Notification Settings

Thunderbirds take 3-1 series lead in WHL finals

KENT, Wash. - Dylan Guenther scored his playoff-leading 16th goal as the Seattle Thunderbirds took a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Ice and a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Western Hockey League championship on Wednesday.

Kevin Korchinski, Gracyn Sawchyn, with a goal and an assist, and Nico Myatovic, with an empty-net goal, provided the rest of the offence for Seattle.

Thomas Milic made 31 saves in the victory.

The Thunderbirds are in search of their second title in franchise history and redemption after last season's championship series loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Ice face elimination after falling 4-2 to Thunderbirds

It was about as close to a must-win game as it gets, and the Winnipeg Ice came up just short.

The Ice hoped history would repeat itself from the team’s second-round series against the Moose Jaw Warriors, which saw the Ice suffer consecutive losses, the worst coming in an 8-4 defeat in Game 3, before rattling off three-straight wins to clinch the series.

Thunderbirds score early, often in 6-3 win over Ice

The damage came early enough to leave some hope, but the hole was too deep for the Winnipeg Ice to escape against the defensively-sound Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Ice were dominated in a 6-3 losing effort on the road against the Thunderbirds in Game 3 of the Western Hockey League championship on Tuesday.

The Thunderbirds lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 and sit firmly in the driver’s seat with Games 4 and 5 also taking place at their home in Kent, WA.

Carson Latimer, Zach Benson and Zack Ostapchuk scored for the Ice on a night they outshot the hosts 38-33. Meanwhile, five different players scored for the T-Birds, including Brad Lambert, the Winnipeg Jets’ first-round pick in 2022, who has bulged the twine three times in the last two contests.

T-Birds cruise past ICE 6-3, lead final series 2-1

SEATTLE - The Seattle Thunderbirds jumped on the visiting Winnipeg ICE early and often as they chalked up a 6-3 win and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the Western Hockey League Championship Series on Tuesday night.

Jeremy Hanzel led Seattle's attack with two goals and an assist. Kyle Crnkovic, Brad Lambert, Jared Davidson and Dylan Guenther netted singles for the T-Birds, who scored 25 seconds into the game. Colton Dach chipped in with two assists.

Carson Latimer, Zach Benson and Zack Ostapchuk scored for the ICE, who trailed 4-1 after the first period and 6-2 entering the third period.

The ICE won the best-of-seven series opener in Winnipeg 3-2, but the Thunderbirds bounced back in Game 2 with a 4-2 road win.

T-Birds tie championship series with 4-2 road win

WINNIPEG - Brad Lambert scored twice and Dylan Guenther added three assists as the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds knocked off the Winnipeg ICE 4-2 on Saturday night to tie their best-of-seven Western Hockey League Championship Series at a game apiece.

Jeremy Hanzel and Reid Schaefer also scored for the Thunderbirds, who lost Friday's opener 3-2.

Zach Benson scored both goals for the ICE, who were outshot 39-30. The ICE led 1-0 after the first period 1-0, and the teams were tied 1-1 heading into the final frame.

Seattle went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Winnipeg was 0-for-5.

WHL playoffs: Ice take 1-0 series lead in final

WINNIPEG - Carson Latimer scored the game-winning goal as the Winnipeg Ice beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2 to take a 1-0 series lead in the Western Hockey League final.

Evan Friesen and Connor McClennon scored the other goals for Winnipeg, which took a 3-0 lead in the second period in front of a raucous crowd at Canada Life Centre, home of the NHL's Jets.

Reid Schaefer and Kevin Korchinski replied for Seattle to bring the deficit within one, but the Thunderbirds couldn't find the equalizer.

Ice goaltender Daniel Hauser made 27 saves to earn the win, while Thunderbirds netminder Thomas Milic stopped 25 of 28 shots in the loss.

T-Birds edge Blazers 4-2, punch ticket to final

KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The Seattle Thunderbirds have punched their ticket to the Western Hockey League championship series.

Kyle Crnkovic's goal 10 minutes into the third period stood up as the winner as the T-Birds defeated the Kamloops Blazers 4-2 to win the best-of-seven Western Conference final in six games.

Jared Davidson, Sawyer Mynio and Reid Schaefer (empty-netter) also scored for the Thunderbirds, who outshot the Blazers 43-30 at the Sandman Centre, where this year's Memorial Cup will be held later this month.

Dylan Sydor and Matthew Seminoff scored for the Blazers, who will play in the Memorial Cup as the host team. In fact, they'll play the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions in the opening game on May 26.

