The Seattle Thunderbirds will face the Kamloops Blazers this weekend in the WHL’s Western Conference Championship. A week ago, it looked like Seattle’s season was about to end. They played perhaps the worst game of the playoffs during a 5-1 home loss against the Portland Winterhawks. The loss put Seattle’s back against the wall and the Thunderbirds were down three games to one in their best-of-seven, second-round series.
“It stung for a little while,” Thunderbirds captain Tyrel Bauer said. “The gravity of the situation kind of started to dwell on us knowing that now we’re playing for our lives here. Our motto was just one more day, just play one more day, spend one more day with each other. We have a lot of belief in the group.”
That belief manifested itself as Seattle won the following two games, setting up an all-or-nothing Game 7, in Portland, against the Thunderbirds’ most bitter rivals. Junior hockey players don’t get to experience the thrill and angst that a Game 7 provides very often.
Growing up, they play in tournaments and maybe have a tournament final, but that pales in comparison to the finality of a Game 7 in the playoffs. Few of Seattle’s players had experienced it before.
“Playoff hockey is the most fun you’ll have playing hockey,” center Henrik Rybinski said. “It’s fun to battle with your teammates, and it’s what hockey is all about. You don’t dream about playing regular season. [Game 7] was nerve wracking, but [you] just got to realize you just gotta go and play. You had to put all those nerves behind you and just go out there and just play the way you can play and stick to the game plan.”
Seattle skated away with a 6-3 win with Rybinski picking up a pair of assists and a plus-4 rating.
The win propelled the Thunderbirds to the Western Conference Championship Series against the Kamloops Blazers. It’s the third time Seattle has been this far in the playoffs since 2016. Seattle won the conference that year and would win again the following season on its way to the first WHL title in franchise history.
COVID wiped out the last two playoffs in the WHL, and for the Seattle players, they are savoring the chance in front of them now.
To win again they’ll have to get past a good Kamloops squad who won the B.C. Division during the regular season and will have home ice in this series.
“They’re a really good team so just stick to what makes us good,” Rybinski said. “Being hard on the forecheck, getting the O-zone buzzing, which we are really good at. We got some big guys who can protect protect the puck and get pucks to the net and then, just be cautious. It’ll be a great series.”
Kamloops versus Seattle, the match up
The series starts Friday and Saturday with both Games 1 and 2 played in Kamloops at the Sandman Centre. Game’s 3 and 4 will be Tuesday the 24th and Wednesday the 25th at the accesso ShoWare Center.
Seattle and Kamloops played three times during the regular season. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Kamloops won the season series, taking two of three games. Those wins for the Blazers came in back-to-back games in late November, while Seattle won the only game of the season series in Kamloops.
The two teams looked different for those games which are meaningless when handicapping the upcoming series.
“Those games might as well have been a season ago with how much has transpired since then,” Thunderbirds assistant coach Kyle Hagel said. “Their team looks a little bit different, and we’ve evolved a lot since then. But in preparation they have a lot of similarities with Portland in some ways and are really good on special teams… some of the same blueprint for us will apply.”
Seattle has its hands full here, and the Blazers are a nice combination of a team that can score (second in the Western Conference in goals) and defends (allowed the fewest goals in the conference).
Key players
Kamloops will feature six NHL drafted or signed players led by forward Logan Stankoven (Dallas Stars), who was third in the WHL scoring race with 104 points. He’s loaded with speed and skill, and the Thunderbirds will need to try and contain the impact he has on the series. In 10 playoff games this spring he’s piled up 21 points.
In net, Kamloops will feature New York Rangers 2020 fourth-round pick Dylan Garand who was second in the WHL regular season with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. He won eight of ten games so far in the playoffs with an impressive .940 save percentage.
The Thunderbirds have seven drafted or signed players along with three – defensemen Kevin Korchinski and forwards Reid Schaefer and Jordan Gustafson – who are expected to be selected in the first three rounds of July’s NHL Draft. Seattle was led this season by a breakout year from Jared Davidson. 19, who scored 42 times and will be counted on again.
