PREVIEW: Oil Kings Look to Keep Rolling Against Thunderbirds
Kent, Wash. – The Edmonton Oil Kings continue their U.S. road trip tonight in Kent, Wash. as they take on the Seattle Thunderbirds in a rematch of the 2022 WHL Championship.
The Oil Kings ultimately took that battle in six games, and the teams have only played each other twice since then with Seattle taking last season’s meeting in Edmonton, and the last meeting in the U.S. in 2022/2023. Edmonton will be looking for their first victory over the Thunderbirds in the regular season since October 26, 2019 in Edmonton.
Meanwhile, the Oil Kings are looking to get back-to-back wins after they defeated the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday by a 6-3 score and are now 2-1-1-0 on the U.S. trip. The Oil Kings will look to keep the offence going as well as they’ve scored at least five goals in three straight games and have averaged five per-game on the U.S trip.
Tonight will also mark the return to Seattle for Oil Kings forward Gracyn Sawchyn who played 75 games with the Thunderbirds earning 79 points and helping them win the WHL Championship in 2023. Sawchyn will also look to stay scorching hot as he’s earned points in eight straight games, tallying 16 points in that stretch. His linemate, Gavin Hodnett is also looking to extend his point streak to nine games.
The opponents, the Thunderbirds are 5-9-1-0 on the season, and they’re led offensively by Sawyer Mynio who has 16 points (4G, 12A) in 12 games, and former Oil King Nathan Pilling who has 14 points (11G, 3A) in 11 games.
Game time from Kent is 7:05 p.m. PT and 8:05 p.m. MT.
Oil Kings Scoring Leaders (GP, G-A-Pts):
- Gracyn Sawchyn (10, 7-10-17)
- Gavin Hodnett (13, 7-9-16)
- Adam Jecho (11, 4-8-12)
- Roan Woodward (13, 6-5-11)
- Miroslav Holinka (11, 6-4-10)
Oil Kings Milestone Watch:
- F Cole Miller is 11 games away from 200 as an Edmonton Oil King.
- F Landon Hanson is 6 games away from 100 in the WHL
- D Parker Alcos is 10 games away from 100 in the WHL
- F Road Woodward is 15 games away from 200 in the WHL
- D Ethan MacKenzie is 14 games away from 100 in the WHL
- F Gavin Hodnett is 11 assists away from 100 in the WHL
- F Gracyn Sawchyn is 5 assists away from 100 in the WHL
Thunderbirds Scoring Leaders (GP, G-A-Pts):
- Sawyer Mynio (12, 4-12-16)
- Nathan Pilling (11, 11-3-14)
- Braeden Cootes (15, 4-10-14)
- Matej Pekar (11, 4-5-9)
- Two Players Tied at 8 pts
