Thunderbirds goaltender Sklenicka added to roster for 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass

SKLENICKA REPLACES WILD GOALTENDER TVRZNIK, WHO IS UNABLE TO COMPETE DUE TO INJURY

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today the addition of Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender to the roster for Team West ahead of the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, which is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.

Sklenicka, who is ranked eighth among North American goaltenders in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, replaces Wenatchee Wild netminder Tobias Tvrznik, who is unable to compete due to injury.

The 2026 WHL Prospects Game will feature 44 NHL Draft-eligible players from the WHL, as selected by NHL Central Scouting, competing in front of NHL scouts for position in the 2026 NHL Draft. Tickets for the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass are available now by visiting vancouvergiants.com/tickets.

Sklenicka, who hails from Litvinov, Czechia, was selected by the Thunderbirds in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound puckstopper has recorded 14 wins in 32 appearances in his first season with the Thunderbirds, logging one shutout along the way.

On December 22, Sklenicka was named Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week after going 2-0-0-0 with a 0.48 goals-against average, .986 save percentage, and one shutout.

Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, Sklenicka represented Czechia at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, appearing in one game.

The 2026 WHL Prospects Game will serve as the first all-WHL event of its kind since January 19, 2000, when Kelowna hosted the 2000 WHL All-Star Game, in which the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference by a score of 10-8 in front of 5,420 fans at Prospera Place.

Since the WHL was established in 1966-67, there have been 26 previous WHL all-star or top prospects-style events.

Vancouver last hosted a WHL All-Star Game on January 19, 1972, when the East Division defeated the West Division by a 4-2 margin.

The 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass is set to stream globally for free on Victory+. For more information on the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, please visit WHL.ca.

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 consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 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 over 50 years. The WHL is also the 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.