As the 2025-26 WHL season approaches, Tri-City looks to have multiple young players step up to replicate a pretty successful 2024-25 season that saw the Americans at the top of the league after the first half. However, the Americans eventually trickled down to seventh in the Conference following a disastrous second half. Tri-City were then bounced in five games to the Victoria Royals in the first round, but did make a return to the playoffs after missing out in 2023-24.
Tri-City will have a much different roster heading into the 2025-26 season, losing key players to the NCAA and trade. This means a young and more inexperienced squad with tremendous upside will need to step it up to match last season.
Coaching Staff
Following the 2024-25 season, Stu Barnes stepped down as Head Coach of the Tri-City Americans after four seasons behind the bench to pursue other endeavors. Barnes led the Americans to two playoff appearances during his tenure and accumulated a 108-140-19-5 record as the Head Coach. A former Tri-City American himself, having played for the franchise during its first two years of existence, will continue to hold part-ownership in the group and still be involved. Barnes will just not be as hands-on as before.
In to replace Barnes was an inside hire in Jody Hull. Hull has spent the past three seasons with the Americans as an Associate Coach.
Hull has an extensive coaching career at the Major Junior Hockey level. Hull spent twelve full seasons with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL as a Coach and played there during his Junior Hockey days. Hull was the Head Coach for five of those years. Hull was fired though, midway through of his sixth year in charge. In his first year in the Petes organization, Hull was a part of the Petes Championship team.
Hull also had a sizeable playing career to say the least, playing sixteen seasons in the NHL for a total of 831 career games with 231 total points.
Joining Hull on the Coaching Staff is T.J. Millar as an Associate Coach. This will be Millar’s fourth season as an Associate Coach for the Americans. Millar is a former member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Coaching Development Program.
The newest coach on the staff is Ben Assad, hired as an assistant coach. Assad has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Canmore Eagles of the AJHL.
Prior to Coaching, Assad played in the AJHL for four full seasons. Following that Assad played for the University of Windsor in USports for five seasons. Assad then played one full year of pro hockey in the SPHL with the Peoria Rivermen before becoming a coach.
Key Departures
Tri-City has quite a few key departures that have really changed the trajectory of the team heading into the 2025-26 season, whether it be by trade, aging out, or leaving to the NCAA.
Max Curran
The Colorado Avalanche prospect and Czech Import had just finished his second season in the WHL, and it was a dandy.
Curran appeared in 65 games for the Americans last season and led the Americans in points with a total of 74. Curran emerged as the most prolific playmaker on the 2024-25 team and was going to be arguably the team’s top forward in 2025-26. Following the season, though, Curran did request a trade and was dealt to the Edmonton Oil Kings in July. In Return for Curran, the Americans got a pretty hefty package that included several picks. The Americans obtained the 37th overall pick in the 2025 CHL Import Draft, a 2026 first-round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, a 2029 third-round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, and a 2027 conditional fifth-round pick. Curran will join a loaded Edmonton Oil Kings squad that will look to make a run to the WHL Championship.
Jackson Smith
Smith is perhaps the biggest loss to the team, as the defenseman heads off to Penn State to play College Hockey.
Smith, a first-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2025 NHL Draft and the second overall pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft, was one of the best defensemen in the WHL last season. Smith was arguably the top two-way defenseman in the past Draft and just had everything you want in a defenseman to sum it up in a nutshell; he had great zone entries, was very physical, and it was hard to find something Smith was not good at. Smith finished the 2024-25 season with 54 points and played all 68 regular-season games. Smith was a treat to watch every night and would have certainly been one of the best players in the WHL had he returned for the 2025-26 season.
Jake Sloan
Sloan, the Captain of Tri-City during the 2024-25 Campaign has aged out of the WHL and will continue his Hockey Career at Bowling Green in the NCAA, along with another Tri-City forward, Brandon Whynott.
Sloan spent five seasons in the WHL, all with Tri-City. A former third-round pick by Tri-City in 2019 blossomed into an exceptional player at the WHL level. Sloan had a great presence out net-front, which made up for his lack of skating, and he always used his size to his advantage, making him a headache for defenses in the WHL. Sloan was a great leader and will be missed in that locker room this season. Sloan’s career totals included 265 Games Played and 241 total points.
Austin Zemlak
Austin Zemlak was another loss to the Tri-City blueline and would have been an overager for the team this year, fitting in as a top-four defenseman if he decided to come back.
Zemlak was unfortunately lost as Arizona State, the college he was committed to, lost a player and the Sundevils were in need of Zemlak this season. Zemlak planned on playing though this year in the WHL had he not been requested to join Arizona State a season early. Zemlak spent one season in Tri-City after being a part of a trade last offseason that saw the Americans deal Deagan McMillan for Zemlak. Looking back, that was a huge fleece by General Manager Bob Tory, as McMillan only played eight games for the Royals and didn’t get a single point before being traded again. Zemlak in his one season with Tri-City, was a good reliable two-way player. Zemlak appeared in fifty-five games and had 25 points on the season.
