Kent-based T-Birds advance to Western Hockey League playoffs

Published 1:53 pm Monday, March 23, 2026

The Kent-based Seattle Thunderbirds will open the first round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs against the expansion Penticton (British Columbia) Vees.

The best-of-seven series begins with games March 27 and 28 at Penticton. The T-Birds play 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 and 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent. If necessary, game five will be April 3 at Penticton, game six at 5:05 p.m. Sunday, April 5 in Kent and game seven April 7 at Penticton.

Seattle (31-27-6-4, 72 points) placed seventh in the Western Conference to earn one of the eight playoff spots. Penticton (44-14-6-4, 98 points) took second behind the Everett Silvertips (57-8-2-1, 117 points). Everett is the top-ranked team in the 61-team Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Penticton entered this week ranked 10th.

Penticton won the B.C. Division. Seattle rallied in the second half of the season to finish third in the U.S. Division behind Everett and the Spokane Chiefs. The league features junior hockey players ages 16 to 20.

The Vees swept their four regular-season games against Seattle, outscoring the T-Birds 24-11, with the last win 5-4 in a shootout on Feb. 1, according to Chl.ca.

The T-Birds are led by right wing Cameron Schmidt and defenseman Radim Mrtka.

Schmidt, 19, acquired in a midseason trade from the Vancouver Giants, ignited Seattle with 24 goals and 16 assists in 33 games, and led the WHL with 51 regular-season goals. The 5-foot-8, 158-pound Schmidt was a third-round pick by the Dallas Stars in the 2025 NHL Draft.

While Schmidt is short for a hockey player, the 6-foot-6, 216-pound Mrtka towers above most players. The 18-year-old Mrtka was born in the Czech Republic and signed with the T-Birds in 2024 after his selection in the CHL Import Draft. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round (9th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft. He has one goal and 33 assists.

The T-Birds lost in the first round of the playoffs last year to Everett. They won WHL titles in 2023 and 2017.

Penticton is led by Jacob Kvasnicka, 18, who had 35 goals and 50 assists in 65 games. The New York Islanders selected Kvasnicka in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

T-Birds Playoff Schedule

• Game 1: Seattle at Penticton, Friday, March 27 7:05 p.m.

• Game 2: Seattle at Penticton, Saturday, March 28 7:05 p.m.

• Game 3: Penticton at Seattle, Tuesday, March 31 7:05 p.m.

• Game 4: Penticton at Seattle, Wednesday, April 1 7:05 p.m.

• Game 5*: Seattle at Penticton, Friday, April 3 7:05 p.m.

• Game 6*: Penticton at Seattle, Sunday, April 5 5:05 p.m.

• Game 7*: Seattle at Penticton, Tuesday April 7 7:05 p.m.

* = if necessary