A win and a loss for the year’s first two home games at JDA Place

By Serena Lapointe
Following a nice break for players, staff and volunteers, the Whitecourt Wolverines were back at
it with their first home game of 2025 on Wednesday last week. The Devon Xtreme bused up for
the contest at JDA Place and were looking for their first win against the Wolverines this season.
In four games prior, the Xtreme fell every single time, including a 6-3 hammering in early
October and a 5-1 pounding on November 2. It sure looked like the Wolverines had the Xtreme
backed into a corner this season.
Thirty-two seconds into the game, Braden Keeble pocketed his twelfth goal of the 2024/2025
season, with assists from Dwayne Jean Jr (his seventeenth) and Travis Verbeek (his tenth).
Keeble is from Brandon, Manitoba and is in his third season with the Wolverines, having traded
up from the Brooks Bandits early in the 2022/2023 season. In 56 games last season, Keeble
scored eight goals. With only 34 games in, Keeble is already halfway to doubling his goal count.
Eight minutes later, the Xtreme got on the board, tying things up. Seconds later, the Wolverines
went on the powerplay but were unable to capitalize on the man advantage. With just over three
minutes left in the first period, the Xtreme scored again, taking the lead 2-1.
In the second period, the Wolverines were stronger, finishing checks and tightening their
passing lanes. The Xtreme found themselves on the penalty kill twice, and giving the
Wolverines more chances on the man advantage is usually not a good idea. While Xtreme
player Brynn MacLean sat in the box for high sticking, the Wolverines made him pay for it, tying
things up 2-2.
In the third, our man on fire from the first, Braden Keeble, scored his thirteenth goal of the year,
with assists from Dwayne Jean Jr and Tyler Rowland (his thirteenth). The Wolverines were back
in the lead, 3-2. In the final two minutes of regulation, the Xtreme somehow beat Wolverine
goaltender Zac Onyskiw, tying the game and forcing overtime.
Try as they might, neither team could score, resulting in one of the most exciting parts of a
hockey game; the shootout! Dylan Ruptash and Travis Verbeek were scoreless, leaving Jalen
Bianchet as the sole scorer. Tyler Pretty and Malcolm Baar scored for the Xtreme, giving the
visitors their first win against the Wolverines. Fans sure got a full plate of hockey that night.
Saturday evening at JDA Place was Fan Appreciation Night. A total of fifteen Edmonton Oilers
tickets were handed out, and excitement was high. The night’s competitor for the Wolverines
was the Olds Grizzlys, who sat second last in the league. Heading into the game, the
Wolverines were tied for first with 48 points.
Mere minutes into the game, the Wolverines found themselves shorthanded, with two players,
Ruptash and Pollock, in the penalty box. But someone forgot to tell #29 Dwayne Jean Jr that
they were in a pickle because he ended up scoring like it wasn’t a big deal, unassisted, for his
tenth of the season. The unexpected goal had the fans roaring.
At 4:46, Verbeek made it 2-0, scoring his seventh goal of the season, assisted by Ruptash and
Keeble. Then, three minutes later, Ruptash scored, assisted by Spencer Claerhout, making it 3-

0. Both the second and third goals were on the powerplay. At the fourteen-minute mark, Olds
   got on the board with a powerplay marker, making it 3-1. Before the period could end, two more

Wolverines hopped on the scoring train, making it 5-1 for the hometown team. Ethan Short
scored his thirteenth, assisted by Keeble and Pollock at 17:38, and fourteen seconds later,
Serediak scored his fourth, assisted by Mason Russell. The Wolverines were steamrolling the
Grizzlys. Choo-choo!
After a busy first period, with six goals and seven penalties, the second period was quieter. The
Wolverines and Grizzlys traded one penalty each, and only one goal was scored. Unfortunately
for the Olds Grizzlys, it was the Wolverines adding to their goal column thanks to #12 Alex
Symes, who scored his first AJHL goal. Whitecourt now had a 6-1 lead.
In the third, things got heated. Nearly every goal attempt from the Wolverines resulted in tussles
between players as the Grizzlys’ frustrations grew. One collision near the Grizzlys’ net resulted
in Keeble hitting the ice alongside an Olds player and the referee. All three fell in a clump
following a hit that Keeble felt was unnecessary.
In the final twenty minutes of action, Wolverine Travis Verbeek scored his eighth goal of the
season and 100 AJHL point. The Flesherton, Ontario native is in his third year with the league.
The final from JDA Place saw the Wolverines with seven goals to the Olds’ one. The win gave
the Wolverines the two points needed to take over the top spot in the AJHL with 50 points.
The next home games for the Whitecourt Wolverines are this Friday against the Fort McMurray
Oil Barons and Saturday against the Calgary Canucks. The team will then head out for two road
games in the south before returning to JDA Place to play Camrose on Friday, January 31.