Brock Cripps takes to the ice during one of Team B.C.'s games at the WHL Cup. (Taylor Lachance/WHL)

By Nick Nielsen

five prospects compete

Harvey captains Alberta to WHL Cup, Cripps named B.C. Top Performer

Oct 28, 2024 | 3:17 PM

Four teams made of up the top WHL prospects from each of the four most western provinces competed for the WHL Cup over the course of five days in Red Deer, Alberta, and five Prince Albert Raiders prospects were a part of it. The four teams played each played three round robin games, then a semi final playoff round, followed up by bronze and gold medal games.

Brock Cripps’ Team B.C. finished in last, Prince Albert’s own Connor Howe was part of the bronze winning Team Saskatchewan, Knox Burton’s Team Manitoba finished with silver, and Team Alberta finished with gold thanks to points from Kyle Obobaifo and Ben Harvey.

Cripps entered the tournament as the highest draft pick for the Raiders at second overall in last year’s draft, and with eight points in five games, all assists, he led all defenceman in scoring and was named the Top Performer for Team B.C. as well as being named to the WHL Cup’s All Star Team. He also finished tied for third in points during the tournament.

While captaining Team Alberta to their first WHL Cup in eight years, Ben Harvey finished with 3G-4A-7P in the tournament to tie for fourth in scoring. Also on the Alberta squad, Kyle Obobaifo finished with 1G-3A-4P, and Knox Burton had one goal to tie Connor Howe in points with his one assist.

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B.C. and Manitoba started off the tournament, and Cripps’s Team B.C. got out to a 3-0 lead before the halfway mark of the second period before Burton’s Team Manitoba came back to tie it. A late goal for Team B.C. gave them a win 4-3, and both Burtn and Cripps were held pointless.

Next up was Team Saskatchewan vs. Team Alberta, and the three Raiders’ prospects in the game, Harvey, Obobaifo, and Howe, were all held pointless as Team Saskatchewan got out to a 5-0 lead by the halfway point of the game, and they’d go on to win 5-2.

Day two started with B.C. taking on Saskatchewan, and Cripps put up six assists in the game for Team B.C. to help them win a back and forth 6-3 game.

Team Manitoba took an early 1-0 lead in the second game of the day, but Ben Harvey scored a natural hat trick for Team Alberta to help them rumble back ahead to a 5-2 win.

In the third and final day of round robin play, Team Saskatchewan opened against Team Manitoba. Connor Howe picked up his lone assist for Team Saskatchewan as they went on to a dominant 5-0 win.

To finish the round robin, Team Alberta met with Team B.C. Each Raiders prospect, Harvey and Obobaifo for Alberta and Cripps for B.C., was held pointless as B.C. fought to win 2-0 despite being outshot 41-21.

Day four was the semifinals game, and it started off with the 1-2 Team Alberta vs. the 2-1 Team Saskatchewan. Connor Howe’s Team Saskatchewan got out to a 4-0 lead by the 2:00 mark of the second period, but Ben Harvey picked up two assists and Kyle Obobaifo picked up one as the Albertans stormed back with eight straight goals. In the end, Alberta won 9-5 to go to the gold medal game, while Saskatchewan was sent to the bronze.

In the second semifinal, Manitoba at 0-3 met with the 3-0 Team B.C. After a scoreless first period, Manitoba scored early in the second, early in the third, and again 11 minutes into the third for a 3-0 lead. The final three minutes of the game saw three more goals, and Team Manitoba earned the 5-2 upset to go on to the gold medal game.

The final day started with Team B.C. taking on Team Saskatchewan for bronze. Brock Cripps earned two assists in the game for Team B.C., but Connor Howe’s Team Saskatchewan put on an offensive clinic to win 8-5 and the bronze medal.

The final game saw Knox Burton score the only goal of the game for Team Manitoba, but Ben Harvey had two assists in the game and Kyle Obobaifo had a goal and two assists as Team Alberta went on to win 8-1.

Teams Alberta, Saskatchewan, and B.C. all finished with 3-2 records at the tournament, but Team Alberta got hot at the right time to win the tournament’s gold.

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Nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com