T-Birds Open Season with a Win
WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Open Season with a Win

Published on September 20, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


KENT, Wash. -Simon Lovsin scored two goals early and Brock England scored two goals late as the Seattle Thunderbirds doubled up the Tri-City Americans, 6-3, Saturday in the regular season opener for both teams at the accesso ShoWare Center. Next up, the T-Birds will hit the road for a pair of games next weekend in Kamloops.

Lovsin got the scoring started, scoring on the first shot of the game 31-seconds in. After Tri-City scored a power play goal to tie it two minutes later, Lovsin struck again at 7:17 to put the Thunderbirds up for good.

"We knew coming into tonight was a big game, I mean home opener and a sold out crowd," said Lovsin of the T-Birds getting off to a good start. "We came in with a passion that, I think, is gonna follow us the rest of the season."

Antonio Martorana followed with a power play goal at 7:17 and Sawyer Mayes scored off a breakaway goal 48-seconds after that and The T-Birds had a 4-1 lead at the first intermission.

The Americans pushed back, scoring a pair of goals less than a minute apart late in the second period to make it a one goal game going into the third.

The Thunderbirds got the breathing room they needed when Brock England scored at the 17:12 mark of period three, then added an empty net goal in the final minute to close it out.

"A really good effort overall," remarked head coach Matt O'Dette. "It wasn't perfect for sixty. It was the kind of start we need to have, getting on our path right away, playing to our identity. We kind of fell off that in the second period as they had some push back, but in the third period we got back on track."

Cameron Kuzma, acquired in the offseason from the Regina Pats, had two assists in his T-Birds debut and second year winger Matej Pekar ended the night with four helpers.

"I had good preparation this summer," explained Pekar, who hails from Czechia. "I feel stronger and faster, so I know what's coming for this season. I know all the boys, so it's helping me and I feel good about it.

Another Czechian, goalie Marek Sklenicka, made his Seattle debut, stopping 31 of 34 shots to earn the win in net.

The Thunderbirds next home game is Friday, October 3rd when they host the Kamloops Blazers.

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

Four T-Birds remain at NHL camps. Radim Mrtka is in Buffalo with the Sabres, Braeden Cootes is in camp with the Vancouver Canucks, Ashton Cumby is with the Blackhawks in Chicago while Coster Dunn is at camp with the Utah Mammoth.

Seattle is now 9-0-1-0 in their last ten season openers. The last time the T-Birds opened the season at home, in a non-Covid year, was September 21st, 2019, a 4-1 win over Kamloops.

The last time Seattle lost a season opener in regulation was September 24th, 2016, a 7-3 loss in Portland. The T-Birds would finish that season as WHL Champions.

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Western Hockey League Stories from September 20, 2025


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