Lukas Matecha
Lukas Matecha has elected to go pro back home in Czechia after spending two years as the starting goaltender for Tri-City.
After being selected 99th overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, Matecha certainly panned out to be a steal in that draft for what he did for Tri-City. Matecha held the fort down for two years and gave the team their best chance to win every start. Matecha was also one of the top names not taken in the 2024 NHL Draft. For career totals, across two seasons as the Americans starting Goalie, Matecha appeared in 84 games, had a 39-35-5 record, .900%, and 3.50 GAA. Matecha notably had an incredible 54-save game in November of the 2024-25 season, to help boost the Americans to a victory over the Everett Silvertips, the top team in the league at the time.
Offseason
Following the Max Curran trade, the Americans held a total of three valuable CHL Import picks at 25th, 37th, and 86th overall. The draft took place in early July, and the Americans got three excellent players that will look to impact the team right out of the gate.
Jakub Vanecek
Vanecek was the first selection in the CHL Import Draft for Tri-City at 25th overall, and he will certainly be one of the better defensemen on the roster this season, likely as a top-four defenseman.
Vanecek is a rising prospect in Czechia, and the 2008-born Defenseman spent last season split between Bili Tygri Liberec’s U17 and U20 squads. With the U20 team, Vanecek appeared in thirty-one games and had a total of four points, along with a +/- of -7. However, in the playoffs with the U20 team, Vanecek played in six games, and his +/- was an insane +5 in those six playoff games. Vanecek has international experience already with Czechia, having played for Czechia at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. At this tournament, Vanecek had two total points across four games.
David Krcal
Bob Tory got a good one at 37th overall, drafting a goal scorer out of Czechia in David Krcal.
The Czech native spent last season with HC Dynamo Pardubice’s U20 team. Krcal played in forty-seven games and had 43 points. If Dynamo Pardubice does sound familiar, that is because former Americans goaltender Lukas Matecha played there before joining the Americans as well. Krcal was also able to get a handful of games at the pro level, playing six games for HC Dynamo Pardubice’s B Squad in the Czechia 2 Division, playing six games, and getting a goal. Krcal will likely also make an instant impact like his other Czech teammate in Vanecek, and slide in as a top-six forward for Tri-City this season. Krcal is a bigger forward at 6’2 and 209 pounds. More than likely, his work will be done net front, and in preseason play for Tri-City, Krcal seemed to have good forechecking abilities.
Tomas Racz
Rounding out the import draft at 86th overall was a forward out of Slovakia in Tomas Racz.
Racz really did impress in preseason play for Tri-City, and at 6’2, he is a very quick forward who does not shy away from physical play. Racz had lots of action last season in Slovakia, having played 40 games for HK Nitra’s U20 team and having a total of 43 points. Racz also made multiple appearances at the pro level, playing fifteen games for HK Levice of the Slovakian Second Division on loan. In those fifteen games, Racz had a single goal. Racz also played in four games in Slovakia’s top division but did not get a point. Racz will likely spend his first season as a bottom-six forward and add much-needed depth to the Tri-City forward group.
Key Forwards
Heading into 2025-26, the Americans will have quite a few new faces at the forward realm, but the returning forwards will be very good and looking to step up and carry the load in 2025-26.
Gavin Garland
Garland joined the club before the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Garland has been a huge addition for the Americans and had an incredible first half with the club as a rookie before going a bit cold in the second half of last season with just seven points in his last 30 games.
Garland played in 54 games for Tri-City after missing some time last season with a lower-body injury. Garland had a great rookie campaign overall though with 42 total points, including 21 goals. Garland shows blazing speed and an incredible shot at the WHL level. The nineteen-year-old will look to be one of the American’s leading scorers this upcoming season and a top one in the WHL. For Tri-City to be successful, Garland will need to contribute immensely in his second season.
Savin Virk
Virk, an NCAA Commit to Michigan State, joined the team midway through the season last year, ditching the BCHL, following the ruling that allowed CHL players to play in the NCAA. Virk was another instant impact who looks to take a big step in 2025-26.
In Virks rookie season, he had a total of 50 games played with 46 points, 22 being goals. Virk is a superb off-puck scorer, as the biggest pro to his game is certainly finding openings in the defense and getting into good scoring lanes, as he did show quite a bit of that last season. Virk also holds a great shot obviously, with the 22 goals as he looks to surpass that in 2025-26. Virk will certainly be a top forward for the Americans and look to be another top-scorer on the team besides Garland.