Rybinski (Washington Capitals) and Point Roberts product Lucas Svejkovsky (Pittsburgh Penguins) have come on strong for the Thunderbirds in the playoffs. Seattle acquired Svejkovsky at the trade deadline, and in 33 games with the Thunderbirds, he’s scored 23 goals and 46 points. Rybinski is in his final season with Seattle and is a relentless forechecker and playmaker.
“Rybinski has just been a machine out there on the forecheck, and he’s all over the puck,” Hagel said. “He’s our engine that drives us, and Svejkovsky has been fantastic coming through with clutch, huge goals. When we got him we knew that he was gonna score, but I think that we’ve all been surprised at how incredibly competitive he is and how good his habits are.”
The two are playing their final junior seasons as 20-year-olds and will be looking to go out with a trip to the WHL Championship Series.
Thomas Milic will mind the net for the Thunderbirds and is a player on a mission. Overlooked by the NHL Draft – although he was an invite to the Seattle Kraken training camp only to miss it to injury before he got there – Milic had an outstanding series against Portland where he had one shutout and comes into the series hot.
The supporting cast for the Thunderbirds will be key. They have players like Matt Rempe (New York Rangers), Conner Roulette (Dallas Stars), and Lucas Ciona (Calgary Flames) who can provide plenty of offense. On the blue line, Seattle is stout with Bauer (Winnipeg Jets) and Slovakian import Sam Knazko (Columbus Blue Jackets) who will be tasked with slowing down Stankoven, et al.
The intangibles
Special teams can make or break a playoff series, and discipline will be key for both as Seattle’s power play is clicking at 27.7 percent in the playoffs. The Blazers aren’t slouching either with a 22.4 percent power-play unit.
The Thunderbirds struggled with Portland’s power play in the second round, and their penalty kill is at 75 percent for the playoffs, something they’ll have to figure out if they want to win.
One intangible that is hard to measure is being battle-tested. The Blazers arrived at the Conference Championship beating two teams that finished at the bottom of the playoff bracket. They opened with a sweep of seventh-seeded Spokane and then beat the eighth-seeded Vancouver Giants.
The Thunderbirds had to go through the fifth-seeded Kelowna Rockets in the first round and the third-seeded Winterhawks. Seattle also dealt with a number of injuries during the regular season and found ways to win, as they did coming from behind in the second round, staving off elimination in the final three games.
“I think it strengthens our team in the sense that guys are even more confident that they can come back and perform when their back’s against the wall,” Hagel said.
That confidence will be put to the test against the Blazers.
When it comes to hockey rivalries, Canada and Russia is one of the best. The two countries have played epic games on the international stage and will write the next chapter Thursday night in Texas when they play for the gold medal of the IIHF U18 World Championships.
The U18 tournament features many top 2021 NHL Draft prospects as well as some unbelievably talented players who will be featured in the 2022 and 2023 Drafts.
Canada has breezed through the tournament so far, unbeaten and outscoring its opponents by an absurd 46 to 9 margin. It’s a deep squad loaded with future NHL talent and one of the deepest teams the Canadians have brought to the U18s.
We’ve heard this before, though.
At the 2021 World Juniors, Canada looked invincible, with a roster of first-round NHL picks. Surely nobody would stop them. That was the narrative heading into the gold medal game and yet the U.S. ended up skating away with the prize.
This time it’s the Russians who will try to upset the seemingly unbeatable Canadians. Will they do so? They have talent but will have to play a near perfect game Thursday night. The game starts at 6 PM Pacific time and will be broadcast on the NHL Network.
Canada versus Russia for U18 gold
After ripping through the preliminary rounds, Canada advanced to the gold medal game with a pair of seven-goal wins. They beat the Czech Republic 10-3 and Sweden 8-1. The game against Sweden was closer than the score appeared as Canada led 2-1 through 40 minutes. With the way Canada has played, that’s what constitutes a close game in this tournament.
