WHL US Division well-represented in NHL playoffs... plus Seattle's "Golden Boy" TJ Oshie

 

Fans of WHL's US Division teams have a number of teams to cheer for in the first round of the NHL playoffs. But if you're not a diehard fan and want to know who to follow, I've done the legwork for you. Below are players from WHL US Division teams whose NHL teams are in the battle for Lord Stanley's Cup. 

In addition, one of the Seattle-area's homegrown stars, TJ Oshie, is shaking off an injury in an attempt to help lead the St. Louis Blues in the Cup chase.

Take a look at the list of players below. Let me know if I've left anyone out. And may your team win the Cup (if your team is the Pittsburgh Penguins, that is).

TJ Oshie - product of Seattle Junior Hockey Association

 

SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS:

Brenden Dillon (2007-2011) - Dallas Stars (v. Anaheim Ducks)

 

Patrick Marleau (1995-1997) – San Jose Sharks (v. Los Angeles Kings)

 

Cory Sarich (1998) – Colorado Avalanche (v. Minnesota Wild)

 

 Nate Thompson (2001-2005) – Tampa Bay Lightning (v. Montreal Canadiens)

 

EVERETT SILVERTIPS:

Radko Gudas  (2009-2010) – Tampa Bay Lightning (v. Montreal Canadiens)

 

Ryan Murray (2008-2013) – Columbus Blue Jackets (v. Pittsburgh Penguins)



 

Note: Former Silvertips Head Coach Craig Hartsburg is Columbus Blue Jackets’ Assistant Coach

 TRI-CITY AMERICANS:

Carey Price (2002-2007) – Montreal (v. Tampa Bay Lightning)

 

Clayton Stoner  (2002-2005) – Minnesota Wild (v. Colorado Avalanche)

 

SPOKANE CHIEFS:

Tyler Johnson (2007-2011) – Tampa Bay Lightning (v. Montreal Canadiens)

 

 

Darcy Kuemper (2007 - one game) –  Minnesota Wild (v. Colorado Avalanche)

 

Jared Spurgeon (2005-2010) – Minnesota Wild (v. Colorado Avalanche)

 

Ray Whitney (1988-1991) – Dallas Stars (v. Anaheim Ducks)

 

Note: Former Chiefs Head Coach Mike Babcock is Detroit Red Wings’ Head Coach

Note: Former Chiefs Assistant and Head Coach Bill Peters is Detroit Red Wings’ Assistant Coach

PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS:

 Braydon Coburn (2000-2005) - Philadelphia Flyers (v. New York Rangers)

Brandon Dubinsky (2002-2006) – Columbus Blue Jackets (v. Pittsburgh Penguins)

Marian Hossa  (1997-1998) – Chicago Blackhawks (v. St. Louis Blues)

 

Ryan Johansen (2009-2011) – Columbus Blue Jackets (v. Pittsburgh Penguins )

 

Cody McLeod (2001-2005) – Colorado Avalanche (v. Minnesota Wild)

 

Brenden Morrow (1995-1999) – St. Louis Blues (v. Chicago Blackhawks)

Nino Niederreiter (2009-2011) – Minnesota Wild (v. Colorado Avalanche)

Luca Sbisa (2010) – Anaheim Ducks (v. Dallas Stars)

Colton Sceviour (2004-2008) – Dallas Stars (v. Anaheim Ducks)

 

Hockey in Seattle... and Everett... and Spokane... and Wenatchee... etc.

There's been a lot of talk lately about Seattle getting an NHL team. Some people have gone on and on about how much they miss going to hockey games and an NHL team can't come soon enough because it's too much of a hassle to drive up to Vancouver to watch the Canucks, not to mention the ticket prices.

*AHEM*

Hockey is alive and well in Seattle... and Everett... and Spokane... and the Tri Cities... and Wenatchee... and even across the border in Oregon (Portland, to be exact).  Okay, in all fairness, these are major junior teams comprised of players who are 16 to 20 years old. Some of the so-called "hockey" fans I've chatted with say they have no time to watch kids - bring on the big guys, the pros. Other fans I've chatted with talk excitedly about being able to watch NHL players like Marian Hossa (Portland Winterhawks), Patrick Marleau (Seattle Thunderbirds), Zdeno Chara (Prince George Cougars) and Carey Price (Tri City Americans) (to name JUST a few) hone their skills in the Western Hockey League, then watching those "kids" go on to have successful NHL careers. (For a complete list of WHL alumni - players AND coaches - currently in the NHL, visit WHL Network’s Prospect Central)

Here’s a list of teams within driving distance of Seattle:

Everett Silvertips (WHL, home arena: Comcast Arena)

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL, home arena: ShoWare Center)

Spokane Chiefs (WHL, home arena: Spokane Arena)

Tri City Americans (WHL, home arena: Toyota Center)

