Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Scott Savard
Okotoks, AB (September 13, 2026) – The Okotoks Oilers put on a show during the 2026-2027 BCHL preseason as they finished with a 2-1-0 record after capping off the BCHL exhibitions with a 5-3 win over the Bandits in Brooks.
The Green and Gold opened the preseason with a 5-2 win over the Blackfalds Bulldogs on Tuesday (Sept. 8) on home ice.
Justin Giguère (Saguenay, QC) earned his first of two wins after stopping 25 of 27 shots he faced. Giguère was a big reason the Oilers picked up the “W”, making game-changing saves throughout the game, including 13 in the first period alone. He held the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until the 12:20 mark of the third period.
Tristin Wassengeso (Chaska, MN) added two goals in the contest, including the game’s opening goal 8:04 into the first period. Henry Sampair (Mahtomedi, MN) and Ben Deacon (St. Albert, AB) added the helpers. Even after the Oilers found themselves down a man for four minutes, Jeff Niehaus (Calgary, AB) extended the Oilers’ lead to 2-0 two minutes after Wassengeso opened the scoring. Grady Gustafson (Williams Lake, BC) collected the lone assist.
The second period would see the goaltenders shine until the 18:06 mark of the frame, as the Oilers added two goals in less than 40 seconds. Tyler Russell (Redondo Beach, CA) whipped the puck on net and beat the Bulldogs netminder clean after picking up a loose puck created by Gustafson to bring it to 3-0. Bennett Arro (Rogers, MN) picked up the secondary assist on the play. Domenico Clarizio (Laval, QC) was a player to watch this preseason as he earned his first of three goals of the preseason add the Green and Gold’s fourth goal of the night; Roger Mourad (Andover, MN) added the lone assist.
The Oilers stayed in control of the game as Wassengeso added his second of the night after getting past the Bulldogs’ defence and putting it past the Bulldogs netminder for a 5-0 lead, 6:01 into the final frame. Bulldogs would add two goals before the final buzzer from Tim-Kristian Lukkarinen and Josh Kaufman, but it wasn’t enough as the Oilers took it 5-2.
Game two of the preseason didn’t go in the Oilers’ favour as the Brooks Bandits handed the Green and Gold their first, and only, loss of the preseason in a 6-3 game at Viking Rentals Centre. Jackson Silverberg (Los Angeles, CA) and Ryder Shields (Red Deer, AB) would split time in the net for the Oilers.
The Bandits would get a 5-0 lead 7:34 into the second period with goals from Tomas Racz, Zachary Deleau, Alexandre Monarque, Michael Kucherawy, and Alexi Zhukov. Sampair would stop the bleeding less than a minute later, with Wassengeso and Nolan DuPont (Calgary, AB) picking up the helpers.
Deacon collected his first of two goals in the preseason at 2:24 into the final frame to cut the Bandits’ lead to three, with Conner Raadke (Langdon, AB) and Sam Hard (Warroad, MN) picking up their first points of the preseason. Kucherawy added his second goal for the Bandits before the halfway mark of the third period, and Clarizio added the final goal of the game and his second of the preseason for a 6-3 final.
The Oilers would then head to Brooks for the final game of the preseason and came home happy as they put away their long-time rivals 5-3 for some redemption.
Giguère was back in between the pipes, earning his second win with a 27-save performance. The Oilers found success with their special teams as they went 3/7 on the night.
Ian Kastamo (Heartland, MI) opened the scoring at 4:29 of the first frame with Jamie Hikida (Richmond, BC) earning his first point of the preseason with the primary assist and Russell collecting the secondary helper. Clarizio picked up the night’s first power-play marker with his third goal in as many games.
Brooks tied things up in the second period with goals from Makaio Van Tassel and Tomasz Marsden, but Niehaus wouldn’t let that last long as he picked up the eventual game-winning goal less than 20 seconds later, and the Oilers never trailed during the game.
The Oilers added two more power-play goals in the third period from Deavon and Jamie Hikida, as Wassengeso, Fraser Leonard (Cochrane, AB), Radke, and Russell added the helpers. Deleau added a third goal for the Bandits, but the Oilers won anyway with a 5-3 final.
The 2026-2027 BCHL season starts this weekend with a trip to Brooks once again on Saturday as the Oilers look to repeat what they did in the previous game to open up the campaign. The Green and Gold’s Home Opener is set for September 26 when they face the Spruce Grove Saints.
Don’t miss any of the action and secure your season tickets at: https://tickets.okotoksoilers.com/events/40207-2026-27-season-tickets
About the Okotoks Oilers
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.