The Russians tied Finland in points during the preliminary rounds but lost out on the top seed due to a head-to-head shootout loss. They had a taste of revenge by beating Finland in a thrilling 6-5 semi-final contest. Prior to that, they had taken care of Belarus, 5-2. Russia has played exciting games during this tournament and won’t be a pushover here. They’ve already erased a 5-1 deficit against the United States to hand the Americans a heartbreaking loss early in the tournament.
Canada-Russia by the numbers
It should be no surprise that the two teams fighting for the gold medal have some impressive numbers. Despite Canada routing all of its opponents, Russia boasts the best shooting percentage as a team at 18 percent, but Canada is right behind them at 17. Both squads are far and away the best shooting clubs in the tournament which could lead to some explosives Thursday night.
Special teams are always a factor in gold medal games and Russia and Canada feature the top two power-play units in the tournament. Russia’s is clicking at 43 percent while Canada is just a tick below at 42. Russia will need to be disciplined in this game as their penalty kill was not as good (75%) as Canada’s (85%) and too many kills could lose the gold medal.
The top two scorers in the tournament are both Russians. Captain Nikita Chibrikov has 13 points and is tied with teammate Matvei Michkov – 11 of his points are off goals. Canada’s Connor Bedard (12 points) and Shane Wright (11 points) are third and fourth in scoring, respectively.
Players to watch
It would be easy to list the entire Canadian roster here as their chances to grab U18 gold against Russia lay in the hands of a talented roster that has depth through all four lines.
For Kraken fans, forward Dylan Guenther, Brandt Clarke, and Mason McTavish are just three players who are projected as first-round picks in the range of when Seattle will pick in its first Draft. In particular, Clark — who normally plays with the OHL’s Barrie Colts but played in Slovakia this year due to the OHL season being canceled — has had a strong tournament and could see his stock on the rise.
Canada’s Dylan Guenther will be a top NHL Draft pick in July. (Photo by Andy Devine/Edmonton Oil Kings)
Local fans will want to keep an eye on Seattle Thunderbirds forward Connor Roulette, who has six points in six games, and Everett Silvertips defenseman Olen Zellweger, who has seven.
Russia also has NHL talent on its roster, most notably its two leading scorers.
Chibrikov is a speedy two-way and fluid center projected to land in the first round. Another first-round prospect is Fyodor Svechkov who has checked in with 10 points for the Russians. Svechkov is another fantastic two-way center who will have his hands full against Canada in the gold medal game.
The future of the future
Both Canada and Russia have younger players who will not be eligible for the NHL Draft this year but in the coming years. These guys have been electric and have put on a show during the tournament in Texas.
It’s a U18 tournament which means that 15-year-old Bedard could be and was invited for Canada. The Regina Pats phenom is the first player ever to be granted exceptional status in the WHL and after leading the league in scoring there, he’s come to Texas and has led Canada. He’s as dynamic a player as you’ll see in this game and turned in a hat trick during Canada’s semi-final win against Finland. Bedard is eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft and is already being talked about as the top pick.
Not to be outdone, Canada’s Wright, 16, has been equally impressive. He’ll be eligible for the 2022 Draft and already looks like the No. 1 guy. Wright was named Canada’s captain for this tournament, which is exceptional by itself, but then you watch the guy play and he does it all. He can score, play in his own end, he’s on the Canadian power play, and he kills penalties.
Russia also has a 2023 eligible player in Michkov. At 15 years old, he’s exploded on the scene during the U18s, leading the way with 11 goals. He’s got size for a guy his age and could give Bedard a push for that top Draft spot in two years.
Gold medal goalie matchup for Canada and Russia
Obviously, it took good goaltending for Canada and Russia to reach the U18 gold medal game and both clubs have it. Russia’s Sergei Ivanov will get the call in net Thursday and will bring with him a 2.36 goals-against and a .920 save percentage.
On the Canadian side, Seattle Thunderbirds goalie Thomas Milic started two games in the preliminary rounds – only allowing one goal – but will serve as the backup goalie for Canada in the gold medal game. Instead, Canada will go with Benjamin Gaudreau, who started both playoff games. Gaudreau has only allowed eight goals in six games with a save percentage of .922. Playing for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, Gaudreau had not played in a game all year, making his U18 performance that much more impressive.
