Tri-City battled courageously in what was an epic season opener in Kent that saw the Tri-City Americans nearly claw back from a three-goal deficit but eventually fall 6-3. The Thunderbirds would continue their opening night success as the Thunderbirds improved to 9-0-0-1 in their last ten season-opening games, home or away.

1st Period

The game began with a bang, as Seattle notched their first goal of 2025-26 just 30 seconds in on the first shot of the game.

After some great pressure early by Seattle, Matej Pekar along the boards was able to make a pass to Simon Lovsin in the right facoff circle. Lovsin then spun and shot, picking his spot right under Grout’s glove.

The Americans were able to draw things even. As just two minutes after Pekar’s opening goal, LeBret would get his first career WHL Goal on the power play. This following a Tai Railey Hooking penalty when Cruz Pavao was driving the net.

Gudelj took a long shot and Thunderbirds netminder Marek Sklenicka made the original save, kicking it back out to the point. Dylan LeBret would gather the rebound and work his way down to the right circle before taking a shot that went bardown on Sklenicka.

Seattle would regain the lead and not look back as the Thunderbirds top line continued to wreak havoc early on.

Lovsin would drive towards the net and shoot one that Grout thought he had gloved and saved, but the puck would roll off his pads and in.

Cash Koch committed the first penalty by Tri-City as the Thunderbirds looked to double up their lead in this early scoring slugfest with their first power play opportunity.

Seattle would indeed continue its early domination of Tri-City, making it 3-1 on the power play as the high-end-to-end action continued.

Antonio Martorana busted towards the net, and although his initial shot was saved, the puck remained loose, which caused a scramble in front of the net. Martorana then skated back around from behind the net and tapped in the loose puck.

Just to make things worse for Tri-City, Sawyer Mayes would get a breakaway to make it 4-1, not even a minute after Martorana’s goal.

Mayes did not waste his opportunity and went five-hole on Grout, which would end Grout’s night right then and there.

Grout’s night unfortunately ended after just nine minutes of play. In those nine minutes, Grout faced ten shots and allowed four goals. Grout was not at fault for most, if not all of Seattles goals, as the team in front of him most certainly let him down. But a change had to be made as things looked to be getting out of control early.

In for Grout was Xavier Wendt, as Wendt would be getting his first taste of WHL action.

After a very chaotic first ten minutes of play and a goalie change, the game seemed to settle down in the last ten minutes.

The Americans had a chance on another power play over halfway through the first period to get the game back within two, but the puck was cleared off of the goal line by Seattle’s defense.

It would be Seattle who would carry a 4-1 lead into the first break following a period of pure domination, outshooting the Americans 16-9, and going 1/3 on the power play.

2nd Period

Sklenicka showed up and showed out early in the second period, making huge glove saves early to keep the Thunderbirds’ three-goal lead intact as Tri-City looked much improved early in the second.

The highlight save was arguably when Seattle defenseman Grayson Tash fanned on the puck in his own zone, and Cruz Pavao got control of the puck. Pavao drove to the net and muscled off a shot, but was turned aside by Sklenicka.

A little past the halfway point of the second period, Tri-City had a golden scoring opportunity with a three-on-one after a failed breakout by Seattle. Gudelj carried the puck in and tried to do it all by himself, but Sklenicka made a nice kick-out save, and the puck was once again cleared out of the blue paint by Seattle’s defense.

In the dying minutes of the second period, Tri-City would come to life out of nowhere and grab a few goals to get back within one.

Right off the faceoff in the Seattle end, Savage made a cross-ice feed to Vanecek who would drive in towards the left circle. Vanecek then fired away a shot that deflected off something net-front and through the five-hole it appeared of Sklenicka as the defenseman Vanecek would pick up his first career WHL Goal.

The Americans then got the game within just forty seconds after Vaneceks goal.

McKinnon carried the puck in along the left wing before sliding it over to Gudelj, who would then backhand one right back to McKinnon on the backdoor for an easy tap in for McKinnons first career WHL goal after some beautiful give-and-go action. McKinnon became the third different goal scorer for Tri-City to also record their first career WHL goal in the contest.

After forty minutes, Tri-City trailed Seattle by just one, and outshot Seattle 12-5 in the second period. The Americans looked to carry the momentum into the third period and get a huge come from behind victory on opening night.

3rd Period

Early in the third, Sklenicka got the save of the game as Tri-City applied lots of pressure early in the third. Sklenicka was barely able to preserve a Thunderbird lead as he just got his left pad out to deny Tomas Racz of a rebound opportunity after an initial shot and save from the point by Tri-City.

With nine minutes remaining in regulation, Seattle whiffed on a chance to put the game away in what had been a back-and-forth third period as Hyde Davidson found Sawyer Mayes cutting past the Americans defense on the zone entry. Mayes up close and tight shot it just wide, and a heavy sigh of relief occurred on the Tri-City bench most certainly.

Xavier Wendt then had an absolutely highway robbery, not once, but twice, to keep Tri-City in the game late.

After Tri-City failed to put in a rebound opportunity to tie the game late, Brock England snuck past the defense and received a stretch pass as England would dash in on a breakaway.

The first shot, Wendt sticked aside, while the puck rolled to the right, England gathered the rebound. Wendt then made a diving save with the blocker to deny England again.

However, it did not matter, as with just 2:48 remaining in the game, Brock England would seal the deal for Seattle to give the Thunderbirds a season opening win.

Martorana gained the zone and fired a shot from the left circle that was blocked and deflected right to Brock Englands stick in the slot. England did not make a mistake this time, going bardown on Wendt who had played phenomenal after coming in as relief to Grout.

Brock England would add his second goal of the game for insurance purposes, as England stripped the puck from Tri-City entering the zone, and threw it all the way down into the empty Americans net.

With that, Tri-City would fall 6-3 in what was a great comeback effort that just fell short in the end.

What’s Next/Post Game

Wendt was absolutely stellar after coming in for the relief of Grout early in the first for his first career WHL appearance, as Wendt was able to stop 20/21 shots faced. Certainly Grout will look to rebound next Saturday in Spokane if he is the starter.

As stated, Tri-City had three different goal scorers, and all three also scored their first career goals in the WHL as rookies. Those players were Dylan LeBret, Jakub Vanecek, and Jesse McKinnon.

Tri-City would go 1/3 on the power play, while Seattle went 1/4. Tri-City was outshot in the contest 30-34.

Tri-City will now get a week to prepare for a challenging game as they take on the Spokane Chiefs, arguably one of the top teams in the CHL, on the road on Saturday, September 27th.