Written by: Scott Savard
Headline photo: Chad Goddard
Okotoks, AB (March 6, 2026) – The Okotoks Oilers are hosting their annual Billet Appreciation Night at Viking Rentals Centre tonight against the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
The Oilers are coming off a weekend split with a 5-2 win over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, which tied the season series with the Interior West Division team, and then falling 4-0 to the top team in the Interior Conference, the West Kelowna Warriors. Both games were spent on the road for their final trip to B.C.
Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development, Corban Knight apprecitated the effort from the group this past Friday as they took down a tough team in the Silverbacks.
“Obviously not in an ideal situation, and so I think for us as a staff and the players, we’re just trying to focus on things we can control,” Knight said about the Oilers current place in the standings. “I think that Salmon Arm game was a step in the right direction, and just trying to continue to play the right way and improve both individually for the guys, and then also as a team. We just have to make sure we keep building off the little positives, and Salmon Arm was a good game for us. That’s a good team, they’re gonna be a hard team to play against in the playoffs, and I thought we really stepped up to that challenge. I definitely really liked the way we played that game.”
With the victory in Salmon Arm, rookie goaltender Justin Giguère (Saguenay, QC) earned his first BCHL win after making 32 saves on 34 shots. Knight was happy for Giguère as he has come to battle every night and continues to grow in practice.
“He’s been great for us. He’s a kid who comes in, and he’s played really well for us in the games. Obviously, some of the outcomes haven’t been what anybody wants, but he’s a super competitive kid, he really works hard, and he never gives up. It seems like he always gives us a chance, and when you have a guy like that, you definitely want to play for him. It’s been really nice having him here,” he said about Giguère.
It’s been a tough season for the Green and Gold as they started off strong but sit at the bottom of the Interior East Division standings. Knight explained that there were a lot of moving parts during this season and that everyone around the league is getting more comfortable with the junior hockey landscape shifting and changing.
“Yeah, it’s such a different world of junior hockey right now. I think with all the changes that have gone on this last little while, I don’t think the dust has really settled on kind of what the path forward is gonna be. So for us, we’ve had a kind of an unfortunate situation when you lose some key players that we have at kind of key times. But our staff talked about it, it’s almost like pro hockey, right? Where there’s call-ups, there are injuries. I think you have to adapt to that and understand that it’s not like it used to be, where a lot of times you have the same 22/23 guys all year. It’s a little bit more of that pro-style where changes are gonna happen. You know, guys are gonna get called up, guys are gonna get sent down, and just being able to adapt to that, I think it’s just been a good learning experience for everybody in the organization and the guys in the dressing room. We’re kind of going to a new chapter of junior hockey here, and it’s just kind of understanding what we have to do to adapt and make sure that when those unforeseen events happen, we’re well-equipped for it,” Knight explained.
One of those unforeseen circumstances was being in the league’s toughest division this season. If the Oilers were in any other division in the BCHL, they would be a playoff team, but due to each Alberta team coming in with a strong roster and coaching staff this season, the Interior East Division produced five tough teams, including the Green and Gold.
“Well, I think it gives you an appreciation for how tough our division is, and I think that’s a pretty cool thing to have an Alberta division that is so strong. You look at the teams, it’s no easy night, right? I think for us, it’s just a good standard that moving forward, it’s not like it’s gonna get any easier, right? Obviously, you’re looking at other conferences or divisions, and you’re like, ‘Oh, you know, what if?’ Right? But at the end of the day, it’s pretty cool that we are in such a tough division. I think it’s best for the competition. It’s best for the kids. It’s best for everybody because it’s the highest level. It’s a good learning experience for everybody involved, because it’s definitely the parity in our division is very high,” he explained about the toughness that comes with playing in the Interior East Division.
With the 2025-2026 BCHL regular season in its final month, the Oilers will be saying goodbye to five of their 2005-born players at the end of the season as their junior careers come to a close. Knight expects the ’05-born players to finish strong as they are proud players and have enjoyed their time in Okotoks.
“It’s always the sad part about hockey is when you’re going to lose some really amazing people first and foremost, and then some awesome hockey players. I think for us it’s only right by them to finish off hard and try to finish the right way. But the exciting thing for them is they’re just gonna take the next step in their careers, right? So, it’s still a good opportunity for them to improve every day and get better and prepare themselves as best they can for the next level because that’s going to be even harder than here, right? So, obviously, being in a situation where you’re most likely not going to make the playoffs, it’s not ideal, but you can definitely learn a lot. You’ve got to learn a lot about yourself and how you handle the adversity, and I really hope that these guys can take that and kind of keep it in memory bank for the future, you know, parts in their career where they face adversity,” Knight said.
Not only are the players getting different opportunities with the roster changes, but Knight himself has tried new approaches, as in the past month, he has been involved with the defensive line changes. Knight would give a ton of credit to Assistant Coach Reid Hnatowich for helping him get comfortable in the new situations.
“Yeah, it’s been an awesome experience for me. Obviously, when I played, I was forward, and a lot of times I was only worried about the forward side of the game, but it’s been really neat to work with some of the D and running the bench. It gives you an appreciation for that side of the game, and it’s been great for me to learn. I think just trying to use your brain in a different way when thinking about the defensive side, and when I’m communicating with these guys. Obviously, Reid, there’s been a huge help. He has been here for a long time, helping out with these D, and so for him in particular, it’s kind of been a by committee with him, and he gets a lot of credit for helping me feel comfortable and know how to run things. Like I said, a great learning experience for me and something that I’ve really found to be helpful,” he explained.
Tonight’s game will see a special ceremonial puck drop with the Billets being represented at centre ice before the tilt with the Bulldogs gets underway.
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. MST at Viking Rentals Centre.
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.
