Cossa guides Edmonton Oil Kings to WHL championship

Western Hockey League logo. Image supplied by The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward.

The Edmonton Oil Kings are Western Hockey League champions, and Memorial Cup bound following a series-clinching 2-0 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Monday night at Rogers Place.

Jakub Demek and Kaiden Guhle provided the offence, while Jake Neighbours chipped in two assists.

Edmonton outshot Seattle 36-27, as netminder Sebastian Cossa supplied the shutout as Edmonton won the best-of-seven WHL championship series 4-2.

Hailing from Fort McMurray, Alta., Cossa spoke about the team’s performance.

“We’ve had the capability of doing this the last three years, and now it’s obviously gratifying to say the least.”

Seattle opened the championship with a 2-1 win in Edmonton, but the Oil Kings rattled off three consecutive wins, including two in Seattle, to gain control of the series.

Seattle won Game 5 in Edmonton 3-2 to extend the series to six games.

Originally scheduled for Seattle, Game 6 returned to Edmonton due to a scheduling conflict with the arena.

Founded in 2006, it’s the team’s third league championship since 2012.

The Oil Kings will represent the WHL in the 102nd Memorial Cup championship, which runs June 20-29 in Saint John, N.B.

In 2014, the Edmonton Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm 6-3 in London, Ont.

With files from The Canadian Press, first published on June 13, 2022.