Kent-based T-Birds win WHL opener against Tri-City 6-3

Published 10:45 am Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Simon Lovsin scored two goals early and Brock England scored two goals late as the Kent-based Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Tri-City Americans 6-3 Saturday night in the Western Hockey League (WHL) regular-season opener for both teams at the accesso ShoWare Center.

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

The game drew a crowd of 4,664 at the 6,200-seat arena, with the lower sections filled up.

Antonio Martorana followed with a power play goal at 7:17 and Sawyer Mayes scored off a breakaway goal 48 seconds after that to give the T-Birds 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,” coach Matt O’Dette said. “It wasn’t perfect for 60. 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 assists.

“I had good preparation this summer,” said 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.

T-Birds notes

• The T-Birds next two games are Sept. 26-27 at the Kamloops Blazers in British Columbia before they return home Friday, Oct. 3 against the same Blazers at 7:05 p.m. at the ShoWare Center.

• 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.

• The Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets are predicted to be the top WHL teams, according to the preseason Canadian Hockey League (CHL) poll.

• This is the 50th season of the CHL, which features 61 teams.