The casual hockey fan may not be paying attention to Frisco, Texas, next week, but NHL scouts will be there in force. Among that group will be the Seattle Kraken scouts to watch the top draft prospects compete in the IIHF U18 World Championships in preparation for the team’s first NHL Entry Draft in July.
Scouting the amateur, draft-eligible players this season has been rough. Covid has limited games, and in some cases canceled them altogether, and that has put NHL teams in a bind trying to get the proper amount of viewings in.
Those viewings are essential and that’s why the U18 Championships have become critical for the NHL – and Seattle Kraken – scouts.
Not every top player will be there, but for the ones who are playing, it’s a chance for NHL scouts to watch them in a setting where they’ll be competing against top competition while also playing for their country. Stocks will rise and fall, as the players look to handle the pressure on and off the ice.
Everything kicks off in Frisco on April 26 and runs through May 6.
Here are some players whose performances Kraken fans should keep track of:
Potential Kraken first-round picks at the U18 Championships
The Seattle Kraken will get a pick in the first six selections, and while we will have to wait to see how the lottery balls fall, there are some players in the U18 World Championships who potentially could end up being their first ever pick.
Canada
Dylan Guenther, F, Edmonton, WHL
Guenther is a pure scorer and busted out of the gates for the Oil Kings this season. When he left for Texas he had 24 points in 12 games. That’s some impressive production and it’s vaulted him into the top five prospects of the 2021 NHL Draft.
He has the speed, hands, and vision to score at the NHL level. He has played mostly on the wing but could be converted to center and like most players in junior, could stand to add some muscle to his frame. Guenther will be one of the top-line players for the Canadians at the U18’s.
Brandt Clarke, D, Barrie, OHL
Perhaps reading the tea leaves correctly, Clarke decided to play overseas to start his season this year and it may end up helping the defenseman. He’s been seen by NHL scouts and heads into the U18’s after playing well in a Slovakian pro league. A puck-moving defenseman, he’ll lead Canada and will most likely anchor their power play.
Brandt Clarke's sixth goal of the season. The 2021 draft prospect weaves around traffic and buries the puck top shelf.#2021NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/AtoIWKNAhc
Clarke, depending on who your favorite NHL Draft prognosticator is, should be a top-ten pick in July. The U18 Championships will give him a chance to improve his stock even more, and since his skill set is much desired by NHL clubs, he could sneak into the Kraken territory in the top six.
United States
Chaz Lucius, F, USNTDP
Another player who has been consistently ranked in the top ten but perhaps below the Kraken range, Lucius is fun to watch. He can work the puck and is a dynamic scorer who will draw attention from the defense on the ice and scouts off it. His season started slow due to injury, but he finished strong by scoring just over a point per game.
Playing in the U18 Championships gives him a chance against elite competition and if he plays well, he could creep up the draft boards, maybe even on the Kraken list. He’s committed to playing for the University of Michigan next season.
Potential later-round targets
The U18 Championship rosters are loaded, and while the bulk of the players won’t go in the top six, there are guys who could rise up or be available when the Kraken select in the later rounds.
Of all years, this one will offer the most unpredictability, so dismiss a propect at your own risk.
Here are some other players to look for at the tournament:
Sweden
Fabian Lysell, F, Lulea, SHL
The Swedes are always tough in international play and they’ll be in the mix again to win the gold medal at the U18’s. Lysell will be a top-line player for Sweden and has tons of skill, speed, and offensive creativity. He may be too good to stick around for a second Kraken pick but is still a name to keep an eye out for.
Simon Edvinsson, D, Vasteras IK, Allsvenskan
Edvinsson spent this season both with his Swedish junior team and playing up in an elite league. He’s got the size for the NHL and could be a riser. Offensively, he hasn’t exploded, but if he can show more offensive upside and potential from the blue line he could be an intriguing draft pick.
