| Seattle Thunderbirds | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Kent, Washington |
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | U.S. |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Home arena | accesso ShoWare Center |
| Colors | Navy blue, green, white |
| General manager | Bil La Forge |
| Head coach | Matt O'Dette |
| Website | chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/ |
| Franchise history | |
| 1971–1973 | Vancouver Nats |
| 1973–1977 | Kamloops Chiefs |
| 1977–1985 | Seattle Breakers |
| 1985–present | Seattle Thunderbirds |
| Championships | |
| Playoff championships | Ed Chynoweth Cup 2 (2017,2023) Conference Championships 5 (1996–97,2015–16,2016–17,2021–22,2022–23) |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
TheSeattle Thunderbirds are a majorjunior ice hockey team based in the city ofKent, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in theWestern Hockey League. Founded in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats, the team arrived inSeattle in 1977 and played as theBreakers until 1985, when they adopted the Thunderbirds name. The team played in Seattle for three decades before moving to theaccesso ShoWare Center in nearby Kent in 2008. The Thunderbirds are two-time WHL champions, with their most recent title coming in 2023.
The team was founded in 1971 as theVancouver Nats of the Western Canada Hockey League, but moved toKamloops,British Columbia, after just two seasons to become theKamloops Chiefs in 1973.[1] In 1977, the team moved again, this time to Seattle, and was renamed the Seattle Breakers.[1] The move came just years after the city narrowly missed out on securing aNational Hockey League franchise.[2] The Breakers began play in1977–78, and played out of theSeattle Center Arena. Through eight seasons, the Breakers finished with a regular season record of 225 wins, 319 losses, and 32 ties; and playoff record of 11 wins and 21 losses, twice advancing as far as the West Division finals.[3] The team nearly folded in 1982 when, under owner John Hamilton, it filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy. This reality, combined with novel promotions like honoring unusedSeattle Seahawks tickets at the gate, boosted attendance at Breakers games.[4] This was also helped by on-ice success. Despite the off-ice challenges, the team, under coach Jack Sangster, swept theVictoria Cougars in the playoffs to advance to the Division finals. There, they faced the rivalPortland Winter Hawks, dropping the series to the eventual champions 4 games to 2.[4]
After the 1984–85 season, the Breakers were sold to new owners and renamed the Seattle Thunderbirds as part of an extensive re-branding.[5] Along with the new name, the team changed its color-scheme from orange, blue, and white, to green, blue, and white, announced a renovation plan for its home arena, and by 1990 began playing some of its games at the largerSeattle Center Coliseum.[5][6] New management promised to spare no expense and to turn the team into a contender. This included hiringRuss Farwell as manager andBarry Melrose as coach—the two had been instrumental in theMedicine Hat Tigers' 1988 Memorial Cup championship.[7] However, despite the scoring exploits ofGlen Goodall—Goodall set new league records for goals (262) and points (573) and had his number 10 jersey retired when he turned professional in 1990[8]—it would be twelve years before the Thunderbirds broke through to their first league final. Led by star forwardPatrick Marleau, the Thunderbirds faced theLethbridge Hurricanes in the 1997 championship series, which they lost in a sweep.[9] Although the Thunderbirds would win their first and second regular season Division titles in 2002–03 and 2004–05, the eighteen seasons after their first finals appearance would see the team advance past the second round of the playoffs just once.
