If you could believe it, 13 of the 16 series within the WHL/OHL were decided in five games or fewer. As a result, the majority of second-round series were all but set days ago.

The WHL did have the lone seven-game series, which ended up holding things up due to massive seeding implications. On Monday night, the Saskatoon Blades upset the Edmonton Oil Kings in seven games, throwing a wrench into the WHL’s Eastern Conference bracket.

For the six Vancouver Canucks prospects involved, however, none found themselves in particularly tight series.

Aleksei Medvedev (London Knights, OHL), Kieren Dervin (Kingston Frontenacs, OHL), and Riley Patterson (Niagara IceDogs, OHL) were all eliminated in five games.

On the other side, Braeden Cootes (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL), Parker Alcos (Kelowna Rockets, WHL), and Gabe Chiarot (Kitchener Rangers, OHL) have all advanced to the second round, with both Alcos and Chiarot enjoying sweeps in their respective opening rounds.

Braeden Cootes set for Saskatchewan showdown

With the bracket now finalized, Braeden Cootes and the Prince Albert Raiders will face the Saskatoon Blades in what should be one of the more intense second-round matchups.

Despite wrapping up their series earlier in the week, the Raiders were forced to wait for the outcome of the Blades–Oil Kings series, which ultimately determined their opponent. When all was said and done, it set up a classic Saskatchewan rivalry.

The two clubs met nine times during the regular season, with Prince Albert posting a dominant 7-1-1 record. That said, those games carried plenty of edge, fuelled by proximity and familiarity. Expect that intensity to carry over into the postseason. Heck, even the social media teams are prepping their fanbase.

Cootes enters the second round coming off a strong opening series, recording six points (two goals, four assists) while winning 60 percent of his faceoffs.

Schedule:

Parker Alcos and Rockets face top-seeded Silvertips

Out west, Parker Alcos and the Kelowna Rockets will take on the top-seeded Everett Silvertips. The two teams have not met in the playoffs since 2010, when Kelowna won in seven games. This time around, Everett enters as the clear favourite.

The Silvertips won all four regular-season meetings and were one of the WHL’s most dominant teams, losing just 11 games all season. Just eight of those came in regulation.

Alcos contributed three assists and posted a plus-7 rating in the opening round. He will need to be sharp defensively against an Everett lineup that features high-end offensive talent, including top 2027 prospect Landon DuPont.

Schedule:

Gabe Chiarot and the Rangers draw the Greyhounds

In the OHL, Gabe Chiarot and the Kitchener Rangers will face the Soo Greyhounds — the same team that eliminated Aleksei Medvedev and the London Knights.

Kitchener enters the series with momentum after sweeping the Saginaw Spirit in the opening round, while the Greyhounds took three of four regular-season meetings between the two clubs.

Chiarot recorded two goals in the first round while slotting into a third-line role.

Schedule:

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