T-Birds Inch Closer to the Postseason
WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Inch Closer to the Postseason

Published on March 20, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


KENT, Wash. - Cameron Schmidt's goal with less than thirty seconds left in overtime lifted the Seattle Thunderbirds past the Spokane Chiefs, 4-3, Friday at the accesso ShoWare Center. It was the T-Birds final home game of the regular season. The Thunderbirds wrap up the 2025-26 campaign on the road. Saturday they are in Portland against the Winterhawks. They close out the regular season Sunday in Spokane against the Chiefs. Seattle needs one point from their last two games to clinch a playoff spot.

"Some good resiliency in the third," said head coach Matt O'Dette of overcoming a one goal deficit. "I thought overall we played a good game. We didn't panic when they took the lead. We stayed with it."

Twice in the game Seattle (29-27-6-4) had to come from a goal down. Spokane got on the board with a power play goal just past the midway point of the opening period. The T-Birds tied it just under five minutes later when Ethan Bibeau tipped in an Ashton Cumby shot from the left point.

"Setting the tone," explained O'Dette of the T-Birds early shot barrage. "Just had a shot mentality. You get can't second and third opportunities if there's not a first one. Just having the mindset of getting pucks to the net. That goal was an example of being direct. There was some traffic and the shot hit some things along the way."

The Thunderbirds got their only lead of regulation on Matej Pekar's goal at 11:59 of period two. Brennan Hocher earned the assist. The Chiefs tied, and then took the lead, with two goals in the first five minutes of the third. Simon Lovsin responded for the T-Birds, tying it back up at 11:42 with his sixteenth of the season.

"We knew it was gonna be a gritty game, so we needed a gritty goal," said the captain of his game tying marker. "I got it down low, cut back, beat a guy off the wall and made my way to the middle and just kind of slung it at the net." Sawyer Mayes and Joe Gramer picked up the assists.

Schmidt's game winner came at 4:38 of the five-minute overtime period, assisted by Coster Dunn and Radim Mrtka.

T-BIRD EXTRAS

The Thunderbird ended the 2025-26 home schedule with a record of 20-8-5-1, two more home wins than last season.

Schmidt's goal was his league leading 46th of the season and tenth game winner. Schmidt is also fourth in scoring with 95 points.

With the win Seattle is guaranteed to at least finish tied for eighth place in the Western Conference, which would mean a play in game with Victoria if they were to both end the season with 68 points.

Check out the Seattle Thunderbirds Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 20, 2026


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