In 2006, the Thunderbirds announced their intention to move to a brand new arena being constructed in Kent, south of Seattle.[10] The purpose-built arena was a major attraction for the team.[11]
2015 marked the beginning of the most successful period in team history, as the Thunderbirds advanced to the finals four times in eight seasons, twice capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions. Led by the likes ofMatthew Barzal,Ethan Bear, andKeegan Kolesar, the 2015–16 season saw the Thunderbirds capture their first Division title since 2005 and make their deepest playoff run since 1997 when Matthew Wedman's game four overtime goal sent the Thunderbirds past theKelowna Rockets and into the championship final.[12] They lost the final in five games to theBrandon Wheat Kings.[13] The following season, the Thunderbirds returned to the final, where they faced theRegina Pats. They defeated the Pats in six games, withAlexander True scoring the title-winning goal in overtime of game six to secure Seattle's first championship.[14] With the win, Seattle advanced to the2017 Memorial Cup tournament, where they were eliminated after three straight losses in the preliminary round.[15]
After two straight first-round exits and two years without playoffs due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Thunderbirds again emerged as a contender in the 2021–22 season. That season, the team returned to the finals and faced theEdmonton Oil Kings to contest the first league playoff title since 2019. Seattle lost the final in six games.[16] The following season was the best in Thunderbirds' history with the team posting 54 wins and 111 points.[17] In the playoffs, they eliminated the Memorial Cup-hostKamloops Blazers in the Western Conference championship, moving on to face theWinnipeg Ice in the title series.[18] They defeated the Ice in five games to earn a berth in the2023 Memorial Cup tournament.[19] There, led byDylan Guenther and goaltender Thomas Milic, the Thunderbirds advanced to the tournament final, which they lost to theQuebec Remparts.[20]
The Thunderbirds are one of five teams based in Washington, along with theTri-City Americans,Spokane Chiefs,Wenatchee Wild, andEverett Silvertips. The Thunderbirds have built an enduring rivalry with thePortland Winterhawks, dating back to the 1980s.[6][21] Everett is the closest team to Seattle and a natural rival; and the two teams have met regularly in the playoffs, including a three-year stretch between 2016 and 2018 where the winner of the series between the two made it all the way to the championship series.[22]
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Breakers | ||||||||||
| 1977–78 | 72 | 32 | 28 | 12 | – | 359 | 316 | 76 | 4th West | Did not qualify |
| 1978–79 | 72 | 21 | 40 | 11 | – | 299 | 334 | 53 | 4th West | Did not qualify |
| 1979–80 | 72 | 29 | 41 | 2 | – | 297 | 364 | 60 | 3rd West | Lost West Division final |
| 1980–81 | 72 | 26 | 46 | 0 | – | 318 | 393 | 52 | 3rd West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1981–82 | 72 | 36 | 34 | 2 | – | 339 | 310 | 74 | 3rd West | Lost West Division final |
| 1982–83 | 72 | 24 | 47 | 1 | – | 319 | 418 | 49 | 4th West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1983–84 | 72 | 32 | 39 | 1 | – | 350 | 379 | 65 | 4th West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1984–85 | 72 | 25 | 44 | 3 | – | 320 | 416 | 53 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| Seattle Thunderbirds | ||||||||||
| 1985–86 | 72 | 27 | 43 | 2 | – | 373 | 413 | 56 | 4th West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1986–87 | 72 | 21 | 47 | 4 | – | 328 | 430 | 46 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 1987–88 | 72 | 25 | 46 | 2 | – | 313 | 436 | 52 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 1988–89 | 72 | 33 | 35 | 4 | – | 315 | 276 | 70 | 5th West | Did not qualify |
| 1989–90 | 72 | 52 | 17 | 3 | – | 444 | 295 | 107 | 2nd West | Lost West Division final |
| 1990–91 | 72 | 42 | 26 | 4 | – | 319 | 317 | 88 | 3rd West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1991–92 | 72 | 33 | 34 | 5 | – | 292 | 285 | 71 | 4th West | Lost West Division final |
| 1992–93 | 72 | 31 | 38 | 3 | – | 234 | 292 | 65 | 4th West | Lost West Division quarterfinal |
| 1993–94 | 72 | 32 | 37 | 3 | – | 283 | 312 | 67 | 4th West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1994–95 | 72 | 42 | 28 | 2 | – | 319 | 282 | 86 | 3rd West | Eliminated in round-robin |
| 1995–96 | 72 | 29 | 36 | 7 | – | 255 | 281 | 65 | 5th West | Lost West Division quarterfinal |
| 1996–97 | 72 | 41 | 27 | 4 | – | 311 | 249 | 86 | 2nd West | LostFinal |
| 1997–98 | 72 | 31 | 35 | 6 | – | 286 | 278 | 68 | 6th West | Lost West Division quarterfinal |
