White Rock Whalers win PJHL conference final, Pacific Cup in Mission
Published 10:30 am Thursday, March 26, 2026
It was a whale of a season for White Rock’s Pacific Junior Hockey League team, who won the Harold Brittain Conference title and Pacific Cup Tuesday in Mission.
The White Rock Whalers won 4-3 over the Mission City Outlaws in Game 5 of the final playoff series Tuesday night (March 24), after a hard-fought battle that saw the Outlaws win in OT against the Pod on home ice in Game 3.
“The guys really worked hard and then it all it all paid off,” Whalers head coach David Rutherford said. “The very first day we said to (the players) if you’re 99 per cent in, you’ll hate it here. If you’re 100 per cent in, we’ll get a chance to play meaningful hockey in March. And everyone bought in (the entire) season.”
After battling the Aldergrove Ironmen and Cloverdale HC in the first two PJHL playoff rounds, the Whalers faced off against the Outlaws, losing only two games throughout their entire playoff run.
Rutherford credited the Whalers players, staff and principal owner Chris McNally, who “went above and beyond,” even feeding Whalers players meals after games.
He also credited the Mission City Outlaws for playing as well as they did, and how they came back from a 3-1 deficit in their previous playoffs series vs. the Surrey Knights to make it to the conference final.
The Outlaws lost their head coach, Martin Hak, when he died suddenly last November, Rutherford noted.
“He was a good buddy of mine. They had a tough year, and it was good to see the support they had (from the community).”
The final playoff series also featured a friendly wager — a jersey swap — between White Rock Mayor Megan Knight and Mission Mayor Paul Horn.
“Congratulations to the White Rock Whalers on their incredible series win and for capturing the Harold Brittain Conference Championship! Your hard work and determination have truly paid off, thank you for representing our City with such pride,” Knight said. “To the coaches, parents, and volunteers, thank you for your steadfast dedication and unwavering support. Go Whalers Go!”
The City of White Rock also posted on X that Knight would be collecting on the friendly wager with Horn, who happens to be a Semiahmoo Secondary grad, like Knight.
“Congratulations to White Rock! It was an incredibly hard-fought tournament and both teams, I think, demonstrated incredible resilience,” Horn said, adding he’s happy to support local junior hockey. “It’s really great that both communities, which I think have in common the fact that we’re proud of our small-town feel and a really connected place to live, sought out and supported their local team.”
Horn also said how proud he was of the Mission City Outlaws, and how their beloved Coach Hak likely motivated their efforts.
“They made us incredibly proud and honoured Coach Hak at the same time,” Horn said.
He plans to wear a White Rock Whalers jersey at Mission’s regular council meeting Tuesday (April 7) if the logistics of physically getting a jersey work out in time.
Horn promised Knight they’ll send a photo of him wearing the jersey at the meeting, “but I can’t promise I’ll be smiling!”