Whitehorse, Yukon – The Medicine Hat Tigers are the winners of the first ever WHL Northern Lights Cup following a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets in Game 2 of the WHL Yukon Showcase presented by Casino Mining.
For the second night in a row, Noah Davidson was an impact player for Medicine Hat, this time recording two goals. His linemate Liam Ruck was dangerous as well, tallying three points (1G-2A) to drive the Tigers to a second-consecutive win the two-game series.
Gavin Kor, an 18-year-old product of Rochester, Minn., scored a highlight-reel goal for the second night in a row, and on Saturday night, his strike served as the game- and series-winning marker.
With the contest deadlocked 2-2 in the early stages of the third period, Kor took a loose puck from the right boards inside the blueline, walked to the middle of the zone before unleashing a deadly wrist shot that went high blocker to give Medicine Hat a 3-2 edge. Veteran forward Misha Volotovskii was parked on the top of the crease providing a difficult screen that Rockets goaltender Jake Pilon was unable to see around. The power-play tally swung momentum in favour of the Tigers and they didn’t let go, adding two empty-net markers to seal the win.
The 5-foot-6, 172-pound Kor was named Player of the Game for Medicine Hat, thanks to his strong performance.
Davidson started Game 2 in the same way he ended Game 1 by finding the back of the net. The 17-year-old product of Irvine, Calif., was named Medicine Hat’s Player of the Game on the first night of the WHL Yukon Showcase, after recording three points (1G-2A).
A tenacious forecheck from the Ruck brothers forced a turnover below the Kelowna goalline. Liam Ruck found Davidson in prime real estate in the slot, and he made no mistake, snapping a quick shot to the back of the net for his second goal of the preseason only 57 seconds into Game 2 of the WHL Yukon Showcase.
2026 NHL Draft eligible forward Kalder Varga responded on the power play for the Rockets before the first period came to a close. With 9:57 to go, the 17-year-old product of Geneva, Ill., pounced on a rebound at the side of the crease, drawing the score even 1-1. Kalder, the son of former Tacoma Rockets star John Varga, is looking to build upon a quality rookie season that saw him register 24 points (10G-14A) in 58 games.
After trading goals in the first period, the Tigers and Rockets did the same in the second period.
Forward Kayden Longley, 19, gave the Rockets their first lead of the night 5:25 into the middle period, once again making the most of a Kelowna man advantage. Taking a pass below the goalline, Longley went hard to the net and stuffed home the puck to put Kelowna in front 2-1.
But Davidson wasn’t done.
Before the period expired, the 6-foot-3, 216-pound winger found the back of the net for the second time in the game and third time in two nights of the WHL Yukon Showcase.
From below the faceoff circle on the right side of the offensive zone, Davidson hammered a one-timer from a tough angle on the power play, beating Pilon to tie the game 2-2.
The 18-year-old Pilon went the distance Saturday night, turning aside 39 of 42 shots sent his way. Despite the loss, he was named Player of the Game for Kelowna.
At the other end of the rink, 17-year-old Cruz Chase was steady, stopping 38 of the 40 shots he faced, including a couple 10-bell saves.
Both teams were able to convert on two power-play opportunities each, with the Rockets going 2-for-5 and the Tigers finishing 2-for-4.
At the conclusion of the 2025 WHL Yukon Showcase presented by Casino Mining, the Tigers emerged with two wins – an 8-4 triumph in Game 1 and a 5-2 win in Game 2 – to take home the WHL Northern Lights Cup, created by Lumel Studios.
Proceeds from the WHL Yukon Showcase will benefit Sport Yukon’s Kids Recreation Fund, which provides $500 grants to eligible families to allow children to participate in sports and recreation.
The finale of the WHL Yukon Showcase marks the conclusion of the 2025 WHL Preseason for both the Rockets (2-3-0-0) and Tigers (4-0-0-0).
The Medicine Hat Tigers – defenders of the Ed Chynoweth Cup and now WHL Northern Lights Cup – will open the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season on Saturday, September 20 at 7 p.m. MT, when they host the Regina Pats.
As for the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets, their 2025-26 WHL Regular Season schedule begins Friday, September 19 at 7:05 p.m. PT, when the defending Western Conference champion Spokane Chiefs visit Prospera Place.
Victory+ is back for the 2025-26 WHL Regular Season! Catch all the action featuring your favourite WHL team for FREE on the Victory+ app. Visit victoryplus.com for more information.
