The Thunderbirds played just one game this weekend, but it was an important game. They came into Saturday night's contest against Portland looking to snap a four game losing streak. They were looking for their first win against a U.S. Division opponent. They were looking for some veterans to step up in the absence of suspended captain Matthew Wedman and they played the game with the youngest T-birds roster in recent memory. With injuries and suspensions, Seattle put the future on full display. When it was over, the T-birds had their win and everyone was putting on sunglasses because the future's so bright, we gotta wear shades.
For sure, older players like Conner Bruggen-Cate and Keltie Jeri-Leon figured prominently in the 5-4 shootout win. The 20 year old Bruggen-Cate in particular seemed to take on the need for leadership in Wedman's absence. He was the seasoned vet leading by example all night. He hustled from end to end. delivered hits, took some hits to win pucks and tried putting everything he could on net. The 19 year old Jeri-Leon meanwhile has, almost quietly, put himself in a three way tie for the goal scoring lead, after potting his sixth of the season. For a team struggling to score, the question going into this game was where would the offense come with Wedman, their leading scorer, sidelined? These two stepped up and delivered.
On the back end, 19 year old defenseman Owen Williams logged a lot of minutes on a defensive group made younger by the absence of the injured Ryan Gottfried. Remember, back before training camp began, Seattle thought they would have that steady veteran presence on the blue line in the form of 20 year old Jarret Tyszka. But Tyszka surprised everyone by opting not to come back this season. That left Williams as the senior leader of a group that outside of him, averages barely over 17 years in age. There are not a lot of older players on this roster, even less, healthy ones. With Wedman suspended, with Tyler Carpendale out with long term injury, the play of the few remaining veteran players is critical.
So, at least on this night those vets did their part. Even 20 year old Andrej Kukuca, while he didn't score, created numerous scoring opportunities and 19 year old goalie Roddy Ross was credited with 47 saves. But on this night, the spotlight shined down on Seattle's young players too and that spotlight came even with two significant 16 year old rookies, Lucas Ciona and Conner Roulette, unable to play due to injury.
Back with the team to fill their void were two more 16 year olds; Sam Popowich and Reid Schaefer. With Gottfried added to the list of walking wounded and Cade McNelly not yet fully recovered from his injury, Seattle brought up 15 year old defenseman Kevin Korchinski, one of their two first round selections from last May's Bantam Draft. For his WHL debut, Korchinski, who probably conservatively plays games in front of maybe a 100 fans back home, would be out there in front of 6,000 rowdy T-bird faithful. If he had butterflies or was in anyway rattled by the noise and his surroundings, he didn't show it. He was composed, kept it simple and just played hockey. When G.M. Bil LaForge made the big draft day deal with Kelowna, sending Dillon Hamaliuk, Jake Lee and Cole Schwebius to the Rockets, Korchinski was one of the reasons why. Seattle scouts see tremendous upside in him. They moved back into the first round of the draft to get him. A little of that potential was on display Saturday night.
Reid Schaefer, meanwhile, was part of the T-birds impressive 2018 Bantam Draft. This draft produced Kai Uchacz, Ciona and Roulette in the early rounds. Schaefer, though, was taken in Round Eight, the 164th player chosen. Against Portland he played like anything but an eighth round pick. Because he is still 16, he is not done growing. But he is already listed at 6'2", 197 lbs (By comparison, Ciona is 6'2" and 200 lbs.). He's fast of foot, and has an offensive mindset. He's not afraid of contact and battles for pucks. Imagine that at age 19. Imagine him and Ciona at 19! I was impressed by his poise. I don't expect a lot from first round 16 year old rookies, but to get it, at least on this night, from an eighth round selection, shows the scouts are doing their homework.
The Thunderbirds made nine selections in that 2018 draft. The rights to two of the picks were subsequently traded away (Aiden Brook and Noah Barlage). One of those trades netted the T-birds Henrik Rybinski. The other seven choices have all signed their WHL Standard Player Agreements with Seattle. Of those seven, only third rounder Thomas Milic and ninth rounder Mekai Sanders, are yet to make their T-birds debuts. With Ross manning the pipes here in Kent and Blake Lyda capably backing him up, there is no reason to rush Milic into the WHL, where he'd do more sitting then playing. He's the future. For now, Milic is playing for the Burnaby Winter Club's prep team where he is sporting a 1.43 GAA and .954 save percentage. More recently he was one of three T-birds participating in the U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he was named player of the game in an overtime game his team lost.
Sanders, the local kid out of Gig Harbor, is getting closer to being healthy enough to make his regular season debut after being hurt in preseason play. Hopefully sometime after Thanksgiving he's back on the ice. Will he be able to do what his fellow 2018 draftees have already done? When Schaefer recorded an assist on Seattle's fourth goal against Portland he became the fifth member of that draft class to register his first WHL point. And all have wasted little time putting their name on the scoresheet. Schaefer did it in his second game, Popowich did it in his first. Late last season Uchacz scored his first goal in just his fifth game. It took Ciona just six games for his first point while Roulette potted a goal in his fourth and already has his first WHL hat trick.
Seattle followed up that draft with 13 picks in the 2019 draft and while they don't expect to sign all 13, they've already inked three (fellow first round pick Jordan Gustafson along with second round choice Spencer Penner) and more will come. Korchinski is the first of that class to make his debut but won't be the last. Seven of those 13 were chosen to to participate in the WHL Cup (Western Canada's U-16). Korchinksi captained his team to the Gold Medal at the tournament.
This is what made Saturday's game significant. As T-birds assistant coach Castan Sommer said following the win, each shift these 16 and 15 year olds take this season is experience gained to help them acclimate and improve their game for this level of hockey going forward. It speeds up the process. It's confidence gained. It's lessons and ice time they can't get down at Junior A or the midget level. It's getting seven young players out ahead of the curve. Out of necessity Seattle threw a roster out against the Winterhawks whose average age was barely 17 and a half years old. One 15 year old, three 16 year olds and seven 17 year olds if you include Simon Kubicek who doesn't turn 18 until Mid-December. Three more 16 year olds were up in the press box watching, waiting to get back to good health. That they won the game was a bonus.
Speaking of Kubicek, has head coach Matt O'Dette found a shootout sniper? Kubi is now 2-for-2 in shootouts including a shootout winner and now a shootout goal that all but sealed Saturday's win.
My three Stars for the One Game Weekend:
Third Star: F Reid Schaefer. Congratulations to him on earning his first WHL point with the assist on Jeri-Leon's third period goal, but it was his total game that I was impressed with. Too bad his shot was wide of the mark on his breakaway, because he came close to his fist WHL goal as well, but his pull away speed on that chance really stood out. I noticed him all night long and in a good way. When the T-birds get healthy he'll be returned to Spruce Grove of the AJHL but he will be back!
Second Star: F Conner Bruggen-Cate, Like Schaefer, there wasn't a shift the 20 year old took on the night where he wasn't affecting the play and mostly in a positive way. It was clear he knew he had to fill the leadership vacuum created by Wedman's absence. Even his penalty, that led to Portland's 5-on-3 in the second period, came from working hard to make something positive happen on the PK. His teammates had his back and killed off that two man Portland advantage, along with the subsequent 5-on-4.
First Star: C/W Payton Mount. All the talk of the 2018 draft class and it was the top pick from the 2017 draft that led the way Saturday. Mount ended the night with two assists, a big power play goal, strong penalty killing on Portland's 5-on-3 and then got the shootout off to a good start with what turned out to be the winning shot.
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