WHL Champion T-Birds Fall To Sea Dogs, Eliminated From Memorial Cup
T-Birds won Western Hockey League Championship this season
WINDSOR, Ontario, May 23, 2017 — The Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-0 Tuesday night at the Mastercard Memorial Cup at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario.
The loss eliminated the T-Birds from the four-team Memorial Cup tournament. The Sea Dogs advance to the Semifinal on Friday with the win where they will play the loser of the Windsor Spitfires (2-0) vs. Erie Otters (2-0) game, which takes place Wednesday.
The winner of the Spitfires-Otters game advances to the Memorial Cup Championship game on Sunday. The Semifinal winner will advance to the Memorial Cup Championship game on Sunday.
The T-Birds finished 0-3 at the Memorial Cup with losses to the Otters, Spitfires and Sea Dogs.
The T-Birds won the Western Hockey League Championship with a first round sweep of the Tri-City Americans, a second round sweep of the Everett Silvertips, a 4-2 series win over the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Conference Championship and a 4-2 series win over the Regina Pats in the WHL Championship.
The Sea Dogs scored six goals in the second period to take a 6-0 lead. Joe Veleno, Chase Stewart, Mathieu Joseph, Spencer Smallman, Cole Reginato and Bokondjii Imama had the Sea Dogs goals.
Veleno scored in the third period to get the Sea Dogs seventh goal.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – No scoring. Penalties – Volcan, Sea (slashing), 4:37. Zboril, StJ (hooking), 12:32. Bear, Sea (tripping), 12:49.
Second period – 1, Saint John, Veleno 1, 1:14. 2, Saint John, Stewart 1 (Zboril, Smallman), 14:04. 3, Saint John, Joseph 2 (Highmore, Imama), 14:19. 4, Saint John, Smallman 2 (Gauthier, Veleno), 14:57. 5, Saint John, Reginato 1 (Bourque, Noel), 16:29. 6, Saint John, Imama 1, 17:13. Penalties – No penalties.
Third period – 7, Saint John, Veleno 2 (Imama), 6:21. Penalties – Chabot, StJ (holding opponents stick), 3:45. Adams, Sea (elbowing), 19:11.
Shots on goal – Seattle 8-13-10 31, Saint John 6-14-8 28. Goalies – Seattle, Stankowski 14 shots-10 saves (0-3), Toth 14-11; Saint John, Booth 31-31 (1-2). Power plays – Seattle 0-2; Saint John 0-2. A – 5,062. Referees – Mike Campbell, Adam Griffiths. Linesmen – Nick Bilko, Trevor Shively.