Russia
Nikita Chibrikov, F, SKA ST Petersburg, KHL
A skilled winger, Chibrikov spent 16 games in the pro KHL this season playing against older and experienced players. One of the better Russians playing in Texas this month, he has a shot to be one of the best forwards overall.
Canada
Corson Ceulemans, D, Brooks, AJHL
Committed to play for the Badgers at Wisconsin next year, Ceulemans, is a smart two-way blueliner. He may not be as dynamic a scorer as some of the higher-rated defensemen at the U18 Championships or in the draft, but he’s an NHL-level player.
Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops, WHL
Listed at 5-foot-8, Stankoven isn’t the biggest forward on the board, but that hasn’t stopped him from scoring in the WHL. He’s got the speed and the skill and has started the season with 10 points – seven of which are goals – in the Blazers’ first six games. Could he slip to the Kraken in the second round?
Mason McTavish, F, Petersborough, OHL
Another OHLer who fled to Europe to get ice time, McTavish is an interesting prospect to watch now that he’ll be playing against elite talent. He’s a strong forward who has the size to compete.
Local players Kraken fans can root for at U18 World Championships
There are four local WHL players who will be representing their countries over the next month. They won’t be the first pick the Kraken make, but their U18 Championships performances could make them attractive picks in later rounds.
Canada
Conner Roulette, F, Seattle, WHL
After receiving an ‘A’ rating from NHL’s Central Scouting, Roulette was just heating up as he left the Thunderbirds for Texas. He’s a creative and dynamic scorer who always seems to find the puck on his stick. Roulette has played well for Canada in past tournaments and has a chance to raise his stock at the U18’s.
Thomas Milic, G, Seattle, WHL
Milic’s rookie season in the WHL was off to a great start before he left for the U18’s. He was invited to Canada’s Hlinka-Gretzky camp this summer and was one of the top goalies at last year’s U17 tournament. This year he’ll have a chance to impress NHL scouts more after not playing in the WHL last season.
Thomas Milic got off to a great start with MIlic. (Brian Liesse photo)
Olen Zellweger, D, Everett, WHL
It seems every year the Silvertips have a defenseman who garners attention from NHL scouts. This year its Zellweger and he started the season with a ‘C’ rating from the NHL. He’s a solid defenseman, responsible in his own end while being dangerous at the other. Don’t be surprised if a good U18 performance raises his ranking.
United States
Braden Holt, G, Everett, WHL
Holt’s addition to Team USA was a bit of a surprise only because he hasn’t played much with Everett. Hailing from Montana, he’s been watching and learning from Dustin Wolf and has only been in 10 games over the past year-plus. When he has played, he’s played well and the U18’s will be an even bigger chance to showcase what he is capable of.
On Monday, Patrick Marleau will break Gordie Howe’s record for the most regular season games played in the NHL. There is no question that Marleau is the greatest NHL player to ever suit up for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He played two full seasons with the Thunderbirds in 1995-96 and 1996-97 before being drafted second overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
As a tribute to the former T-Bird, I wanted to visualize some of the statistics of his 1,767 NHL regular season games.
Patrick Marleau teams and opponents
Marleau has played for three teams in his career, but most people know him as a San Jose Shark where he has played over 90% of his regular season games.
With that much time playing for the Sharks, you might be able to guess which teams he has played and scored against the most in his career to date.
Interesting to see that Marleau has scored a goal against 33 unique NHL teams. The Atlanta Thrashers and the Phoenix Coyotes are the additional two teams beyond the current 31 squads in existence.
Patrick Marleau goals scored
“Patty” has scored 566 regular season goals. 172 were power play goals, 17 were shorthanded, and 21 were empty netters.
Here is a look at which goalies he has scored on the most.
Here is who assisted the most on Marleau’s goals.
While Marleau has racked up impressive goal totals, he is a very balanced player offensively and has assisted more than he has scored with 630 career helpers through Sunday. Here are the teammates he has set up most often in his career.
Patrick Marleau bar trivia
Here are some other fun numbers about Patty’s career (so far).
