The Western Hockey League (WHL) has their contenders set for the 2017 championship title!
The Seattle Thunderbirds will have a chance at redemption this season, defeating the Kelowna Rockets 3-1 Sunday night, and winning the series, 4-2.
The Western Conference-champions for a third time in franchise history will play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup for a second consecutive year; they lost in 2016 to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Mathew Barzal & Scott Eansor with WHL VP of Hockey Richard Doerksen and the Western Conference Championship Trophy
(@Marissa_Baecker photo) pic.twitter.com/wZ551TV0lK
— Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds) May 1, 2017
Kelowna’s Nolan Foote opened the scoring, lifting the home team to 1-0 after the first frame, but it was the T-Birds who came out flying for the remainder of the night.
In the second period, the visitors scored three unanswered goals courtesy of Austin Strand, Alexander True, and Mathew Barzal.
Seattle goaltender Carl Stankowski earns his 12th victory of the 2017 WHL Playoffs, making 17 saves in the game; Rockets’ Michael Herringer stopped 19 of 22 shots.
That’s all she wrote! @SeattleTbirds are Western Conference Champions & headed for the WHL Championship! #SEAvsKEL #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/8Y5jLDDnry
— #WHLPlayoffs (@TheWHL) May 1, 2017
In the East, the Regina Pats won their third straight game Sunday night, sending them into the WHL Finals with a 7-4 Game Six victory over Lethbridge.
The CHL’s top-ranked team this season also won their series 4-2 and will now compete in their seventh championship series in team history; their first since 1984.
Thanks for an incredible series @WHLHurricanes! #WHLPlayoffs #REGvsLET pic.twitter.com/8AVLt9ynp7
— #JoinTheRegiment (@WHLPats) May 1, 2017
The Hurricanes scored the opening three goals of the game within the first eight minutes, which was immediately followed by Regina’s first two under three minutes later.
Lethbridge answered with a goal 65 seconds into the middle frame, but the Pats would bury the next five, including an empty-netter by Wyatt Sloboshan who completed a three-point performance in the victory.
Tyler Brown picked up his 19th-career post-season win, halting 24 of 28 shots; ‘Canes netminder Stuart Skinner had a busy evening, facing 44 total shots.
That’s it, that’s all! @WHLPats are Eastern Conference Champions & headed for the WHL Championship! #REGvsLET #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/jW1UvCtNsG
— #WHLPlayoffs (@TheWHL) May 1, 2017
The WHL Finals begin on Friday, May 5th in Saskatchewan with a 6PM Pacific puck-drop.
SCHEDULE:
Game | Visitor | Home | Date | Time
1 | Seattle @ Regina = Friday, May 5 @ 6:00
2 | Seattle @ Regina = Saturday, May 6 @ 6:00
3 | Regina @ Seattle = Tuesday, May 9 @ 7:05
4 | Regina @ Seattle = Wednesday, May 10 @ 7:05
*5 | Regina @ Seattle = Friday, May 12 @ 7:35
*6 | Seattle @ Regina = Sunday, May 14 @ 5:00
*7 | Seattle @ Regina = Monday, May 15 @ 6:00
(*IF NECESSARY)