Okotoks, AB (October 17, 2025) – The Okotoks Oilers will host their Interior East Division rival in the Blackfalds Bulldogs, tonight at Viking Rentals Centre.
The Oilers enter the game trailing the Bulldogs by one point in the standings, but have two games in hand on the team from Blackfalds. Okotoks and Blackfalds met earlier in the preseason, with the Bulldogs edging out the Oilers 4-2.
“I don’t think you can take much,” Oilers Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development, Corban Knight, said about what the team can take away from their earlier meeting.
“You look at our team during the preseason and how much we’ve already matured and changed. I don’t think we will look too much into that game. I think we’ll just look forward to the games they’ve played, especially in the showcases, just their systems and what’s worked well for them right now. We know they’re a good team. We can prep off the ice, but it’s going to be more of a battle on the ice.
Last season, Okotoks and Blackfalds met a total of five times, with the Oilers winning the season series 3-2-0. Oilers veteran forward Jamie Hikida (Richmond, BC) believes that they can’t take too much away from that last season, as both teams have new faces, and that he’s going to focus on playing his game.
“They’re a pretty new team. I don’t recognize a whole lot of names. There’s a couple of guys, but nothing too crazy,” Hikida said. “I think it’s just being prepared, ready to go, and just playing my game type of thing, and hopefully the rest will come for me.”
The Green Army has probably noticed that Hikida has been putting his body on the line early in the season by blocking shots to limit the opposition’s scoring chances.
“Yeah, I think I have been put in a bunch of different scenarios this year that’s allowed me to block more shots. I’ve always been willing to get in front of them. It’s just more situations that I’m being put in,” he added.
As for tonight, Hikida mentioned that having the team prepared before puck drop will go a long way.
“I think preparation is key for us. Just being prepared, ready to go right off the start, is a big thing for us,” Hikida said. “Being focused on our D-zone, I think that’s another key point. Just being super detailed in what we do and always having a purpose in the D-zone. Lots of communication there as well. So I think those are two big points that we’ve been focusing on going into this weekend.”‘
The power play continues to be a success for the Oilers, and Hikida would give credit to Knight for helping turn that around from last season.
“I think our power play is pretty hot right now, and just trying to draw as many penalties as we can. A little shoutout to Croban. He’s been super good with us coming in and organizing that power play and getting that going. I think that’s big for us,” he said.
Knight, who has clearly helped the Oilers find the back of the net with their special teams, gives credit to the Oilers for buying into what he has been teaching.
“Honestly, I think a lot of it is just the guys executing. We have some older guys on the power play, and they’ve done a good job of incorporating the younger guys that are getting a chance there, too. Then, obviously, they’re the ones making the plays on the ice, so a big part of the power play is just being prepared, try and pre-scout the team you are playing, and trying to understand what they’re trying to do, and then be able to have some quality practice time is huge,” Knight said about the power play success.
“I think a lot of it, too, is just trying to stay positive the entire play. When I reflect on my time playing, and when I was on teams that had the best power plays, often they weren’t so caught up in the minute-by-minute of the power play. They looked at it as a bigger picture, and I think that was a big thing. You maybe had one bad shift on the power play, and if you let it ruin your night, it can really affect the rest of the game. I think just trying to keep that positive attitude, I think, really helps, especially on the power play. It’s just such a mental game out there, just making those plays and being confident to make those plays.”
During the Oilers ‘ four-game win streak, they were able to pot at least a power-play goal in each of the four games. Knight believes that the success with the special teams helped lead them to an early win streak, but still sees the need for improvement.
“As nice as it is to get those goals, we definitely left a couple out there, too. We have been working hard to get some power play opportunities, and we’ve been doing ok, but I think there’s still a huge area for improvement, which is exciting because if we were not doing well at all, then it’s a lot of stress on the guys. The fact that we’re doing ok, I do think there’s a lot of room for improvement. As we get the guys more comfortable, in their positions and work on that chemistry, I think it’s going to keep getting better,” Knight added.
“I’m a firm believer in special teams and how important that is. Again, I keep referring to it, but going down the stretch into the playoffs, you look at championship teams from any league, and their special teams are always near the top. I do think that’s a huge focus for us moving throughout this year, just making sure we’re as good on the power play as we can be.”
Puck drop for tonight’s game 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.