4,321 – Shots on goal 527 – Penalty minutes 195 – Playoff games 177 – Number of unique goalies scored on during the regular season 125 – Number of points scored in his last year playing with the Seattle Thunderbirds 109 – Game-winning goals 72 – Playoff goals 26 – Number of NHL teams in the league when Marleau debuted 18 – Age when he entered the league 11 – Overtime goals 6 – Number of fights in his career 5 – Number of Hall of Fame goalies scored on in his career 4 – Overtime playoff goals 2 – Number of Olympic Gold Medals 1 – Stanley Cup Playoff appearance
I hope you enjoyed some of the more interesting numbers on Marleau’s journey to being the player with the most games played in the NHL. Congrats Patty!
Halfway through the first period of the Everett Silvertips’ game against the Tri-City Americans on Wednesday, Olen Zellweger walked the offensive blue line, dragging the puck with him. With power play traffic gathered in front of Tri’s goal crease, he snapped a low shot that found its way through the mass of humanity and made netminder Talyn Boyko reach to his right. Boyko was out of position after the first save and never stood a chance on the rebound, as Jacob Wright tapped it home for the first goal of the game and the eventual game winner.
Walking the line and getting the puck through traffic is an artform, and one at which Zellweger excels. If you watch him closely, you will get a sense that almost every time he puts the puck toward the net, some level of chaos ensues shortly after.
Zellweger, a shifty 17-year-old draft-eligible defenseman who hails from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, is off to a great start offensively with a goal and four assists in five games on Everett’s blue line this season. He has picked up nicely after a solid 16-year-old campaign, in which he registered two goals and 10 assists in 58 games.
Zellweger has been playing with Gianni Fairbrother, a veteran in the WHL and a 2019 draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens. Zellweger credits his defensive partner with “making it easy” on him by really talking on the ice. The two are building chemistry as the season goes along, and Zellweger fits naturally alongside the older, more developed Fairbrother.
Playing on the top pairing, on the power play, and even occasionally on the penalty kill as a 17-year-old shows the level of trust that the Silvertips coaching staff has in Zellweger. He’s even playing the right side, despite being a left-shot defenseman. Zellweger doesn’t think it’s a big deal to play the offside, noting, “There’s pros and cons, but there’s pros and cons to playing on your strongside too.”
Silvertips head coach Dennis Williams put a little more thought into playing Zellweger on the right, though. “This is what we think of Olen as a player is we move him to his offside, which is not easy for a defenseman to do, especially in the Western League at that age.” The Silvertips have a glut of left-shot defensemen in Fairbrother, Zellweger, Ronan Seeley, and Aidan Sutter. “On the right side we needed to move one of those guys over, and we thought Olen, with his feet and his hockey sense and his ability to retrieve pucks and escape pressure because of his skating that he would be the best, so we were able to put him with a guy like Gianni Fairbrother and use them as shutdown D as well.”
Olen Zellweger makes a pass against the Tri-City Americans. (Chris Mast, Everett Silvertips)
For a young player like Zellweger to accept such a huge role—particularly playing the right side—and to shine is a credit to his abilities and his drive as a player. “It’s been working so far, I think he’s done a really good job with [Fairbrother], but again, it’s not easy,” Williams says. “Our forwards sometimes will fling a puck up the wall and forget he’s on his offhand. That’s tough to collect on your backhand as a guy’s coming out at you on the point, you know, to not bobble it, try to get it back deep. But, he’s done a really good job of trying to get his feet around it, have composure, absorb a hit, and get it back behind the goaltender.”
While his ability to create offense from the blue line is apparent, Zellweger’s skating is undoubtedly his greatest strength. He’s slick and deceptive and appears to move effortlessly on the ice. Despite being on the small side at 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Zellweger never seems to get squared up for big hits. Instead, he lets his feet deliver him out of trouble in his own end, often spinning away from attacking forwards and even jumping up to lead the rush offensively.
He’s the true modern-day defenseman, who Williams calls a “relentless worker” who “lives and breathes the game of hockey.”
