The Kimberley Dynamiters are the 2025/2026 Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) champions following a thrilling two overtime, game seven victory over the Princeton Posse last night.

Avery Lynch scored the KIJHL Cup-clinching goal 1:33 into the second overtime firing a shot past Gibson Horne after it bounced off the boards towards the net before 1,725 faithful at the Kimberley Civic Centre.

Luke Davies led the Dynamiters with two goals, while Adam Kisilevich made 38 saves for the win, and was named MVP of the KIJHL playoffs.

The Dynamiters led 2-0, then the Posse tied the game on goals by Paul Vanden Elzen late in the first and Alex Westlund early into the second period.

Horne was excellent in goal for the Posse finishing with 40 saves. Jace Shuttleworth also scored for Princeton tying the game 3-3, while Jalen McRae had two assists.

The Dynamiters had won eight of 11 games when leading after two periods.

Coming into Game 7, Kisilevich had a 1.84 goals against average with a .940 save percentage.

The Edmonton native stopped all 16 shots the Posse fired his way in the first period. He then saved a combined 11 shots in the 21:33 of overtime.

“I felt consistency was the key for me to give the team a chance to win every night, even when the bounces wouldn’t go our way,” said Kisilevich of his play. “It’s an honour (to be MVP), I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and it’s very exciting, but it’s a collective achievement among the team and especially the defence in front of me.”

Now he’s a champion as a rookie, who recently turned 19 and said it feels “surreal.”

“Especially the way it went down, it couldn’t have been more stressful, but it was beyond worth it.”

Visit the game sheet for full stats report.

Congratulations Nitros!

Lead image: The Kimberley Dynamiters – 2025-26 KIJHL Cup champs. Hawk Cooper-Lamb photo

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