T-Birds Can't Claw Past Tigers
WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Can't Claw Past Tigers

Published on January 10, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -The Seattle Thunderbirds built a three goal lead but could not sustain it and they lost, 8-3, to the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday at Co Op Arena. The T-Birds conclude their five games against the Central Division Saturday at the SaddleDome in Calgary against the Hitmen.

Seattle (15-18-2-2) built their three goal lead through the first period. Vanek Popil scored his second of the season at 2:47, assisted by Brayden Holberton. Twenty-four seconds later Cameron Schmidt scored his 29th of the season, and second with the T-Birds, with the assists going to Grayson Tash and Coster Dunn. It was also Schmidt's 200th point in the WHL.

At 13:57 newly signed Joe Gramer registered his first WHL goal, in just his second game. Tash and Schmidt were credited with the assists. The assists was the 100th in the WHL for Schmidt. The lead would hold until just past the midway point of the game when the T-Birds ran into penalty trouble. Before the period was over the Tigers tied it on the strength of two power play goals and a penalty shot.

"You have to eliminate the big chances," said head coach Matt O'Dette. "You also have to eliminate unnecessary power play opportunities, and neither of those things happened. They got guys behind us. That led to the penalty shot goal. We gave them another power play hauling a guy down. Their power play was really good and our penalty kill was not. That was the difference in this one."

Medicine Hat would finish the game 5-for-6 with the man advantage, including two more in the third period, breaking the 3-3 tie with three goals in the final period's first five minutes, then adding two more late.

"We outscored them 5-on-5," said O'Dette. "Our penalty kill has been a little bit of a problem on this road trip. That's tough because we've got six new players on the roster and no practice and that's where you shore up your special teams. We're trying to keep it simple as we learn the strengths of our new guys."

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

The Thunderbirds made one final trade before Thursday's deadline, sending Jaxson Pawlenchuk to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for Caden Cail.

Noah Kosick, who was acquired Wednesday from Swift Current, made his T-Birds debut against Medicine Hat.

Seattle is still playing without defenseman Radim Mrtka, who recently played for Czechia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships.

Check out the Seattle Thunderbirds Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2026


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