Rebels beat Oil Kings 4-2 in WHL preseason finale at the Centrium
Red Deer closed out its preseason with a win over its Central Division rival, with 16-year-old rookie Paxson Madill scoring a goal and adding an assist.
The Red Deer Rebels defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-2 on Friday night at the Centrium, picking up their second exhibition win of the preseason. Goaltender Matthew Kondro made 23 saves for Red Deer.
Rookie Paxson Madill opened the scoring less than five minutes into the first period, finishing a feed from defenceman Jake Missura with a backhand move. Newly acquired forward Luc Trevors, who joined the Rebels after playing for the Calgary Hitmen last season, added a second-period goal. Edmonton's Josh Lee and Jensen Marsh scored in the third period to keep the game close, but Red Deer's Graeme Pickering and an empty-netter from Patrick Sopiarz sealed the win.
The two teams also played a five-minute, three-on-three overtime session as part of a WHL pilot project testing potential new rules, with Rebels forward Cameron Kuzma scoring the winner 30 seconds in.
Head coach Brent Kisio praised the team's improvement through camp and highlighted Madill's performance. The Rebels open their regular season on Sept. 18 in Calgary before hosting the Oil Kings for their home opener on Sept. 19.
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