Cruz Pavao
Pavao, the Tri-City Americans first round pick back in 2023, is certainly going to have himself a year. as he enters year two in the WHL
Pavao had a fabulous rookie season with 25 points in 63 games. In camp/preseason play, Pavao showcased incredible vision and confidence with the puck. With Pavao certainly garnering more minutes this season, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise given his natural scoring ability to achieve far more than that 10-goal mark in 2024-25, especially with much more ice-time coming his way. Pavao will certainly be one of the young forwards as well who will and needs to take that next step if Tri-City wants to see any success this season.
Cash Koch
One other forward that will certainly in my opinion have a big year and impact on the team is Cash Koch, a fan favorite.
Koch actually regressed in points from his rookie year, having five less points as a seventeen-year-old, with a total of eighteen. But if you watch Koch play, he certainly has grown a lot from that sixteen-year-old season. Mainly because of his disciplinary issues, resulting in him not being on the ice as much as former Head Coach Stu Barnes would have liked, held Koch back from getting more points. But every team certainly wishes they could have Cash Koch or a player like him, but not go up against him. The speedy forward is very physical and does not shy away from a hit as he has unreal intensity compared to anyone else on the ice. Koch delivers a check to anyone he can find and is always darting around the ice. Koch is simply a headache to opposing teams. If Cash Koch can stay out of the penalty box, he will put together a big season points wise and be a top forward on this team, as Koch has tremendous upside.
Key Defenseman
Tri-City heading into the offseason looked to have arguably the best blueline in the CHL with the likes of Terrell Goldsmith, Charlie Elick, Jackson Smith, and Austin Zemlak. However, with a few of these players guranteed to be gone, Tri-City will rely more on the younger defenseman prospects than initially expected.
Charlie Elick
Elick is easily the top defenseman for Tri-City that is guaranteed to be on the team this year as he enters his fourth year in the WHL. Elick was moved to Tri-City for Jordan Gavin and a few picks near deadline day in 2024-25. Elick has certainly been everything Tri-City has asked for and although he didn’t end up on the stat sheet as much as he had liked, Elick was a great player for the Americans last season.
Elick, a second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024, had a regression season in terms of points, posting only 15 points in 66 games, evenly split between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Tri-City Americans. Elick is an elite skater with elite mobility, and at 6’4, Elick is poised to be one of the better defensemen in the league this year. Elick has tremendous offensive upside, but it just seems he has not tapped into it like he would have liked to. If Elick can unlock that offensive part of his game, he will be borderline unstoppable this year.
Terrell Goldsmith
Terrell is a giant question mark for the Americans this season, and it is not even 100% confirmed if he will be back on the team. But if he is, Goldsmith will be the third overager on the Tri-City roster as the Americans seem to be holding the spot for him.
Goldsmith, who was involved in the Lukas Dragicevic deal last offseason, is a Utah Mammoth prospect. Goldsmith is easily the league’s most physical player and is the golden definition of a defensive defenseman. Goldsmith was everything Tri-City wanted last season. Unfortunately though, late into the 2024-25 regular season, Goldsmith suffered a gruesome injury during a fight that is leaving him out until at least November of this year. It will be tough to say if Goldsmith will be the same player he was before the incident, but if he is, he will be the top defensive defenseman in the WHL. Goldsmith will also be arguably the American’s top defenseman alongside Charlie Elick. Goldsmith is a tremendous leader and player and would be a great player to have for 2025-26. The big question mark is, will Goldsmith still have that same intensity that he did before the injury and be the same player that got him selected in the NHL Draft?
Carter Savage
Carter Savage enters his fifth year with Tri-City as an overager and brings a lot of reliability to the table.
Savage may not be the best defenseman among the bunch, but what he does bring is valuable experience and leadership, along with great depth and reliability. If this entire defense is healthy towards the latter parts of the season, Savage will be a big part of the defensive depth. Savage, a former sixth-round pick of Tri-City back in 2020, has blossomed into a solid defensive defenseman in the WHL. Although his offensive game is almost nonexistent to say, Savage does well in transitions and has good puck-moving abilities along with great hockey IQ. Savage will overall be a very dependable asset this season.
Goaltending
Tri-City have a very young goaltender room that features a returning Ryan Grout, and a Rookie in Xavier Wendt.
Ryan Grout
Grout, the University of New Hampshire commit, returns for his second season, and his first as a starter.
Grout made the jump to the WHL from the BCHL after the NCAA announced that CHL players were eligible almost instantly. Grout, in his first season, had rough numbers looking on the outside, but if you watched Grout play, he was very good in the net and it was more of Grout being put into bad situations and having bad defense in front of him for the majority of the games he played. Grout’s stat line was 12 appearances, a 2-7-2 record, .874%, and 4.42 GAA. Grout should easily surpasses that line with those valuable games of experience he could have learned from to prepare for his first full season in the WHL at eighteen years old. Grout has won at every level he has played at, and I expect that to continue as he adjusts to the WHL level. Grout will be a very consistent starter for Tri-City for the coming years.
