(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Regan Bartel

Calm in the crease

No way around It: Harrison Boettiger faces playoff pressure head-on

Mar 26, 2026 | 6:00 AM

Harrison Boettiger has never been one to dodge pucks. As a goaltender, that comes with the job. So when the question turned to pressure ahead of Game 1, he didn’t dodge that either.

For Boettiger, the moment is here. The WHL playoffs open Friday night on home ice against the Kamloops Blazers.

“Yeah, I think there’s definitely a lot of pressure this year,” Boettiger said. “Just because of what the year holds, hosting the Memorial Cup. It’s a big year, and you always have a target on your back… especially in the playoffs.”

That pressure isn’t something he ignores. It’s something he manages.

“But for me, I think it’s just kind of drowning it out,” he said. “It’s ultimately the same game. You’re just playing hockey, and as long as I can keep doing what I’m doing and be there for the team when they need me, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”

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The matchup itself adds another layer. The Rockets went 4-1-0-1 against their arch rivals during the regular season, with Boettiger posting a 3-1 record, a 1.99 goals-against average, and a .946 save percentage.

Still, the respect for the opponent is clear.

“They’ve got some really high-end offensive players,” he said. “Maybe some other teams in the league don’t. So it’ll be a good test.”

At the top of that list is J.P. Hurlbert, the Blazers’ leading point producer, a player Boettiger knows well from their time together with the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“JP Hurlbert for sure is a guy I’ve known for a while and played with him a bunch,” Boettiger said. “He’s got an incredible shot… he catches a lot of goaltenders off guard with that.”

Hurlbert scored against every team in the B.C. Division this season.

Except Kelowna.

“I mean, who knows what that is?” Boettiger said. “Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe I’ve got his number in the regular season. But the playoffs are obviously a different game, and the whole goal is to try and keep it that way.”

The familiarity helps, but only to a point.

“Just seeing his release in the past kind of helps,” he said. “But guys like that are going to get their chances.”

This playoff moment also comes at the end of a season filled with firsts for the 18-year-old.

“I thought it was a really good year for me,” Boettiger said. “A lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity and stuff I’ve never had to deal with before… especially stepping into a role here where I had to play a lot of games.”

That workload was an adjustment in itself.

“Playing at the NTDP, we had three goalies,” he said. “So coming here and kind of stepping into a role where I had to play a lot… it was a new challenge.”

And one he believes will pay off.

“It’ll help me even further in my career,” he said.

The Western Hockey League brought its own learning curve too.

“I’d say traffic was a big thing,” Boettiger said. “There’s a lot of traffic, a lot of tip plays… and just the skill. Pretty much every player can rip the puck bar down, so you’ve got to be careful at all times.”

Through it all, his foundation hasn’t changed.

“I think my best attributes are just my ability to read the play and my skating,” he said. “When both are going well, I think I’m a really good goaltender.”

Now, it’s about applying all of that in a setting he hasn’t experienced before.

“No playoff experience for me,” Boettiger admitted. “It’s kind of something I’ve wondered about.”

But even that unknown doesn’t change the approach.

“Honestly, I think it’s treating every game like it’s just a game,” he said. “Obviously, there’s more pressure and expectations, but I think I play better when I’m just playing hockey and having fun… being myself out there.”

And if nerves show up?

“I don’t normally get nervous,” he said. “But if I do, I think nerves can be a good thing. It’s a sign that you care and a sign that you’re doing what you love.”

No dodging the puck.

No dodging the pressure.