Thunderbirds Sign Melnik and Polak to WHL Agreements
KENT, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed both Luke Melnik and Josh Polak to WHL Scholarship and Development Agreements. Both players were invited to T-Birds training camp this summer. They fill the two remaining 20 year old spots on the roster.
Melnik, originally from Red Bank, New Jersey, led the T-Birds in scoring during the just completed preseason, accumulating six points (1g, 5a) in four games. The left winger won a BCHL championship last season with the Brooks Bandits where he registered 27 points (9g, 18a) in 22 contests.
Polak, a right wing, hails from Sherwood Park, Alberta. He split last season between the USHL’s Lincoln Stars and the Spruce Grove Saints of the BCHL. In a combined 46 games he totaled 48 points (25g, 23a). In four preseason games with the Thunderbirds he picked up four points (1g, 3a). Polak is a University of Minnesota-Duluth commit for the 2027-28 season.
“Both players have made good impressions in training camp,” stated head coach Matt O’Dette. “They are older players who have experience in junior hockey. They bring different elements to the team and have fit in well.”
The Thunderbirds open the 2026-27 season Saturday at Wenatchee. The home opener is September 26th versus the Prince George Cougars
