Twenty-five times since their inaugural 1985-86 season, the Seattle Thunderbirds have qualified for the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs—and they’ve done it again in 2025.
Seattle’s rough-and-tough junior hockey league team only has a few Western Conference games left until the WHL playoffs are scheduled to begin on March 28. In 2023, the Thunderbirds not only qualified for the playoffs, but they took home the WHL Ed Chynoweth Cup and ended their 2022-23 season with a 54-win, 11-loss record. The following season, the T-Birds were predicted to go just as far until multiple players sustained injuries, causing the team to lose its standing.
The WHL includes a wide range of teams spanning across four Canadian provinces, Washington State, and Oregon state. As the largest division in the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL plays an important role in giving scholarships and playing opportunities to up-and-coming athletes from all over Canada and the U.S. While the Thunderbirds may be a young team, their roster is packed to the brim with skill. Led by NHL prospect Scott Ratzlaff (goalie) and 18-year-old team Captain Braeden Cootes (center), it’s no question that the team has the potential to win it all—but based off the T-Bird’s mediocre performance this season, it’ll take a lot more precision playing and good coaching to bring the team out of the cellar and into championship territory.
At the beginning of March, the T-Birds played two series games against their biggest rivals, the Portland Winterhawks. On March 7, Seattle won against Portland 7-2, tying their season record for most goals scored in a single game. They failed to gain the upper hand, however, in a rematch on the eighth, losing 4-1. The rivalry between these two teams has propelled the T-Birds through Western Conference season, drawing big crowds to the ShoWare Center in Kent, WA. Gritty games like these are exactly why people continue to support their local junior hockey teams. These players have something to prove—not just to scouts and coaches, but to themselves. The T-Birds aren’t afraid to lay it all out on the ice for their fans.
On March 18, Seattle beat the odds and qualified for the Western Hockey League playoffs. Two seasons ago, head coach Matt O’Dette led the team to playoff victory. Hopefully, with more conference game experience and time to grow as a team, the Seattle Thunderbirds will soon be able to clinch another playoff win.
