I see a lot of parallels between this version of the T-Birds and the 2021 pandemic season team. Maybe not in the results, as the T-Birds put together a decent record in those 23-games, going 10-12-0-1, but there are other similarities.
To be fair, that team didn't go through a series of significant injuries like this season's team is experiencing. But like this year's team, that team was quite young with just one 20 year old, Kelit Jeri-Leon on the roster. But the young players that year weren't sixteen year olds, they were seventeen year olds.
Twelve players who played in at least one game that 2021 season were listed as rookies, though one, goalie Jackson Berry, was 18 years old with limited games previously in the league. Fifteen players who have skated in at least one game for Seattle this season are rookies, none of them over the age of seventeen. Twelve of them are age 16 or younger.
Statistically, Seattle is the second youngest team in the WHL this season but we are splitting hairs here. According to Alan Caldwell, Calgary has the youngest team with an average age of 17.70 year old. The T-Birds and Medicine Hat have a roster with an average age of 17.79. But with their key injuries being to their older players (age 19 or older), my guess is that, on a nightly basis, the T-birds are actually icing the youngest team night in and night out.
Here's an example. In their last game Calgary dressed eight players classified as rookies. Two of them were age 18, three were 17 year olds and the other three were age 16. In their last game Medicine Hat dressed eight rookies as well. They break down like this: one 18-year old, three 17 year olds and four 16 year olds. Both Calgary and Medicine Hat have their fare share of second year players, aged 17 and 18.
In their last game the T-Birds dressed nine players classified as rookies. Of those nine three were age seventeen. The other six? All age 16. The T-Birds also skated two other 17 year olds but both Hyde Davidson and Bryce Pickford are no longer classified as rookies, having played full-time with the team a year ago. The Thunderbirds dressed just two 20-year olds because Eric Alarie was out injured, then lost 19 year old Jordan Gustafson for the third period because of injury as well. Meanwhile, 19-year old defenseman Braeden Wynne was a healthy scratch.
The T-birds are currently carrying just four other 19 year olds outside of the ones listed above. Myatovic (inj) and Hauf (WJC) were not in the lineup while Pilling and Boucher played. Sawyer Mynio and Scott Ratzlaff are their most experienced 18 year olds, with both being in their third season. Of course Ratzaff has been away from the team having made Canada's World Junior roster. The T-Birds only other two 18 year olds are Coster Dunn and Cru Hanas.
How does that compare with the T-Birds 2021 pandemic season roster? Well, of that team's 12 players listed as rookies, as we said, one was 18 (Berry), four were age 17 (Schaefer, Popowich, Milic, and Hanzel), five were age 16 (Gustafson, Korchinski, Myatovic, Ludwig and Penner) while two were age 15 (Ratzlaff and Oremba). Meanwhile, players such as Ciona, Sanders and Roulette were just 17 but had played in enough games the previous season to lose their rookie status. Also on the roster were three 19 year olds (McNelly, Gottfried and Rybinski) and five 18 year olds (Davidson, Rempe, Bauer, Mount and Bateman) to go along with the 20 year old Jeri-Leon.
So their are definite similarities. But there are two big differences. One will be the number of games played. Again, that team only played 23 games over two and a half months. This year's team has already played in 32 games and will play another 36 before all is said and done.
The other difference? That 2021 team had nothing to play for but to gain experience. There was no playoff spot to fight for, no pennants or Chynoweth Cup were on the line. Basically, there was no pressure on them. That's not the case for this year's team. They are fighting to earn a playoff spot. They put expectations on themselves when the season began. The margin for error was thin. They could not afford injuries among their better, veteran players. Unfortunately those injuries happened.
This team is trying to get through this rough patch where every mistake or lapse seems to find the back of the net. The offense is struggling to score goals and the goaltending has been sporadic. The hope was always to get healthy and make a second half push. Is that still doable with this young team? We'l soon find out.
My T-Birds Three Stars for the last two weeks of 2023.
Third Star: G Grayson Malonoski. He was solid in two starts and one game where he came on in relief. With Scott Ratzlaff returning soon from World Juniors, I would expect the 16-year old to be returned to his U18 team in Saskatoon, but it looks like he has a bright future in goal with Seattle over the next 3-to-4 years.
Second Star: D Jeremy Hanzel. He is doing what he is supposed to do as a 20 year old defenseman. He's providing leadership, offense and playing a complete 200 foot game. In the absence of the injured veterans he has stepped up big time.
First Star: W Simon Lovsin. Speaking of complete players, Lovsin is showing signs that he can be just that for Seattle. He has a scoring touch with three goals in three games, plays physical and stands up for his teammates. I think his play since returning from the Christmas break will catch the eye of NHL scouts if he can continue it through the rest of the second half.
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