https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/tag/tyler-carpendale/ Fri, 29 May 2026 17:57:46 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-sign-forward Thu, 28 May 2026 16:59:53 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-sign-forward https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-sign-eleventh-overall-pick Wed, 27 May 2026 17:00:02 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-sign-eleventh-overall-pick https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-sign-wyatt-jolleys Fri, 22 May 2026 17:31:31 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-sign-wyatt-jolleys https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-sign-gold-medal-winner Thu, 21 May 2026 19:59:58 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-sign-gold-medal-winner https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-add-defenseman Wed, 13 May 2026 20:00:04 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-add-defenseman https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-ink-blue-chip-blueliner Tue, 12 May 2026 19:15:21 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-ink-blue-chip-blueliner https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-complete-2026-whl-draft Fri, 08 May 2026 16:38:20 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-complete-2026-whl-draft KENT, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds have added nine new players to their prospect pool after the conclusion of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft earlier this week.  The group of new draftees includes four forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender.  The draft began Wednesday night with first round selections.  Seattle’s top pick was Wyatt Jolleys out of Calgary.  The Thunderbirds took Jolleys with the seventh overall pick they acquired in a draft day trade with the Victoria Royals. T-Birds Assistant General Manager Craig Goebel described Jolleys as a solid two way center who competes hard at both ends of the ice.   “The offensive skills Wyatt possesses, however, is what drew us to him,” explained Goebel of their top choice. “He has excellent vision and passing skills, sees the ice so well and makes all the other players out there with him better.”  With their own first round pick at eleventh overall, the T-Birds selected Jax Bubnick, a left shot defenseman from Saskatoon. Goebel called Bubnick a big, solid defender who can play a shutdown role with his size, great stick and skating ability.  “And then when needed he can rush or pass the puck with accuracy out of his own zone,” he added. "He just has a great presence out there.”  Day Two began with the Thunderbirds taking Strathmore, Alberta native Jett Evans, a forward,  in round two, 34th overall. In the third round the T-Birds reached into East Grand Forks, Minnesota to select forward Jace Magner and followed that by picking defenseman Braeden Gilbertson of Lorette, Manitoba in the fourth round.  In the fifth round Seattle opted for goalie Easton LaBarbera. The netminder is the son of former WHL and NHL goalie Jason LaBarbera. Without a pick in round six, the T-Birds waited until the seventh round to grab Hardisty, Alberta forward Easton Holte.  The Thunderbirds rounded out their draft by choosing a pair of defensemen. In round eight they went with Malone Mann out of Victoria. The T-Birds final selection of the draft came in round nine when they chose Calgarian Beckam Brodeur.  Goebel said the organization is extremely pleased with their 2026 group. “We’ve added a lot of skill with Jolleys, Evans, Magner and Holte. We added some size and mobility on the back end with Bubnick, Gilbertson, Mann and Brodeur. Then, to top off the day we added a solid goaltender in LaBarbera who we think, in time has tremendous upside.” ]]> https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-add-gold-medal-winner Thu, 07 May 2026 15:30:03 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-add-gold-medal-winner KENT, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds have acquired the rights to forward Luke Puchner, along with two draft picks, from the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for winger Brayden Holberton and a 2026 fifth round draft pick. T-Birds will also receive a 2026 seventh round pick and a conditional 2027 third round pick from the Tigers.  The 2008 born Puchner played this past season at Shattuck St Mary. In 54 games with their 18U team he accumulated 85 points (21g, 54a). The 5’10”, 183 lb. Puchner also won a gold medal with Team USA last August at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. In five games at the tournament he registered a goal and three assists.   “We are very excited to add a player of Luke’s talent and ability,” said general manager Bil LaForge. “He has a championship pedigree and we hope to add him to our roster for next season.” The New Germany, Minnesota native is eligible for the NHL Entry Draft this summer.   Holberton played three seasons with the T-Birds after being selected in the tenth round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.  In 174 games with Seattle he earned 23 points (8g, 15a). “We would like to thank Brayden for his time with us,” said LaForge. “We wish him all the best in his time in Medicine Hat.”  ]]> https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-acquire-7th-overall-pick-in-2026-whl-draft Thu, 07 May 2026 00:45:33 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/thunderbirds-acquire-7th-overall-pick-in-2026-whl-draft KENT. Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds have acquired the seventh overall pick in tonight's WHL Prospects Draft from the Victoria Royals.  The T-Birds now own two picks at the top of the draft, including their own selection at eleventh overall. To acquire the pick the Thunderbirds are sending winger Cameron Schmidt to Victoria.  “We are very excited to add a top pick in this year’s draft,” said Thunderbirds general manager Bil LaForge. “We feel this pick will add an exciting prospect to our outstanding crop of talent.”  Schmidt played 33 games for the Thunderbirds this past season, after being acquired from the Vancouver Giants at the trade deadline in January.  He totaled 40 points on 24 goals and 16 assists. In addition to the top ten pick the T-Birds are also receiving a conditional 2028 fourth round selection, a pick that originated with the Wenatchee Wild. ]]> https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-acquire-rights-to-defenseman Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:59:30 +0000 Erin Saunders https://chl.ca/whl-thunderbirds/article/t-birds-acquire-rights-to-defenseman KENT, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds have traded a pair of 2029 draft picks to the Tri-City Americans in exchange for the rights to Jonas Kemps.  Kemps is a left shot defenseman who played this past season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel and had previously been with the U.S. National Development Team program.  “We are excited to acquire Jonas’ rights,” stated T-Birds General Manager Bil LaForge. “We feel he has the ability to add to our strong group going into next season.”  The 2008 born Kemps is listed at 6’6”, 196 lbs. and hails from Sebastopol, California.  He was originally listed by Tri-City in May of 2023.  NHL Central Scouting ranks him 67th  among North American skaters for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.   The Thunderbirds are sending a 2029 seventh round pick and a conditional 2029 third round selection to Tri-City as part of the deal.  The third round pick is conditional on Kemps, a Michigan State commit, signing with the T-Birds.  “We will begin the recruitment process with Jonas and his family in the very near future,” said LaForge. Meanwhile, LaForge and his staff are busy preparing for the WHL Prospects Draft which takes place in early May.  The T-Birds hold the eleventh pick in the first round.  ]]>