T-Birds Suffer Setback Versus Vees
WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Suffer Setback Versus Vees

Published on December 13, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


KENT, Wash. - Matej Pekar scored the lone goal as the Seattle Thunderbirds lost, 5-1, to the Penticton Vees Friday at the accesso ShoWare Center. For Seattle it was their sixth straight setback. The Thunderbirds are off Saturday but take to the road Sunday, traveling to Kennewick to play the Tri-City Americans at the Toyota Center. The T-Birds next home game is Tuesday when they host the Wenatchee Wild at 7:05 p.m.

It's definitely a funk," commented head coach Matt O'Dette of the losing streak. "It's frustrating. I thought we set out to do some good things right out of the gate tonight. They capitalized on a power play opportunity and we started to get off our path a little bit."

The Penticton power play goal that opened the scoring at 15:23 of the first period, came moments after the T-Birds rang a shot off the cross bar on their own power play chance.

Less than two minutes after the Vees first goal, they scored again off a T-Birds turnover. "The effort and compete was there," remarked O'Dette. "Maybe we're pressing some. We need to play a simple, very direct, very uncomplicated game. That wasn't always there,"

Penticton would strike again, at 17:52 of the second period. Pekar would answer back for Seattle with his 11th goal, unassisted at 18:34. That's as close as the T-Birds would get as the Vees struck once more on the power play at the 7:30 mark of the third, then completed the scoring with an empty net goal with just over a minute remaining.

The Thunderbirds (11-14-2-0) played the game minus a pair of NHL first round picks. Their captain, Braeden Cootes, is with Team Canada. and their top defenseman, Radim Mrtka, is with Team Czechia in preparation for the IIHF World Junior Championship tournament which gets underway in Minnesota right after Christmas.

"What we need to do," explained O'Dette of getting back to winning hockey, "Is to stick together as a group and find our way out of it. That's where we are right now and that's the only way out of it, by digging deeper and coming together closer as a group."

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

The Thunderbirds remain winless in the month of December (0-4-0-0) and have lost three straight on home ice.

The T-Birds are winless in three games against the expansion Vees this season and have been outscored 19-7.

Thursday the Thunderbirds recalled 2009 forward Matthew Hilderman and 2008 defenseman Ethan Creran. Creran was up with the team earlier this season and played In six games. Creran was in the lineup Friday, while Hilderman was a healthy scratch.

Check out the Seattle Thunderbirds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from December 13, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central