Xavier Wendt
Xavier Wendt is a very promising goaltending prospect as he sets to begin his rookie season in the WHL.
Wendt is one of the best goaltenders in his age group from the United States, and Bob Tory attested to it after signing him. Wendt won a national championship with Shattuck-St. Marys, and has a Gold Medal with Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games where Wendt was exceptional. At the Youth Olympic Games, Wendt played in 3 games, had a .901%, and 3.01 GAA against the best youth hockey players in the world. Wendt is still 5’11 according to the Americans website, but that does not mean anything as he still has plenty of time to grow, and many shorter goaltenders have been incredible in the WHL and beyond.
Promising Rookies
Tri-City is a very young team with loads of talent across the board, especially at the blue line, and will be a very good team in the coming years. Here is a look at a few of the top prospects that were able to crack the roster for 2025-26.
Aden Bouchard
Bouchard is the top prospect entering his rookie season for Tri-City, as he is the third overall selection from the 2024 WHL Bantam Draft.
Bouchard is an exceptional two-way defenseman who brings great size and mobility and is a great get at third overall. Bouchard spent his fifteen-year-old season playing a few years up with Calgary IHA’s U18 team. There, Bouchard played in 33 games and had 33 points. Bouchard has played in two total games for the Americans last season as well, one regular-season and playoff game, but has recorded no points. Bouchard has tremendous upside and will be one of the top players in Tri-City for years to come.
With the influx of so many new players in the WHL, unlike any other season prior, it will be way more difficult to win Rookie of the Year. But Bouchard should certainly at least be an honorable mention before the season begins.
David Byrne
Byrne, a seventh-round pick back in 2023, has cracked the roster for the first time as a seventeen-year-old.
Byrne is a player who will be a great depth piece for the Tri-City blueline this season. The defenseman spent his sixteen-year-old season playing for the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL, who would go on to win the AJHL Championship and Junior A National Title. In Calgary last season, Byrne gained valuable experience, and the transition to the WHL should be a little bit easier for the young defenseman with that season under his belt at the AJHL level. Byrne appeared in 40 games for the Canucks and had 13 total points.
Byrne has appeared in a handful of American games in the past, making his WHL debut at fifteen during the latter parts of the 2023-24 season. Byrne played in three total games, recording 0 points, and had a -2 rating.
Jesse McKinnon
McKinnon, a third-round pick of Tri-City in 2023, is coming off a fabulous preseason, which landed him a roster spot this year in Tri-City.
McKinnon spent much of last year with the St. Albert Raiders U18 squad of the AEHL. There, McKinnon excelled, playing in 33 games and having 34 total points. McKinnon did make his WHL debut last season as well, playing in one game but recording no points. However, McKinnon must have really taken notes of that game and learned from it massively, as he played incredibly in camp and preseason for the Americans. In the six preseason games McKinnon played in, he had a total of four points, tied for third on the team in preseason action.
McKinnon has been a great goal scorer everywhere he’s gone and there should be no doubt that over the years in the WHL that he continues that. Although he will need time and may not have an instant impact, McKinnon will be a solid bottom-six forward for Tri-City this year as a Rookie.
Uncertainty
In Junior Hockey, anything can happen, and that is why it is so fun to watch and keep track of, but Tri-City do have some questions heading into the season that are going to need to be addressed if the club wants to win a lot of games this season.
A big question that Tri-City will need to answer is five-on-five scoring and just scoring in general. In preseason, goals were seemingly very hard to come by for the team, and that is something that will likely translate into the regular season. Defense/Goaltending will be the reason Tri-City wins a majority of the time this season, not outscoring their opponents in high-scoring slugfests like in years past.
But with an expected reliance on a fairly young goalie tandem, how will the two netminders be able to handle that duty? Especially in a loaded U.S Division that features one of the top teams in the CHL, the Spokane Chiefs.
Where do they finish?
Unfortunately, as much talent as the Tri-City Americans have this season, it is hard to see this team mustering up anything above a seventh or sixth-place finish at best.
With the lack of experience simply at the WHL level, it will take time for players to adjust to the speed of this level. Along with the number of players who will be featured daily in the lineup with limited experience, it’s hard to say that this team is going to succeed.
A safe estimate would be a finish of around eighth or ninth in the Western Conference this season. Tri-City definitely has a bright future, and fans should anticipate the Americans being a top team shortly. But with how stacked other teams are in the U.S. Division this season, it will be a tough ask to win consistently.
Regardless, it will still be a fun year for Tri-City fans as they get to see plenty of talent on display every night of future WHL stars.