Portland Winterhawks (WHL, home arenas: Memorial Coliseum, Rose Garden)

Wenatchee Wild (NAHL, home arena: Town Toyota Center)

There are a number of reasons to drive to Everett, Kent or take a road trip to Wenatchee, Spokane, the Tri Cities and Portland - or even a ferry over to Victoria or cross the border to Vancouver and support major junior hockey:

1. Games are affordable! You can score a ticket for as little as $10
2. There's not a bad seat in the house... err.. arena
3. You'll meet some awesome fans, many who also double as billet (host) families, giving players a "home" away from home.
4. You can help support these kids on their quest to attain NHL careers by showing up and cheering loudly. 
5. You can bask in the satisfaction of saying on NHL Draft day, "I knew _______ would make it!"
6. You can watch NHL games with your buddies and say, "I watched ________ come up in the WHL. I knew he'd make it."
7. Did I mention games are affordable?
8. Snacks and drinks are a lot cheaper than at NHL arenas (and a mere pittance when compared to food sold at Safeco & CenturyLink Fields)
9. You can join your team's Booster Club and take part in special events, meet and greets, and get special deals and promotions or sponsor a player as their "Secret Pal"
10. Without leagues like the WHL (and OHL, QMJL, NAHL, USHL, NCAA and others), there might not be an NHL - or an NHL filled with players from such diverse backgrounds. I mean, how many frozen ponds are there in Canada for up and coming players to hone their skills? (Just kidding, I know all Canadian boys are born with skates strapped to their feet and hockey skills embedded in their brains.

If this hasn't convinced you to plunk down $10 to check out a game, maybe the following people will. They're the men and women who cover the teams, driving to every home game (and even some away games), interviewing coaches and players, breaking down plays and offering their skilled analysis of the team they cover, as well as every opponent who comes to town. They know their stuff and are more than happy to chat with you should you happen to run into them at a game (or on Twitter). 

Let me introduce the writers who cover teams in Washington and Oregon, along with their Twitter handles (click on their names to visit their websites):

Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Nick Patterson - @NickHPatterson

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

Andy Eide  - @AndyEide

Tim Pigulski - @tpigulski

Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Stuart Kemp - @BBBJr

Scott Sepich - @SSepich

Samantha Meese - @AbovetheGlass

Dylan Bumbarger - @dylandb

Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Chris Derrick - @srchrisderrick

Tri City Americans (WHL)

Annie Fowler - @TCHIceQueen

Wenatchee Wild (NAHL)

Jon Frank - @JFrankWW

Want to know what life is like as a major junior hockey player? I can help you with that, too! Chris Rumble, who played with the Wenatchee Wild from 2009-2011 and now attends Canisius College on a hockey scholarship, filmed a documentary during his final year with the Wild. It’s called Into the Ice and is available on DVD. (Side note: if the name Chris Rumble sounds familiar, he’s the mastermind behind the “Stronger” video shot at Seattle Children’s Hospital that went viral)

So, you’ve been prepped. Now, sit back and think about what turned you into a hockey fan. Think about the amazing plays you’ve seen, the players who defied description, the players you believed in, even if others had already written them off. Did you wish you could have seen The Great One as a kid player? Super Mario? Bobby Hull? This is your chance to watch for the next generation of “Great Ones.” The challenge to you is to go to your local arena and see whether you can spot the next NHL star in the making.

If you see me there, come say hi. I’ll buy you a beer. 

'Tips host preseason tourney Labor Day weekend

The Everett Silvertips begin pre-season play today by hosting the Holiday Inn Pre-Season Classic at Comcast Arena. The tournament runs Friday, August 30 through Sunday, September 1 and features the following WHL teams: Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri City Americans, Portland Winterhawks, Spokane Chiefs and Victoria Royals. 

Here’s the schedule:

Friday, August 30: 

11:30am     Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Tri City Americans

3:00pm       Portland Winterhawks vs. Spokane Chiefs

7:00pm       Everett Silvertips vs. Victoria Royals

Saturday, August 31:

11:30am     Tri City Americans vs. Portland Winterhawks

3:00pm       Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Victoria Royals

7:00pm       Everett Silvertips vs. Spokane Chiefs

Sunday, September 1:

11:30am     Tri City Americans vs. Victoria Royals

3:00pm       Spokane Chiefs vs. Seattle Thunderbirds

7:00pm       Everett Silvertips vs. Portland Winterhawks

For more information about the Holiday Inn Pre-Season Classic and the rest of the pre-season schedule, please click here.

The Silvertips will launch the 2013-2014 regular season on Saturday, September 23 by welcoming the Prince George Cougars to Comcast Arena. The puck drops at 7:05pm. Please click here for the complete 2013-2014 regular season schedule.

