5A). He shares the second spot with captain Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB), Luke Calabria (Huntington, NY), and Michael Mikan (Edina, MN), with Hunter Sawka (Cochrane, AB) holding the top spot with 10 points in 10 games.
“I think just using my speed. It’s my best attribute, no doubt about that. My Linemates have helped me a lot, too,” he said about his hot start to the season. “Huge, I mean, you don’t have the success without them (his linemates). I wouldn’t have those points without them.”
Engelkes, while American, is hoping for the Toronto Blue Jays to win the World Series, as he’s a Milwaukee Brewers fan and had a sigh of relief when finding out the Jays took Game One today. In an Oilers social media post, Engelkes would express his disdain for the Dodgers, stating they ‘Pay to Win”
“I was on the bench, obviously trying to stay focused on the game, but I heard that they were up 11-2 or something, and I was like ‘Thank God’,” Engelkes joked.
Ben Vatis (Vancouver, BC) got the nod in net for tonight’s game against the Vipers, picking up his first win of the season after keeping the Oilers in the game with his 30 saves on the night. Oliver Kanat was on the other side of the ice for the Vipers.
“Huge, that game could have been a really high-scoring game for them. Vatty played unbelievably good for us, kept us in the game, especially at the end there. They had a back-door tap-in in and he made a huge save. He played really well,” Engelkes said about Vatis’s stellar play.
As for how the group kept its composure while a wild third period ensued, he said, “We got a great group of guys. I think just keeping the good vibes on the bench and staying positive throughout the whole game. It took a little bit for us to get that first one, but once we got that one, we knew we were going to run from there.”
Murray reiterated Engelkes’ statement and praised the Oilers’ coaching staff for keeping the group in check.
“Yeah, that was crazy. Just bear down and win. I mean, the coaches were preaching to us to just stay composed, just stay calm, don’t panic, and don’t give them anything,” Murray added.
The first goal of the game didn’t come until near the halfway mark of the second period as the Vipers opened the scoring with a goal from Edvin Nilsson.
The third period is where things got interesting as Murray potted the first Oilers goal at 5:50 of the frame. Wilson would pick up his first point of the night with the primary assist, and Sawka would collect the secondary assist to extend his point streak to four games. Engelkes would give the Oilers their first lead of the game with 11:00 left on the clock with an unassisted marker. Wilson added his fourth goal of the season 33 seconds later to give the Oilers a two-goal lead with a snipe that would beat Kanat clean.
The Vipers answered back 40 seconds later with Lane Sim cutting the Oilers’ lead to just one. Joey Meredith (Toledo, OH) gave the Oilers their two-goal lead back with an empty net goal with 56 seconds left in the game. The Vipers would be able to sneak one more past the Oilers with Tyler Chiovette picking up a goal, but the Oilers held on to claim the win after a whacky third period.
With the win, the Oilers improve to .500 as they hold a record of 5-5-0.
Tomorrow night, the Oilers will be back at Viking Rentals Centre with a tilt against their Interior East Division rivals, the Spruce Grove Saints.
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.
