Everett Silvertips clinch berth in 2025 WHL Playoffs

Everett, Wash.- The Everett Silvertips are the first team to clinch a berth in the 2025 WHL Playoffs.

The league leaders punched their ticket with a 4-1 win over the Kamloops Blazers on Friday night.

Following a goalless first period, the Silvertips struck twice in the second period to build a 2-0 advantage, and never looked back. Cole Temple, who is ranked 173rd among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft, opened the scoring 5:04 into the middle period. Less than five minutes later, it was Anaheim Ducks prospect Tarin Smith converting to extend Everett’s lead. Smith’s goal went on to stand as the game-winning marker, after Josh Kelly scored for Kamloops to make it a 2-1 game midway through the second period.

Silvertips forward Zackary Shantz iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute of regulation. Temple added a second empty netter to pour salt in the wound.

The Silvertips own a record of 37-8-4-3, earning 81 points points to sit first in the U.S. Division and the overall league standings.

Everett has been a force to be reckoned with from the first puck drop this season.

Top 2025 NHL Draft-eligible forward Carter Bear has potted 75 points (36G-39A) to emerge as one of the premier offensive threats across the Western League.

The 18-year-old sits second in the league goals race and leads all skaters with nine game-winning goals.

Everett, which leads all WHL teams in both goals scored and fewest goals against, boasts a balanced scoring attack up front, with Tyler MacKenzie, Dominik Rymon and Jesse Heslop all surpassing 20 goals on the season.

The team’s formidable blue line is stacked with NHL-caliber talent, including Seattle Kraken prospect Kaden Hammell, Anaheim Ducks pick Tarin Smith, Calgary Flames selection Eric Jamieson, and Landon DuPont, the first exceptional status defenceman to compete in the WHL full-time as a 15-year-old.

DuPont recently became the first rookie defenceman aged 16 or younger to tally 50 points in his first season since Hockey Hall of Famer and Kamloops Blazers icon Scott Niedermayer achieved the feat in 1989-90.

Between the pipes, offseason acquisition Jesse Sanche has enjoyed a breakout season with a record of 20-6-2-0.

The 18-year-old was named WHL Goaltender of the Month for September/October after going 9-2-0-0 to start the season and recording his first shutout.

Everett is also expected to get more reinforcements down the stretch.

Nashville Predators prospect and former co-captain Austin Roest has been assigned to rejoin his junior squad as he works back from an injury.

Roest led Everett in goals in 2023-24 with 38 tallies, in addition to another seven points (3G-4A) in five postseason matches.

Everett clears all other WHL squads by 12 points with 16 games left on their regular-season schedule.

The Silvertips have never missed the playoffs since joining the WHL in 2003-04.

The club has collected nine U.S. Division titles over its WHL tenure and has reached the WHL Championship Series twice, most recently in 2018, where they fell to the Swift Current Broncos in six games.

They also clinched the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular-season champions in 2006-07 with a 54-15-1-2 record.

Everett’s quest for the Ed Chynoweth Cup continues as the team visits the Vancouver Giants on Saturday, February 8.

Stay up-to-date on the WHL playoff race and catch all postseason action on WHLLive.com.