Sabres prospect Ratzlaff named WHL Goaltender of the Week

Calgary, Alta. – Seattle Thunderbirds netminder Scott Ratzlaff has been named WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 16, 2025, the Western Hockey League announced Tuesday.

The Buffalo Sabres prospect backstopped the surging Thunderbirds with a 3-0-0-0 record, a pristine 1.33 goals-against average, a .959 save percentage and one shutout.

Ratzlaff was named second star after steering aside 25 shots in a 3-2 win over the Kelowna Rockets on February 11, with one goal against coming on a Kelowna powerplay.

The Thunderbirds cranked up the intensity in an I-5 rivalry showdown against the visiting Portland Winterhawks on February 15. Seattle never trailed in the match as Ratzlaff put forward a stunning 40-save performance to pick up first-star honours in a 4-2 victory.

Ratzlaff saved his best for last this week with his first clean sheet of the season. He made 28 saves to blank the Wenatchee Wild on February 16, including a furious 14-shot push in the third period. Beyond another first-star effort, Ratzlaff also picked up Real Canadian Superstore WHL Save of the Night with a sliding stop on a Wenatchee two-on-one play.

🎥SAVE OF THE NIGHT🎥

So bonzer, so spiffing.

(Sometimes we like to use big words to make us look like we’re more photosynthesis).@RealCdnSS | @SeattleTbirds | @BuffaloSabres | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/QgpV5NHJHP

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 17, 2025

Seattle has now won four straight games and eight of their last 10 to climb into a playoff position with just over a month remaining in the WHL regular season.

Ratzlaff is 18-16-1-1 in his fifth WHL season with a 3.41 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage and a shutout. He’s won eight of his last nine appearances.

The 6-foot-1, 178-pound puckstopper also faced the fifth-most shots of any WHL netminder this season, highlighted by a 43-save win against the league-leading Everett Silvertips on January 11, 2025.

The Irma, Alta. product was drafted by the T-Birds 43^rd overall in the second round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft and was a backup to former WHL Goaltender of the Year Thomas Milic as Seattle made back-to-back trips to the WHL Championship Series in 2022 and 2023, with the Thunderbirds winning it all in 2023 and reaching the Memorial Cup Final.

Ratzlaff holds a career record of 82-52-3-3, a 2.94 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and eight shutouts. He’s tied for second among active WHL goaltenders in wins.

The Sabres selected Ratzlaff in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to an entry-level contract in October of 2024.

The 19-year-old was named a WHL U.S. Division Second-Team All-Star for 2023-24 and has represented Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he backstopped the Canucks to gold with two shutouts and a .976 save percentage.

Seattle (22-28-2-1) is on the hunt for a fifth straight win when they visit the Wenatchee Wild (18-29-6-1) on Friday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m. PST.

 

2024-25 WHL Goaltender of the Week
September 23, 2024: Koen Cleaver, Lethbridge Hurricanes
September 30, 2024: Ethan Eskit, Brandon Wheat Kings
October 7, 2024: Spencer Michnik, Victoria Royals
October 15, 2024: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)
October 21, 2024: Evan Gardner, Saskatoon Blades (Columbus Blue Jackets)
October 28, 2024: Jesse Sanche, Everett Silvertips
November 4, 2024: Carson Bjarnason, Brandon Wheat Kings (Philadelphia Flyers)
November 11, 2024: Nathan Preston, Tri-City Americans
November 18, 2024: Dawson Cowan, Spokane Chiefs
November 25, 2024: Alex Worthington, Edmonton Oil Kings
December 2, 2024: Anders Miller, Calgary Hitmen
December 9, 2024: Raiden LeGall, Everett Silvertips
December 16, 2024: Jackson Unger, Lethbridge Hurricanes
December 23, 2024: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders
December 30, 2024: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
January 6, 2025: Burke Hood, Vancouver Giants
January 13, 2025: Jayden Kraus, Victoria Royals
January 20, 2025: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)
January 27, 2025: Harrison Meneghin, Medicine Hat Tigers (Tampa Bay Lightning)
February 3, 2025: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders
February 10, 2025: Johnny Hicks, Victoria Royals

 

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.

 

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