For more information about the Everett Silvertips, including promotion nights, season ticket options or to buy single game tickets, visit the ‘Tips website: www.everettsilvertips.com

Connect with the team on Facebook:  Everett Silvertips Hockey Club

Follow them on Twitter: @WHLSilvertips

Monday Puckpourri: WHL season underway; CCPT Hockey expands to 2 HOURS LIVE; new hope for UAH and one more thing!

The WHL season started over the weekend, which means I am in hockey heaven right now! Having two teams within (relatively quick) driving distance isn't bad, either. The Everett Silvertips are starting things off with an 8-GAME HOME STAND. You can't get any better than that! Two games ar already in the books for the 'Tips - both wins (They beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-3 Friday night and the Vancouver Giants 5-2 Saturday night. This Friday, they welcome the Kamloops Blazers to Comcast Arena, followed by the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday. For game times and tickets, click here.

The Seattle Thunderbirds rebounded from their last-second loss to the 'Tips by handily thrashing the Portland Winterhawks Saturday night at ShoWare Center. Before dropping the puck on their home opener, the team and fans paid tribute to Glen Goodall, the most prolific scorer in T-Birds history. To take a look at his numbers, check out his profile at HockeyDB.com. I couldn't believe some of the numbers I saw! For example: during his final year in Seattle (89-90), Goodall had 76 goals and 87 assists for 163 points. Does that look like a typo or what?? Anyway, the crowd welcomed him back in high style and his 16 year old daughter thrilled everyone with her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Then, the T-Birds showed what they learned over the summer, beating the Winterhawks 4-1. After the game, I conducted my very first post-game interviews, with Head Coach Rob Sumner and T-Birds d-man Brenden Dillon. You can read my entire wrap up, plus interviews on the KING 5 Sports site. Or just click here.

My friend Tyler Hunnex is one of the finest T-Birds hockey minds I know - and is busy adding to his popular blog, "Let's Go Birds." You can check out his wrap-up of opening weekend, plus a player-by-player overview for the season. Just click here.

I guess this is also a good place to remind you to read my WHL stuff over at "From the Rink."

My friend Cassie McClellan and I are having a blast co-hosting the CCPT Hockey show over on BlogTalkRadio.com.  We've garnered a faithful following who tunes in at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern/11pm UK every Sunday to listen to us banter with each other and a myriad of guests for an hour live and even longer on the archive podcast. This past Sunday, the show expanded to TWO HOURS live, plus longer in the archive podcast. We had a lively conversation with 5 guests: Eric Naughton, a Pens fan and cancer survivor, who's chronicling his post-cancer quest to learn how to play hockey with a documentary called "Life, Cancer and the Pursuit of Hockey," Matt Wagner, Columbus Blue Jackets blogger, Anthony Curatolo, co-founder of The Hockey Guys, writers for The Fourth Period, Hockey Independent and a bunch of other sites, as well as co-host of his own BTR show called The Hockey Guys. He's also a diehard Flyers fan; Marilyn aka "Macksayev" - a good friend of ours from our NHL Connect days and very knowledgeable about the Buffalo Sabres and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League; and "Super" Dave Block, a Leafs fan who works the NHL Rookie Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan every year (and knows about the Red Wings by osmosis, as he lives in Michigan). Not only did we fill the entire LIVE two-hour block, our podcast portion ran almost an extra hour! You can check out that show and all our other shows by clicking here. We also have a show blog: http://ccpthockey.blogspot.com.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely passionate about my would-be alma mater, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and its hockey program. The Chargers have withstood so much adversity, only to thrive and produce some top-notch human beings who also happen to play hockey. So far, only one Charger has cracked an NHL lineup (Jared Ross, first with the Philadelphia Flyers last year; now, with the Atlanta Thrashers), but that doesn't change the fact that the guys are first-rate. Last year, when the CHA dissolved, all of the teams found new homes within the WCHA and CCHA. EXCEPT the Chargers. UAH is playing as an independent program this year (they're no stranger to that!) but after that, the future is a little cloudy for the Chargers. I firmly believe that recent news that Penn State wants to start a Division I hockey program (men's and women's) may breathe a little life and hope into the Chargers. My friend Derek Zona (from "Copper and Blue" and "From the Rink") wrote up a very nice outline of just how the NCAA hockey landscape could change once Penn State hits the ice. As of right now, I'm saying, "Come on, Big 10 - get going so UAH can join the CCHA or WCHA and stay alive!"  To read Derek's story and comment on it, just click here.

Now, for that ONE MORE THING.

I want to make the ULTIMATE hockey playlist, but I need your help! Share your favorite songs heard at hockey games. Once I get enough submissions, I'll create a playlist to share. It can be as obvious as Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll, Part 2" - to the opening strains of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck."  But try to be obvious and give me something that might not have been played to death already (hint: think Europe. Yep, I know that keyboard intro is playing in your head right now!)

That's it for tonight. If I forgot something, I'll post another blog.
Happy Hockey, everyone!!