For the second time in franchise history, and the second time in the past seven years, the Seattle Thunderbirds are Western Hockey League Champions! And just like they did in 2017, the T-Birds win the Ed Chynoweth Cup one season after tasting bitter defeat in the league final. Seattle won the Cup in 2017, one year after falling to the Brandon Wheat Kings. This year they win after being knocked out by Edmonton 11 months ago.
Losing can be the biggest motivating factor to winning. I don't know what it's like to be on the ice after losing a championship, down on a knee with sweat dripping down your face, knowing your dream has fallen oh so short.
But Lucas Ciona, Seattle's captain, knows that feeling. "Last spring, coming up short, was the biggest motivator I've ever had in my life," he said after after the Game Five win secured the championship. "The guys who were here last year, to come back, it's just an amazing feeling. A bitter taste last year but the best taste this year."
Head coach Matt O'Dette said the loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings last June was definitely a driving force to return this spring and get another crack at the Cup. In fact, he said he leaned on the last time Seattle was in a similar situation, when he was an assistant coach seven years ago.
"There's a reason why it says history repeats on our shirts," he explained. "That was the goal. We fell short last year. It was our goal from day one. We wanted to mimic what happened in 2016, 2017, coming back and getting the job done."
We've all heard of the "it" factor. The term is used to describe the undescribable, when someone has an inate ability to rise to the top and stand out in a crowd, whether through personality or performance. Thunderbirds goalie Thomas Milic has the "it" factor.
He's now gone undrafted by the NHL for two years. Yet all he does is win. All he does is come up with key saves at key moments, whether in the World Juniors or the WHL Playoffs. Thirty playoff wins the last two seasons.
"I don't know," he tried to explain when asked about his big game ability. "It's always something I've been fortunate at, handling stress. I've been pretty fortunate to have some pretty good teams in front of me in both those situations." He then paused for a moment as if searching for the magic that makes him so magical. "There are no words to describe it." he said, as he shook his head.
Seattle has ten NHL drafted players on their championship roster and they all came through at various times in big moments through this playoff run. But, as they say, it takes a village and three of the T-Birds undrafted players stepped up in key moments in Game Five, the aforementioned Milic was one. Jeremy Hanzel and Sam Popowich were two others.
That pair teamed up on Game Five's first goal as Popowich deflected Hanzel's point shot in the second period. "Just trying to get pucks on net," said Hanzel in the most humble of fashions. "Poppy did a great job of getting to the front of the net and getting a stick on it and put it away."
On a team with those ten NHL draftees, including five first round picks, it was Hanzel who led the team in scoring in the five games agaisnt the ICE with seven points (3g, 4a). It was Popowich with the goal and so many key faceoff wins when Seattle was shorthanded. It takes a village.
He has no league accolades, no U.S. Division Coach of the Year honor. No Western Conference Coach of the Year award. No WHL Coach of the Year title. Yet all Matt O'Dette does behind the T-Birds bench is win. The one common denominator among Seattle's four appearances the last eight years in the WHL Championship Series is Matt O'Dette. First as an assistant coach and now as head coach.
You can argue he had a "stacked team" this season. Please. Explain last year then? No one had Seattle playing for the Cup last spring. The T-Birds were given up for dead when they fell behind last May to Portland and then Kamloops. He performed the CPR that brought them back to life. O'Dette may not have the honorifics, but he has the rings. Give the man his due!
Finally, for those who say GM Bil LaForge mortgaged the future for one Cup, just you wait. Reid Schaefer, eighth round pick, Nico Myatovic, sixth round pick, Sam Popowich, fifth round pick, Mekai Sanders ninth round pick, Jared Davidson and Jeremy Hanzel undrafted signees. The man and his scouts know talent. He's already at working, building back for the future.
My T-Birds Three Stars of the 2023 Playoff run:
Third Star: D Jeremy Hanzel. Finished third among all WHL defenseman in playoff scoring. Led the T-birds in point production in the Championship Series. On a team with three NHL drafted d-men, including two first rounders, he was the one who scored the timely goals. After leading the WHL regular season with a +70. He was tops in the playoffs as well at +26.
Second Star: W Dylan Guenther. The last piece of the puzzle. The last player General Manager Bil LaForge acquired at the trade deadline and there was no guarentee he would be sent to Seattle. But like Mat Barzal in 2017, he came through when needed the most. He led the WHL postseason with sixteen goals. He scored the Game winner in Game Four.
First Star: G Thomas Milic. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Maybe that's the best way to describe Seattle's award winning netminder. He faced fewer shots in the playoffs then his opposite numbers but it was the quality of his saves, more than the quantity, that earned him MVP status. He has started and played every minute of the Thunderbirds last 44 playoff games. Allowing just one goal Friday night allowed him to finish the 2023 WHL playoffs with a 1.95 GAA. His career playoff stats with the T-Birds? 30-14, a 2.14 GAA and a save percentage of .929 with three shutouts. He has set a standard that will be hard to beat.
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