Seattle Thunderbirds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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
Championships	Ed Chynoweth Cup 2 (2017, 2023) Conference Championships 4 (2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23)
Website chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/
Franchise history
1971–1973	Vancouver Nats
1973–1977	Kamloops Chiefs
1977–1985	Seattle Breakers
1985–present	Seattle Thunderbirds

The Seattle Thunderbirds are an exciting major junior ice hockey team. They are based in Kent, Washington, a city near Seattle. The team plays in the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL).

The team started in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats. They moved to Seattle in 1977 and were called the Breakers until 1985. That's when they became the Thunderbirds! For many years, they played in Seattle. In 2008, they moved to the accesso ShoWare Center in nearby Kent. The Thunderbirds have won the WHL championship twice, most recently in 2023.

Team History: From Nats to Thunderbirds

Early Days and Moves

The team began in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats. They were part of the Western Canada Hockey League. After only two seasons, they moved to Kamloops, British Columbia. There, they became the Kamloops Chiefs in 1973.

In 1977, the team moved again, this time to Seattle. They changed their name to the Seattle Breakers. This move happened just a few years after Seattle almost got a team in the National Hockey League. The Breakers started playing in the 1977–78 season. Their home was the Seattle Center Arena.

For eight seasons, the Breakers had 225 wins, 319 losses, and 32 ties. In the playoffs, they won 11 games and lost 21. They made it to the West Division finals twice. In 1982, the team almost stopped playing due to money problems. But special events, like letting fans use old Seattle Seahawks tickets, helped bring more people to games. The team also played well, even with challenges. Under coach Jack Sangster, they beat the Victoria Cougars in the playoffs. They then faced their rivals, the Portland Winter Hawks, but lost the series.

Becoming the Thunderbirds

After the 1984–85 season, new owners bought the Breakers. They changed the team's name to the Seattle Thunderbirds. This was a big change, including new team colors. They switched from orange, blue, and white to green, blue, and white. The team also planned to improve their home arena. By 1990, they even played some games at the bigger Seattle Center Coliseum.

The new management wanted to make the team a winner. They hired Russ Farwell as manager and Barry Melrose as coach. These two had helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win a big championship in 1988. A great player named Glen Goodall played for the Thunderbirds. He set new league records for goals (262) and points (573). His number 10 jersey was even retired when he became a professional player in 1990.

Even with talented players, it took twelve years for the Thunderbirds to reach their first league final. In 1997, led by star forward Patrick Marleau, they played against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Sadly, they lost that championship series. The Thunderbirds won their first regular season Division titles in 2002–03 and 2004–05. But for 18 seasons after their first final, they only got past the second round of the playoffs once.

The Thunderbirds playing against the Spokane Chiefs in 2012.

In 2006, the Thunderbirds announced they would move. They planned to go to a brand new arena in Kent, south of Seattle. This new, special arena was a big reason for the move.

Recent Success

The team's most successful time began in 2015. The Thunderbirds reached the finals four times in eight seasons! They won the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the league championship, twice. Players like Matthew Barzal, Ethan Bear, and Keegan Kolesar helped lead the team.

In the 2015–16 season, the Thunderbirds won their first Division title since 2005. They also had their best playoff run since 1997. Matthew Wedman scored an overtime goal in game four, sending them past the Kelowna Rockets to the championship final. They lost that final in five games to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The very next season, the Thunderbirds were back in the final! They played against the Regina Pats. Seattle won in six games, with Alexander True scoring the winning goal in overtime of game six. This secured Seattle's first championship! After winning, Seattle went to the 2017 Memorial Cup tournament. They were eliminated after three losses in the first round.

After two years of not making the playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thunderbirds became a top team again in the 2021–22 season. They returned to the finals but lost to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games.

The 2022–23 season was the best in Thunderbirds' history! They had 54 wins and 111 points. In the playoffs, they beat the Kamloops Blazers to win the Western Conference championship. Then, they faced the Winnipeg Ice in the final series. They defeated the Ice in five games, earning a spot in the 2023 Memorial Cup tournament. Led by Dylan Guenther and goalie Thomas Milic, the Thunderbirds made it to the tournament final. They lost to the Quebec Remparts.

Team Rivals

The Thunderbirds are one of five teams in Washington state. The others are the Tri-City Americans, Spokane Chiefs, Wenatchee Wild, and Everett Silvertips. The Thunderbirds have a long-standing rivalry with the Portland Winterhawks, going back to the 1980s. Everett is the closest team to Seattle, making them a natural rival. These two teams have often met in the playoffs. For three years (2016-2018), the winner of their playoff series went on to the championship series!

Season-by-Season Records

This table shows how the Seattle Thunderbirds (and formerly the Seattle Breakers) have performed each season.

Matthew Barzal played for the Thunderbirds from 2013 to 2017.

Calvin Pickard played for the Thunderbirds from 2008 to 2012.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Championship Wins

The Seattle Thunderbirds have won several important titles!

• Ed Chynoweth Cup (WHL Champions):

* 2016–17 * 2022–23

• Conference Titles (5 wins):

* 1996–97 * 2015–16 * 2016–17 * 2021–22 * 2022–23

• Regular Season Division Titles (4 wins):

* 2002–03 * 2004–05 * 2015–16 * 2022–23

WHL Championship Finals

Here's how the Thunderbirds have done in the WHL Championship finals:

• 1996–97: Lost 0–4 to Lethbridge Hurricanes
• 2015–16: Lost 1–4 to Brandon Wheat Kings
• 2016–17: Won 4–2 against Regina Pats
• 2021–22: Lost 2–4 to Edmonton Oil Kings
• 2022–23: Won 4–1 against Winnipeg Ice

Memorial Cup Results

The Memorial Cup is a big tournament for junior hockey.

• 2023: Lost 0–5 to Quebec Remparts in the final game.

Famous Players: NHL Alumni

Many players who started with the Thunderbirds later played in the National Hockey League (NHL)!

Retired Numbers

When a player's number is retired, it means no other player on that team will ever wear that number again. It's a big honor!

Team Records

These tables show some of the best individual player records for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Awards

The Thunderbirds players and coaches have won many awards!

See also

• Ice hockey in Seattle