Blazers avoid elimination by tipping T-Birds 4-2

SEATTLE - Matthew Seminoff and Ryan Hofer each scored twice and Dylan Ernst made 36 saves as the visiting Kamloops Blazers defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2 on Saturday night to stay alive in their Western Hockey League Western Conference final.

The Blazers, who entered the game trailing the best-of-seven series 3-1, allowed the first goal, but stormed back with four of their own and then held on for the victory to force a Game 6 back in Kamloops, B.C., on Monday night.

Jared Davidson and Reid Schaefer scored for the Thunderbirds, who outshot the Blazers 38-30.

Seattle went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Kamloops was 0-for-2.

Thunderbirds beat Blazers 8-4 in WHL playoffs

KAMLOOPS, B.C. - Forward Dylan Guenther scored a hat trick and added an assist, and the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Kamloops Blazers 8-4 in the Western Hockey League playoffs.

The Thunderbirds now lead the best-of-seven Western Conference final series 3-1.

Kevin Korchinski, Kyle Crnkovic, Jared Davidson, Bryce Pickford and Reid Schaefer also scored for Seattle. Guenther leads the WHL playoffs with 14 goals.

Olen Zellweger scored twice, and Matthew Seminoff and Dylan Sydor each had one for Kamloops.

Ice sweep Blades to book spot in WHL final

SASKATOON - Briley Wood scored the game-winning goal at 6:19 of the third period and the Winnipeg Ice edged the Saskatoon Blades 3-2 on Wednesday for a spot in the Western Hockey League championship.

Connor McClennon scored twice for Winnipeg, which swept the Eastern Conference final series. Matthew Savoie dished out two assists, both on McClennon's markers.

Daniel Hauser made 16 saves in the win.

McClennon and Savoie have produced at a high rate for the Ice through 14 post-season games. Savoie is tied for the league lead with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) and McClennon is fourth with 21 (13 goals, eight assists).

ICE one win away from eliminating Blades

SASKATOON - The visiting Winnipeg ICE scored three unanswered goals in the first period and then coasted to a 5-1 win over the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday night to grab a commanding 3-0 lead in their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference final series.

Matthew Savoie, Zach Benson, Evan Friesen, Connor McClennon and Owen Pederson scored for the ICE, who outshot the Blades34-18. Ben Zloty chipped in with three assists and Savoie added a pair.

Justin Lies scored for the Blades, who lost the first two games in the Manitoba capital, 3-0 and 6-2.

The ICE went 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Blades were 0-for-2.

T-Birds beat Blazers 4-3 in OT, lead series 2-0

SEATTLE - Jeremy Hanzel scored at 6:21 of overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds rallied from a 3-1 deficit to edge the visiting Kamloops Blazers 4-3 in the second game of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference final.

The Thunderbirds grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of series. They won 5-1 in the series-opener on Saturday.

Lucas Ciona, Colton Dach and Brad Lambert also scored for the T-Birds, who were outshot 42-39.

Caedan Bankier, Olen Zellweger and Matthew Seminoff scored for the Blazers, who led 1-0 after the first period and 3-2 heading into the third. Logan Stankoven chipped in with three assists.

ICE, T-Birds cruise to playoff victories

WINNIPEG - Connor McClennon scored three goals and added an assist as the Winnipeg ICE defeated the visiting Saskatoon Blades 6-2 on Saturday to grab a 2-0 lead in their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference final series.

Zach Benson, Owen Pederson and Matthew Savoie (empty-netter) also scored for the ICE, who won Friday's opener 3-0. Savoie also chipped in with two assists.

Justin Lies and Jayden Wiens scored for the Blades, who trailed 2-0 after the first period and 4-0 heading into the third period. The ICE were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Blades went 1-for-5.

The ICE outshot the Blades 33-29.

ICE bump off Blades 3-0 in East final opener

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg ICE scored two unanswered goals in the first period and received flawless goaltending from Daniel Hauser as they defeated the visiting Saskatoon Blades 3-0 in the opening game of the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference final on Friday night.

Ben Zloty, Zack Ostapchuk and Carson Lambos scored for the ICE, who led 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 heading into the third.

The Blades, coming off a tough seven-game series with the Red Deer Rebels in which they dropped the first three games before pulling off the "reverse sweep," were outshot 26-16.

The Blades went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the ICE went 0-for-1.

Ice to face Blades Friday

The Winnipeg Ice will face the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference Final, beginning Friday in the Manitoba capital.

The Blades defeated the Red Deer Rebels 5-2 in a winner-take-all Game 7 Tuesday night to book a date with the Ice.

Winnipeg knocked off the Medicine Hat Tigers and Moose Jaw Warriors to reach the conference final.

Here is schedule for the best-of-seven series: