Wenatchee Closes 2025 with 4-2 Win Over Seattle Thunderbirds
WENATCHEE, Wash. – Spending New Year’s Eve on home ice has become a tradition of sorts for the Wenatchee Wild – in fact, success on New Year’s Eve on home ice has become as much a tradition as any for the Wild.
Nolan Caffey potted a pair of goals in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds Wednesday at Town Toyota Center – the game was the club’s fifth straight home contest on New Year’s Eve, dating back to Wenatchee’s 2021-22 campaign in the British Columbia Hockey League. Through both its Junior “A” era and its three-year run in the Western Hockey League, Wenatchee moved its record to 7-1-1 all-time on New Year’s Eve, with all nine games being played at home.
3:04 into the game, the Wild struck for their first power play goal, as Luka Shcherbyna dragged the puck around a defender and sniped it past Marek Sklenicka for the 1-0 lead. The Thunderbirds answered on the penalty kill 51 seconds into the second period, when Matej Pekar tossed a shot from the left point that caught Tobias Tvrznik’s paddle on its way into the net.
A 35-second Wenatchee outburst turned the tide for good later in the second – Caffey’s throw from the right point avoided the traffic near the net and beat Sklenicka to put the Wild ahead for good at 13:27, giving them their second power play marker and a 2-1 lead. The Wild got their first even-strength tally at 14:02, when Rui Han found Grady Wedman for a back-post one-timer to build the club’s only two-goal lead of the game.
The Wild defended that two-goal lead for much of the third as well, but Seattle cut the lead to 3-2 with the extra attacker, thanks to Coster Dunn’s sharp-angle chance from the bottom of the left-wing circle with 3:02 to play. In need of an empty-net goal for the last dose of breathing room, Caffey skated the puck to the Seattle blue line and let fly with a 60-footer to put Wenatchee up 4-2 with 1:16 left.
Tvrznik had his second-biggest night in net for the Wild, earning his ninth win of the year behind 46 saves, while Han and Boston Tait each finished with two assists. Shcherbyna extended his point streak to four games, scoring his team-best 15th goal of the year – his five power play goals also took over the team lead. Josh Toll added an assist on Shcherbyna’s goal, helping him keep pace at the top of the team’s scoring leaderboard with 26 points on the season, and extending his own point streak to four games.
Sklenicka took the loss for the Thunderbirds with 22 saves, and Seattle finished the night scoreless on six power plays. Wednesday’s 2-for-5 finish marked the first time since March 8 that the Wild have posted multiple power play goals in back-to-back games. Seattle slipped to 14-15-2-2 ahead of the new year and their Eastern Conference road swing in Alberta, while Wenatchee climbed to 13-20-1-1.
2026 begins in earnest for the Wild, as they host the Portland Winterhawks Friday for their Art Walk game presented by Riverside Payments, wrapping up a three-game homestand. Friday’s game is also a Kids In Free night – the opening puck drop at Town Toyota Center is slated for 7 p.m.
Tickets for Friday’s game and all regular-season Wild home games are on sale now by phone at 509-888-7825, online here, or by visiting the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Seattle 0 1 1 – 2
Wenatchee 1 2 1 – 4
1st Period-1, Wenatchee, Shcherbyna 15 (Toll, Osborne), 3:04 (PP). Penalties-Pekar Sea (tripping), 1:20; Vanek Wen (slashing), 15:04; Martorana Sea (tripping), 19:07.
2nd Period-2, Seattle, Pekar 15 0:51 (SH). 3, Wenatchee, Caffey 4 (Tait, Han), 13:27 (PP). 4, Wenatchee, Wedman 3 (Han, Andre), 14:02. Penalties-Han Wen (hooking), 3:44; Hilderman Sea (high sticking), 13:02; Kuzma Sea (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 15:35; Vaillant Wen (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 15:35; Rolsing Wen (holding), 16:04; Davidson Sea (slashing), 18:59.
3rd Period-5, Seattle, Dunn 15 (England), 16:58. 6, Wenatchee, Caffey 5 (Smith, Tait), 18:44 (EN). Penalties-Vanek Wen (hooking), 6:39; Vaillant Wen (tripping), 8:20; Cumby Sea (interference), 10:58; Toll Wen (high sticking), 12:11; Hartmann Sea (10-minute misconduct), 19:18; Laraque Sea (roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 19:18; Wedman Wen (10-minute misconduct), 19:18.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 11-15-22-48. Wenatchee 10-11-5-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 0 / 6; Wenatchee 2 / 5.
Goalies-Seattle, Sklenicka 10-7-2-0 (25 shots-22 saves). Wenatchee, Tvrznik 9-13-0-1 (48 shots-46 saves).
A-3,462
Referees-Mike Campbell (89), Stuart Carruthers (63).
Linesmen-Mitchell Gibbs (142), Michael McGowan (41).
