SERIES PREVIEW – (4) Prince George Cougars vs. (1) Seattle Thunderbirds
The 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien continue Friday, April 14, and WHL.ca is previewing each of the four Second Round matchups. We conclude our Second Round previews by examining the series between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince George Cougars.
The Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince George Cougars are set to face each other when the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien resume Friday.
The best-of-seven Second Round series begins with Game 1 April 14 in Kent, Wash. (7:05 p.m. PT, accesso ShoWare Center).
Seattle, the reigning Western Conference Champions, got their 2023 post-season campaign off to a great start, sweeping the Kelowna Rockets in the First Round. Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther led the way offensively for the Thunderbirds, scoring five times and totalling seven points in the four games, while defensively, Seattle limited Kelowna to only four goals in the series.
Prince George is into the Second Round of the WHL Playoffs for the first time since 2007, and have reached this stage thanks to a six-game triumph over the Tri-City Americans. The Cougars faced adversity, with New Jersey Devils prospect Tyler Brennan limited to only two appearances in the First Round, but Mark Lamb’s crew gritted out a series win on the strength of two home-ice overtime wins and two victories in three tries on the road.
In addition to Guenther, Seattle boasts nine NHL Draft selections on its roster including first-round picks Kevin Korchinski and Nolan Allan (Chicago Blackhawks), Brad Lambert (Winnipeg Jets) and Reid Schaefer, who was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers but since has been dealt to the Nashville Predators.
The Cougars feature three NHL draftees including goaltenders Tyler Brennan (New Jersey Devils) and Ty Young (Vancouver Canucks) as well as captain Ethan Samson (Philadelphia Flyers). Veteran forwards Jaxsen Wiebe and Chase Wheatcroft both earned free-agent NHL contracts with the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars, respectively, following strong regular season campaigns in Prince George.
Of the four regular season meetings, the Thunderbirds were winners in three, most recently an 8-1 victory on home ice in December. Prince George earned a split in a two-game home set with Seattle in late October.
Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jordan Gustafson led all scorers in the season series with six goals and seven points; teammates Kyle Crnkovic and Jared Davidson also totalled seven points versus the Cougars. A total of nine Seattle players recorded four or more points in the season series.
For Prince George, 2023 NHL Draft prospect Koehn Ziemmer stood above the pack with four goals and two assists from his four outings against the Thunderbirds.
Of the five goaltenders who saw action in the regular season series, 2023 NHL Draft prospect Scott Ratzlaff led the way with two victories and a .904 save percentage. Canucks draftee Ty Young was the goaltender of record in the lone Cougars win.
This series is the first between Seattle and Prince George since an opening-round affair in 2016, a series the Thunderbirds won in four games en route to the Western Conference Championship. Overall, the two sides have met five times in the WHL Playoffs since WHL hockey arrived in Northern B.C., with Seattle winning on four of the five occasions.
STAT PACK
| Seattle Thunderbirds | Prince George Cougars | |
| Record | 54-11-1-2 (1st, U.S.) | 37-24-6-1 (2nd, B.C.) |
| Playoff Leaders | Dylan Guenther (5-2-7) Jared Davidson (1-4-5) Nolan Allan (1-3-4) Thomas Milic (4-0, 1.00, .958) |
Zac Funk (4-3-7) Caden Brown (3-4-7) Cole Dubinsky (3-4-7) Ty Young (3-1, 2.65, .913) |
| Season Leaders | Jared Davidson (38-44-82) Lucas Ciona (28-47-75) Kevin Korchinski (11-62-73) |
Chase Wheatcroft (47-60-107) Riley Heidt (25-72-97) Koehn Ziemmer (41-48-89) |
| Leading Goaltender | Thomas Milic (27-3-1-1, 2.08, .928) | Tyler Brennan (21-10-3-0, 2.86, .898) |
| Power Play | 20.6% (15th) | 27.7% (2nd) |
| Penalty Kill | 83.5% (2nd) | 74.0% (18th) |
| First Round | def. Kelowna (4-0) | def. Tri-City (4-2) |
| Last WHL Championship | 2017 | 1981 |
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SERIES
Prince George (1) at Seattle (8) – December 13, 2022
Prince George (3) at Seattle (6) – November 1, 2022
Seattle (1) at Prince George (4) – October 29, 2022
Seattle (5) at Prince George (4) – October 28, 2022
GAME BREAKERS
Seattle Thunderbirds: The Thunderbirds employ some heavy forwards, including Montreal Canadiens prospect Jared Davidson. The Edmontonian has led Seattle in regular season scoring in each of the last two regular seasons totalling 80 goals over that span, but played distributor in the opening round against Kelowna; four of his five points in the First Round were assists. Davidson was a huge component in the Thunderbirds’ playoff run a year ago with 13 goals and 29 points and as a 20-year-old skater, possesses the size and skill to leave his stamp on games each and every night.
