OKOTOKS, AB (Feb. 17, 2023) — Okotoks Oilers alternate captain Conyr Hellyer (Okotoks, AB) scored back-to-back goals in the second period to help propel his team to a 6–1 win over the Whitecourt Wolverines at Okotoks Centennial Arena on Friday evening.
The Oilers scored four power-play goals in the victory before Connor Gourley (Calgary, AB) added a shorthanded tally to the pile in the third period. All in all, Hellyer’s second goal — the Oilers’ fourth goal of the game — ended up being the only even-strength marker of the night for the home side.
Whitecourt forward Jarred Feist opened the scoring for his team off a bang-bang play with Aiden Long with 8:54 gone in the first period. But the Oilers wasted little time in answering back, with Zeth Kindrachuk (Calgary, AB) getting his 13th of the year just over two minutes later off a one-timer in the slot. Then, Nolan Flint (Beaverlodge, AB) gave the Oilers a 2–1 lead in the final minute of the period with a quick shot from the top of the left faceoff circle.
The Oilers outshot the Wolverines 15–3 in the first period. In the second, the shots favoured Whitecourt 14–12 — but the Oilers scored all three goals. Hellyer netted the first two off back-door passing plays before Ty Yoder (Tofield, AB) went top-shelf for a buzzer-beater to close out the middle frame.
Alex Scheiwiller (Calgary, AB) stood tall amid the onslaught, stopping all 21 shots he faced over the final two periods. The 18-year-old goaltender earned second star honours in recognition of his efforts on Friday, three days after a tough 5–1 loss to the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
“It was definitely huge for the team. Playing up there [in Blackfalds], it’s definitely a tough rink to play in and we just didn’t come out our best,” Scheiwiller told Oilers play-by-play commentator Keegan Bartram after Friday’s game. “Going into today, I didn’t try to focus on it too much, I just tried to play my game and I think it was a really good win for me.”
Gourley capped off the rout with a shorthanded breakaway goal early in the third period past Wolverines goaltender Lochlan Gordon, who replaced starter Ben Charette in net after the second intermission.
The Oilers improved to 33–18–3 with six games remaining in the 2022–23 regular season. They moved within four points of Whitecourt, which currently ranks second in the AJHL North Division with a 34–15–5 record and 73 points in 54 games.
Next up for the Oilers is the Family Day Game! All fans under 18 can get into Okotoks Centennial Arena for free on Monday as the Oilers take on the Calgary Canucks at 4:15 p.m. MT. Make sure you bring your helmet and skates so you can hit the ice with all your favourite Oilers players after the game.
Recap: Mike Gould
Photo: Chad Goddard