The Seattle Thunderbirds have done it again! On May 14th, they won their second Western Hockey League (WHL) Championship in three years. The Thunderbirds defeated the Regina Pats 4-3 in a thrilling Game 7 at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.
The Thunderbirds had a great regular season, finishing with the second-best record in the WHL. They then went on to defeat the Everett Silvertips in the first round of the playoffs before taking down the Portland Winterhawks in the second round. In the Western Conference Finals, they faced off against the Kelowna Rockets, and after a hard-fought series, they emerged victorious.
In the Championship series, the Thunderbirds faced off against the Regina Pats. The series was a back-and-forth affair, with each team trading wins. In Game 7, the Thunderbirds were down 3-2 late in the third period, but they managed to tie it up with just over two minutes left in regulation. Then, with just over a minute left in overtime, Mathew Barzal scored the game-winning goal to give the Thunderbirds their second WHL Championship in three years.
The victory was especially sweet for the Seattle Thunderbirds organization, as they had been close to winning a championship several times before. The team has been around since 1977 and has been a part of the WHL since 1985. This is their first championship since 1997, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with the organization.
The Seattle Thunderbirds have a bright future ahead of them. With a talented roster and a great coaching staff, they are poised to make more deep playoff runs in the coming years. They have already established themselves as one of the top teams in the WHL, and this championship is just another step in their journey towards becoming one of the best teams in junior hockey.
Congratulations to the Seattle Thunderbirds on their second WHL Championship in three years!