| 1998–99 | 72 | 37 | 24 | 11 | – | 279 | 236 | 85 | 3rd West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 1999–00 | 72 | 34 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 250 | 221 | 79 | 3rd West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 2000–01 | 72 | 30 | 33 | 8 | 1 | 262 | 299 | 69 | 6th West | Lost West Division semifinal |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 21 | 40 | 6 | 5 | 235 | 313 | 53 | 4th U.S. | Lost Western Conference semifinal |
| 2002–03 | 72 | 44 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 280 | 224 | 94 | 1st U.S. | Lost Western Conference final |
| 2003–04 | 72 | 24 | 31 | 8 | 9 | 192 | 198 | 65 | 5th U.S. | Did not qualify |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 43 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 204 | 144 | 91 | 1st U.S. | Lost Western Conference semifinal |
| 2005–06 | 72 | 35 | 31 | 1 | 5 | 186 | 211 | 76 | 2nd U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
| 2006–07 | 72 | 37 | 21 | 3 | 11 | 209 | 186 | 88 | 3rd U.S. | Lost Western Conference semifinal |
| 2007–08 | 72 | 42 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 241 | 179 | 91 | 3rd U.S. | Lost Western Conference semifinal |
| 2008–09 | 72 | 35 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 222 | 234 | 75 | 3rd U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
| 2009–10 | 72 | 19 | 41 | 7 | 5 | 172 | 255 | 50 | 5th U.S. | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 | 72 | 29 | 37 | 3 | 3 | 219 | 285 | 64 | 5th U.S. | Did not qualify |
| 2011–12 | 72 | 25 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 173 | 292 | 52 | 5th U.S. | Did not qualify |
| 2012–13 | 72 | 24 | 38 | 7 | 3 | 210 | 286 | 58 | 4th U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
| 2013–14 | 72 | 41 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 238 | 249 | 88 | 2nd U.S. | Lost Western Conference semifinal |
| 2014–15 | 72 | 38 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 218 | 201 | 85 | 3rd U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
| 2015–16 | 72 | 45 | 23 | 4 | 0 | 228 | 186 | 94 | 1st U.S. | LostFinal |
| 2016–17 | 72 | 46 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 253 | 206 | 98 | 2nd U.S. | WonEd Chynoweth Cup |
| 2017–18 | 72 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 250 | 258 | 78 | 5th U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
| 2018–19 | 68 | 31 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 231 | 245 | 70 | 5th U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
| 2019–20 | 63 | 24 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 175 | 240 | 55 | 4th U.S. | Cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 23 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 82 | 21 | 3rd U.S. | No playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | 68 | 44 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 271 | 179 | 94 | 3rd U.S. | LostFinal |
| 2022–23 | 68 | 54 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 300 | 155 | 111 | 1st U.S. | WonEd Chynoweth Cup Lost2023 Memorial CupFinal |
| 2023–24 | 68 | 27 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 191 | 260 | 57 | 5th U.S. | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 68 | 30 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 212 | 257 | 65 | 5th U.S. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
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Source:[23]
SeveralNational Hockey League players started with the Thunderbirds:[citation needed]
| # | Player | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Glen Goodall | 1990 | [8] |
| 12 | Patrick Marleau | 2023 | [24] |
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Glen Goodall | 76 | 1989–90 |
| Most assists | Victor Gervais | 96 | 1989–90 |
| Most points | Glen Goodall | 163 | 1989–90 |
| Most penalty minutes | Mitch Wilson | 436 | 1981–82 |
| Most saves (goalie) | Calvin Pickard | 2,443 | 2010–11 |
| Best GAA (goalie) | Bryan Bridges | 1.79 | 2004–05 |
| Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played | |||
| Statistic | Player | Total | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Glen Goodall | 262 | 1984–1990 |
| Most assists | Glen Goodall | 311 | 1984–1990 |
| Most points | Glen Goodall | 573 | 1984–1990 |
| Most penalty minutes | Phil Stanger | 929 | 1980–1983 |
| Most games (goalie) | Danny Lorenz | 224 | 1986–1989 |
| Most saves (goalie) | Calvin Pickard | 7,727 | 2008–2012 |
| Most shutouts (goalie) | Bryan Bridges | 20 | 2003–2006 |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year)
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year)
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman)
Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender)
Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (WHL coach of the year)
Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year)
