Chiefs drop regular season home finale in shootout to Seattle
Spokane, Wash. – The Spokane Chiefs closed out the regular season home slate on Friday against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds in front of 9,652 fans. Before the game, the Chiefs honored the three 20-year-old players Rasmus Ekstrom, Shea Van Olm, and Brayden Crampton for their service to the Spokane Chiefs and the Western Hockey League. Andrew Cristall was recognized for his achievement of reaching 400 career WHL points, the first player in the 21st century to accomplish the feat. Lastly, player awards were given out on the ice to nine different Chiefs’ players for their accomplishments during the 2024-25 season.
Spokane opened the scoring with a goal from Sam Oremba, his 14th of the season and first since January 15th.
HE’S OREMBACK! Ras gets it to Sammy who opens the scoring at 4:31!#GoChiefsGo pic.twitter.com/f8HT6pRtqn
— x – Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) March 22, 2025
Ekström carried the puck through the zone and around the net before finding Oremba for the chip in at 4:31.
Brayden Schuurman scored his 12th of the season on the power play at 14:50 to even the scoring at one goal apiece.
Seattle was awarded another power play early in the second and scored again, this time from Dunn at 1:11. The Thunderbirds made it 3-1 with a goal from Pakkala less than a minute later.
Spokane turned up the intensity the rest of the period, scoring three goals to take a 4-3 lead into the final period.
First it was Cameron Parr scoring at 3:33 for his 4th of the season and first since February 1st.
Shot by Cramps, tipped by Parr! That brings us within one at 3:33 🚨#GoChiefsGo pic.twitter.com/Xr3OVnTAXI
— x – Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) March 22, 2025
Brayden Crampton and Will McIsaac provided the assists on the excellent tip-in score.
Shea Van Olm scored his league-leading 49th of the season at 13:37 to the tie the game at three.
BREAKAWAY SHEA 😱
3-3!!! Goal 49 for Olmer!#GoChiefsGo pic.twitter.com/Ir2W5WTvvh
— x – Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) March 22, 2025
Andrew Cristall provided his second assist of the night, but it was all Van Olm with the nifty breakaway goal.
Next Cristall took matters into his own gloves, firing it past the Seattle goaltender at 15:43 with his 48th of the season.
CRANK UP THE AC!!! 🥶
Cristall gives us a 4-3 lead!#GoChiefsGo pic.twitter.com/Bv8bL7OQqe
— x – Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) March 22, 2025
In the third period it was Coster Dunn scoring his second of the game at 8:04 to tie it up at four goals apiece.
Brayden Crampton scored an unassisted power play goal at 10:02 before Brody Gillespie fired it home at 11:43.
LIKE A G6!!! Brody Gillespie makes it 6-4 🚨#GoChiefsGo pic.twitter.com/xf5CCWC41t
— x – Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) March 22, 2025
Seattle would bring it all the way back to tie the game at six, thanks to a third goal from Coster Dunn at 16:58 and the tying goal with just 29 seconds left in regulation from Schuurman.
Neither team could find a breakthrough in overtime, and all three Chiefs shooters were stopped in the shootout. Seattle took home the 7-6 shootout victory thanks to the shootout winner from Schuurman.
The crowd of 9,652 was the fifth largest home crowd of the season, giving the Chiefs an average attendance of 6,588 per game, the largest home average for the Chiefs since the 2008-09 season.
The Chiefs will close out the regular season on the road Saturday night in Tri-City at 6:05 PM on SWX or 103.5 The Game.
Single game playoff tickets for the first round are available here with the Chiefs hosting Game 3 on Wednesday, April 2nd and Game 4 on Thursday, April 3rd. Both games will drop the puck at 7 PM.