Un, deux, et trois pour Jared Davidson. @SeattleTBirds | @CanadiensMTL | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/VYaMOEI7Wa
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 11, 2023
Prince George Cougars: Chase Wheatcroft’s season has been one for Cougars fans to remember: 47 goals, 107 points, a free-agent deal with the Dallas Stars and, most recently, a Game 6 overtime winner to push Prince George past the First Round for the first time in 16 years. The Calgary, Alta. product put up five points in the opening round against Tri-City and will be counted upon by the Cougars in this series.
The final moments of the first round, brought to you by Chase Wheatcroft 🤯 pic.twitter.com/f2n6XQGSCo
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) April 10, 2023
GOALTENDING
Seattle Thunderbirds: Thomas Milic’s remarkable season continued in the First Round of the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien. The 2023 NHL Draft prospect led all goaltenders in the First Round with a 1.00 goals-against average and .958 save percentage after leading the League in both categories during the regular season. Milic closed out his opening round with a 19-save shutout at Kelowna.
Blessing your feed with a little Milic magic.@SeattleTBirds | #NHLDraft | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/gLzJiHonip
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 1, 2023
Prince George Cougars: Vancouver Canucks prospect Ty Young took over the crease for Prince George in the opening round and did not look back. The product of Coaldale, Alta. posted a 3-1 record, with two of his three victories coming away from home. He put up a .913 save percentage as well, helping the Cougars dispatch the Tri-City Americans in six games.
Welcome to the postseason, Ty Young 🤯@Canucks pic.twitter.com/AFQcdd23eN
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) April 6, 2023
X-FACTORS
Seattle Thunderbirds: 2023 NHL Draft prospect Nico Myatovic has a penchant for scoring big goals and is surely thrilled to be facing his hometown Prince George Cougars in a WHL Playoffs matchup. Myatovic is a key two-way forward in a deep Seattle lineup but make no mistake, there is significant offensive skill in his game. The 18-year-old put up 30 goals and 60 points in what was a breakout campaign during the 2022-23 regular season, while two of his three goals during the 2022 WHL Playoffs were game-winners.
How 'bout a hat-trick for Nico Myatovic.@SeattleTBirds | #NHLDraft | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/WgBQzKU9Kx
— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 22, 2023
Prince George Cougars: A trade deadline acquisition from the Calgary Hitmen, forward Zac Funk was terrific for Prince George in the First Round versus Tri-City, sharing the team scoring lead with seven points from six games played. The product of Coldstream, B.C. has scored 17 times in his 37 regular season and playoff appearances in a Cougars sweater.
Zac Funk's fourth goal of the 2023 #WHLPlayoffs presented by @NutrienLTD gives the @PGCougars the edge!#FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/XTDnWFa5uq
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 10, 2023
SERIES SCHEDULE
| Game | Date | Away | Home | Time | |
| 1 | April 14, 2023 | Prince George | Seattle | 7:05 p.m. PT | |
| 2 | April 15, 2023 | Prince George | Seattle | 6:05 p.m. PT | |
| 3 | April 18, 2023 | Seattle | Prince George | 7:00 p.m. PT | |
| 4 | April 19, 2023 | Seattle | Prince George | 7:00 p.m. PT | |
| 5 | April 21, 2023 | Prince George | Seattle | 7:05 p.m. PT | * |
| 6 | April 23, 2023 | Seattle | Prince George | 6:00 p.m. PT | * |
| 7 | April 25, 2023 | Prince George | Seattle | 7:05 p.m. PT | * |
* – if necessary
Through WHL Live on CHL TV, fans can enjoy every single scheduled game throughout the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien with the purchase of a WHL All-Access Pass at the low price of $59.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.
WHL Live – 2023 WHL Playoffs Packages
All-Access: $59.99
Round-by-Round: $19.99 per round
24-Hour Access: $9.99
* all prices in Canadian dollars
+ does not include applicable taxes and fees
WHL Live on CHL TV is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit WHLLive.com for complete details.
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