“There’s nobody on our team that works harder than Zell,” Williams adds. “And if you were to ask all 25 guys, they’d all give you the same answer. He wants to do everything in his power to be a hockey player and he gives himself the best opportunity, whether it’s eating properly, resting properly, his preparation for practice and games. He’s just a pleasure to coach, and to see him from last year to this year, you know, the strides… He’s definitely going to have an opportunity, I believe, to be a pro hockey player and an opportunity to be drafted in the upcoming draft.”
Williams is not the only one who believes that Zellweger will hear his name called by an NHL franchise in July. In fact, Zellweger landed on NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to Watch” list with a ‘C’ rating, making him likely to be selected in the fourth through sixth rounds. “It was pretty cool to be named to that list,” Zellweger says. “Obviously, I want to move up to whatever I can, so I think I just gotta go up from here.”
Zellweger isn’t embarking on this journey alone, though. “We have quite a few signed players on our team so they kind of know what it takes and they know what you gotta do. You gotta be focused and be prepared every day to play because somebody’s always watching.”
The Everett Silvertips are in the early stages of a shortened 24-game WHL season. There has been plenty of concern expressed around the hockey world for how young players could continue their development, especially when play was halted due to the pandemic. Zellweger took everything in stride, though, and saw it as a chance to augment his already impressive skillset. “It’s unfortunate that we don’t get the full season, but this will be a good opportunity for us, and I look at the shortened season and extra training time as a really good opportunity to improve upon weaknesses and stuff like that. So for me, it was good time and used well, so I think it was good for me.”
That extra training time shows, as Zellweger looks like the real deal. If he keeps scoring, he could hear his name called at the NHL Draft a lot earlier than his ‘C’ rating suggests.
Olen Zellweger and the Everett Silvertips are a perfect 5-0-0 this season and lead the U.S. Division with 10 points.
Featured image taken by Chris Mast, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
It’s been a roller coaster of a week in the hockey world with several high points matched by equally low points. We at Sound Of Hockey are here to fill you in on anything you may have missed on this wild ride. Please ensure your safety belt is fastened, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times, and secure your belongings. Because it’s time for another round on the high-octane thrill ride that is Weekly One-Timers.
Some good news, some very ugly news for local WHL teams
Thunderbirds dismiss two players after racial incident
We will start with the ugly and certainly more scandalous news out of the WHL. The Seattle Thunderbirds announced in a statement Thursday that two of their players have been removed from their roster following an incident in the team’s dressing room, in which they made racist comments aimed at a third player on the team.
It’s not a good situation, and I feel for the victim of the verbal abuse. It’s yet another stark reminder that hockey has a very long way to go before it can claim to be an inclusive community, which it certainly still is not.
Credit to the Thunderbirds for taking the situation seriously and invoking their zero-tolerance policy toward racism and bullying.
Dustin Wolf is good at hockey
Ok, here’s the good stuff I promised. Dustin Wolf has played three full games for the Everett Silvertips this season. He has not yet allowed a goal. The latest triumph for the 19-year-old Calgary Flames prospect came by way of a 3-0 victory over the Tri-City Americans on Wednesday, in which Wolf confidently stopped all 30 of the shots he faced.
Remember, Wolf was one of the players who was allowed to temporarily play in the AHL with the eligibility rules altered due to the ongoing pandemic. While playing for the Stockton Heat, Wolf appeared in three games. He was shellacked the first night but rebounded to allow just three combined goals in his second and third starts, returning to the WHL with a 2-1-0 professional record.
Now back in the WHL and facing shots from players more his age, Wolf looks unbeatable. The streak ties Wolf with Carter Hart for most consecutive shutouts by a Silvertips goalie and leaves him one shy of tying the league record. He now has 23 career WHL shutouts and is just three away from tying Hart and Tyson Sexsmith for the WHL career shutout record of 26.
Can Wolf come up with four more shutouts in this short 24-game season to break the all-time WHL record for career shutouts?
Tim Peel gets fired
This happened on Tuesday. Please note there is naughty language heard in the below video, so please say “Earmuffs” to any small children in the immediate vicinity before pressing the play button.
