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 5 (1996–97, 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 a major junior ice hockey team. They are based in Kent, Washington. The team plays in the U.S. Division of the Western Conference. This is part of the Western Hockey League.

The team started in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats. They moved to Seattle in 1977. There, they were known as the Breakers until 1985. That's when they became the Thunderbirds. The team played in Seattle for 30 years. In 2008, they moved to the accesso ShoWare Center in nearby Kent. The Thunderbirds have won the WHL championship twice. Their most recent win was in 2023.

Team History

Early Years 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. This happened in 1973. The team was then called the Kamloops Chiefs.

In 1977, the team moved again. This time, they came to Seattle. They were renamed the Seattle Breakers. The Breakers started playing in the 1977–78. Their home arena was the Seattle Center Arena.

The Seattle Breakers Era

For eight seasons, the Breakers had 225 wins, 319 losses, and 32 ties. In the playoffs, they won 11 games and lost 21. They reached the West Division finals twice. In 1982, the team faced financial difficulties.

Despite these challenges, the team played well. Under coach Jack Sangster, they swept the Victoria Cougars in the playoffs. This led them to the Division finals. They played against their rivals, the Portland Winter Hawks. They lost the series 4 games to 2. The Winter Hawks went on to become champions that year.

Becoming the Thunderbirds

After the 1984–85 season, new owners bought the Breakers. They renamed the team the Seattle Thunderbirds. This was a big change for the team. They also changed their colors from orange, blue, and white to green, blue, and white.

The team's home arena was also updated. By 1990, they started playing some games at the larger Seattle Center Coliseum. New management wanted the team to be a top contender. They hired Russ Farwell as manager and Barry Melrose as coach. These two had helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win a championship in 1988.

Key Players and First Finals

One important player was Glen Goodall. He set new league records for goals (262) and points (573). His number 10 jersey was retired in 1990. Even with great players, it took 12 years for the Thunderbirds to reach their first league final.

In 1997, led by star forward Patrick Marleau, the Thunderbirds played the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the championship series. They lost this series. The Thunderbirds won their first regular season Division titles in 2002–03 and 2004–05. However, they only advanced past the second round of the playoffs once in the next 18 seasons.

The Thunderbirds hosting the Spokane Chiefs in a 2012 game.

Moving to Kent and Recent Success

In 2006, the Thunderbirds announced they would move. They planned to go to a new arena in Kent. This new, specially built arena was a big draw for the team.

The period starting in 2015 was the most successful for the team. The Thunderbirds reached the finals four times in eight seasons. They won the Ed Chynoweth Cup twice. Key players included Matthew Barzal, Ethan Bear, and Keegan Kolesar.

In the 2015–16, the Thunderbirds won their first Division title since 2005. They made their deepest playoff run since 1997. They beat the Kelowna Rockets to reach the championship final. They lost the final in five games to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The next season, 2016–17, the Thunderbirds returned to the final. They played the Regina Pats. Seattle won in six games. Alexander True scored the winning goal in overtime of game six. This secured Seattle's first championship. After this win, Seattle played in the 2017 Memorial Cup tournament. They were eliminated after three losses.

After a few quieter seasons and two years without playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thunderbirds became strong contenders again. In the 2021–22, they reached the finals. They played the Edmonton Oil Kings but lost in six games.

The 2022–23 was the best in Thunderbirds' history. They had 54 wins and 111 points. In the playoffs, they beat the Kamloops Blazers. This sent them to the title series against the Winnipeg Ice. They defeated the Ice in five games. This earned them a spot in the 2023 Memorial Cup tournament. Led by Dylan Guenther and goalie Thomas Milic, they reached the tournament final. They lost to the Quebec Remparts.

Team Rivals

The Thunderbirds are one of five teams in Washington. 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. This rivalry goes back to the 1980s.

Everett is the closest team to Seattle. This makes them a natural rival. The two teams have often met in the playoffs. From 2016 to 2018, the winner of their series went on to the championship series.

Season Records

Matthew Barzal played for the Thunderbirds between 2013 and 2017.

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

Calvin Pickard played for the Thunderbirds between 2008 and 2012.

Championship Wins

The Seattle Thunderbirds have won several championships:

• Ed Chynoweth Cup: 2017, 2023
• Conference titles (5): 1996–97, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23
• Regular season Division titles (4): 2002–03, 2004–05, 2015–16, 2022–23

WHL Championship Finals

Here are the Thunderbirds' results in the WHL Championship finals:

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

Memorial Cup Results

The Memorial Cup is a big tournament for junior hockey teams.

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

Players

NHL Alumni (Former Players in the NHL)

Many players who started with the Thunderbirds later played in the National Hockey League. Here are some of them:

Retired Numbers

The Thunderbirds honor special players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.

Team Records

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

Awards Won by Players and Coaches

Many Thunderbirds players and coaches have won important awards:

See also

• Ice hockey in Seattle