Maybe if you're a mic'd up ref, you shouldn't express how you wanted to call a penalty against a team earlier in the game, changing how you ref the rest of the game.
“What?!? How could they fire him for that? He’s just doing his job!”
“Completely unacceptable! Tim Peel shouldn’t have been fired!”
“I can’t believe the league did that!”
“This is exactly what has been happening in the NHL forever!”
Worth mentioning, none of the above quotes are real quotes from the internet, but it is a pretty fair representation of what was being said within the given timeline.
The general opinion of Sound Of Hockey on the matter is that Tim Peel got screwed. He was a veteran referee on his way to retirement after this season. He was managing the game, just like every NHL referee has done and will continue to do. His only crime was that he got caught on a hot mic verbalizing the unwritten strategies that officials employ to make sure they aren’t the ones deciding the outcomes of games.
Have you ever noticed that there are far fewer penalties called later in games? Have you ever noticed that if a team has a questionable call go against it, it tends to get the next one in its favor? Have you ever noticed that penalties are simply not called consistently in any game ever?
It’s all game management. Peel just talked about it and was heard on a broadcast, and now he’s been scapegoated.
If the league wants referees to simply call games as they see them, then it needs to identify the game-management approach as a problem and holistically re-think how it trains officials. Firing a guy just for talking about what he’s always been expected to do isn’t the answer.
Here’s a little something to remember Peel by as he rides off into the sunset in a way he certainly never expected.
In honor of the @NHL firing referee Tim Peel today for his hot mic incident, I'd like to play him off with his finest moment as an official when he took a puck to the nuts that ended up in the net pic.twitter.com/4c7PDfYEtw
The NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament is starting Friday morning (that’s today!) at 10AM Pacific when MY WISCONSIN BADGERS take on the Bemidji State Beavers on ESPN2. Could MY WISCONSIN BADGERS follow in the enormous footsteps of the Badger women by winning another national championship for the **undisputed best school in the nation?
**Note: Asterisks indicate a heavily disputed claim.
As much as I would love to see Wisconsin win this thing (UPDATE: Wisconsin lost in the first round to Bemidji State), it’s North Dakota’s tournament to lose. But as we learn every year, anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s what makes it such a great viewing experience.
There was supposed to be a second game played at 10AM Friday, but Notre Dame has been forced to back out of the tournament due to COVID protocols. Ironically, the Fighting Irish were only included in the field because St. Lawrence University previously had to shut down its season for the same reason. Notre Dame’s game against Boston College is considered a no-contest, so the Eagles automatically advance and will now have to win just one game to reach the Frozen Four.
Hopefully this is the last COVID-related hiccup, as this is primed to be an incredible tournament.
UPDATE: It was not the last hiccup, as Michigan has also had to back out due to a positive test. UMD automatically advances.
Here is the full bracket.
NWHL Isobel Cup Playoffs
Another big-time tournament gets underway on Friday, as the NWHL will finally finish its condensed season and award the Isobel Cup this weekend. The semifinals will be played Friday at 2PM and 5PM Pacific and the final will be played Saturday at 4PM Pacific. All games will be shown live on NBCSN.
The Boston Pride, Connecticut Whale, Minnesota Whitecaps, and Toronto Six make up the four-team field.
You Don’t See That Every Day
Goalie Goal
We have a goalie goal in the USHL! I repeat, we have a goalie goal in the USHL! This is not a drill.
Tri-City Storm netminder Todd Scott absolutely drills it, then celebrates accordingly. Yes, I am crying. It’s just so beautiful.
“We’re going to need clean-up in the Taggart box, please”
Pierre Dorion got really mad after his Ottawa Senators lost in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday and took his frustrations out on what appears to be lemonade or some other citrusy beverage.
We’re just really hoping our box gets cleaned before we can get back into it…😂 https://t.co/MAzVBUcTTE
The outburst reminded me of Cam Neely whipping his water bottle two years ago during the playoffs, and it also reminded me that I performed some video magic at that time.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
