By Charles Hamaker

Kent, WA - Despite being in year two of a rebuild coming off a 2023 WHL Championship win with a loaded roster that saw them go all in, the Seattle Thunderbirds are going back to the big dance that is the postseason. Not only are the Thunderbirds playoff bound this year with a team that seemed destined for another long offseason earlier into the 2024-25 campaign, but they’ll undoubtedly be doing so with strong form going into their round one matchup against the Everett Silvertips given their success in recent games. That strong run of form includes tonight’s thrilling victory over the Portland Winterhawks by a final score of 5-4 at the accesso ShoWare Center, as the Thunderbirds have now won four of their last five games and they have one last contest to go in the form of their rescheduled March 11th game versus Tri-City that was suspended earlier in the second period with the T-Birds leading, 2-0. Even while giving four players the night off, Seattle put on a show for a packed Showare center in Kent. With the Thunderbirds in strong form to close out the season, a mix of skilled players both veteran and on the younger side, and Scott Ratzlaff backstopping them, Seattle looks like a team that could surprise some people this postseason.

The Seattle Thunderbirds during pre-game introductions and anthems, plus in their team tunnel coming out of intermissions during their Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 win over the Portland Winterhawks at the accesso Showare Center. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)

Giving the home crowd a Sho, early

To the delight of a near capacity crowd at the Showare Center in Kent, their Thunderbirds got the scoring started early in this contest against a rival and they did so by taking advantage of their opponents mistakes. After the Winterhawks’ penalty kill had warded off Seattle’s attempt to get on the board first with special teams less than two minutes into this contest, the Thunderbirds found a less conventional way to score with a unit that wasn’t five-on-five. Seattle’s Matej Pekar had gone to the box for tripping, Portland’s middling power play hit the ice and was looking to set something up in the offensive zone as Jordan Duguay tried to find a teammate along the blueline. To the Winterhawks’ frustration, Thunderbirds forward Hayden Pakkala saw this pass coming the whole way and jumped on it for a breakaway attempt on Portland netminder Marek Schlenker. Some stick handling before a backhanded attempt over the glove hand of Schlenker gave Seattle an early lead on a short handed goal and ignited the crowd, providing quick momentum.

“I think things are just clicking for me right now. I’m just helping lead out there.”

— Hayden Pakkala, Seattle Thunderbirds forward, postgame.

Seattle Thunderbirds forward Hayden Pakkala scored the opening goal of the game early into the first period during their Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 win over the Portland Winterhawks at the accesso Showare Center. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)

Just over three minutes later, pressure in the Portland zone created a turnover for Seattle and an excellent opportunity to double their lead. Antonioa Martorana’s checking lead to a rushed pass by Kayd Ruedig of the Winterhawks, and Hayden Pakkala took advantage of the rushed Portland effort by lifting the stick of Carter Sotheran and stealing the puck. In an effective two-on-none situation with Schlenker forced to fend for himself in his own crease, Pakkala noted that Martorana had parked backdoor after helping create the turnover and Hayden’s cheeky backwards pass to him led to an easy goal that doubled Seattle’s lead in style. The quality plays from Pakkala, a steal and breakaway goal while shorthanded and strong checking play to help create another goal, gave him eight points in his last six games. It seemed like everything was going in favor of the Thunderbirds with those goals and their fanbase behind them in loud voice, but a Radim Mrtka holding call put Portland on the power play once again and the Winterhawks wouldn’t squander that opportunity. In the form of some triangle passing, Jordan Duguay was able to skate into the mid-slot from the near wall before finding Hudson Darby, who had parked himself right in front of the crease and drew the attention of three Thunderbirds skaters, before finding Josh Zakreski for a one-timer right in front of Ratzlaff to score. Darby’s backhanded between the legs pass with players bearing down on him for Zakreski, who certainly benefitted from jumping into the right spot with little resistance, was another show of flair in this rivalry game as Portland stole some momentum going into the first intermission.

Thunderbirds take control with a three-goal second period

A goal going into an intermission can so often be a deflating experience for the team that gave up it and swing momentum in the favor of that scoring team, but the Thunderbirds ensured that wasn’t going to be the case against the Winterhawks in this showdown. Seattle captain Braeden Cootes weaved through three Portland skaters on his way down the slot before a little luck went his way in the form of a pass attempt to Nathan Pilling, who was making a line towards the back post, went off the skate of Winterhawks defenseman Max Pšenička and past Schlenker for the third Thunderbirds goal of the night. That score just 32 seconds into the middle frame of the game seemed to have set Seattle up for further success, but Portland wasn’t ready to go quietly into the night without a push. While the Thunderbirds had taken advantage of Winterhawks mistakes in the first period, Portland did the opposite in this frame as just under two minutes after Cootes’ goal, Ryan Miller saw that three Seattle skaters had left a puck alone rolling into their zone. No Thunderbirds skater had taken possession of the puck or had really stepped up towards it at all, and Miller jumped on the opportunity for what essentially turned into a mini breakaway attempt to give his team their second goal of the night.

Seattle Thunderbirds captain and forward Braeden Cootes’ goal in the second period during their Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 win over the Portland Winterhawks at the accesso Showare Center. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)

The third Portland goal of this contest was less about luck and more Diego Buttazzoni’s skill on display as he drove through the left side of the Seattle zone to a position along the goal line where he had gotten past Vanek Popil and fired a shot on goal. From that nearly impossibly tight angle, Buttazzoni fired away and was able to get the puck in the tiny window above Scott Ratzlaff’s head and shoulders and below the cross bar. The Winterhawks, despite what should’ve been a momentum killer to begin the period, had pushed their way back to ensure that the Thunderbirds were not going to run away with this. Three goals had been scored within the first four minutes of the second period, and two of them were Portland’s as their push to tie things up became successful. The action wouldn’t slow down with that first half of the second period seeing four total goals, as Seattle responded to the Winterhawks equalizer with a somewhat flashy score of their own. Skilled winger Matej Pekar diced his way through two Portland skaters as he entered the offensive zone to pull himself all alone for a free attempt on Schlenker, and the 2024 first rounder beat the Winterhawks netminder blocker side to give the Thunderbirds their lead back. The game calmed down for about eleven minutes after the Pekar goal, seeing those four goals in a span of just over seven minutes to begin the second period, but that lack of scoring action didn’t mean that Portland was going to regain momentum in the seesaw manner that this contest had gone. With a few forwards sitting in this contest as Seattle had a postseason berth wrapped up, another 2024 first round selection had been inserted into the lineup as Brock England extended the Thunderbirds lead with a power play blast off a drop pass from Cootes. The blast snuck to the blocker side of Schlenker as Hayden Pakkala had provided a screen in front, aiding England for his second goal in as many WHL games played.

The third period was about as lock down of a period as Seattle could’ve asked for as they looked to close this game out and send their fanbase home happy to close out the regular season slate in their own barn, and the Thunderbirds did a great job of holding on to their two goal lead for the majority of the period despite four penalties against them throughout the frame. The Winterhawks were able to finally get a goal to cut into the deficit deep into the period as Josh Zakreski netted his second of the night after getting behind two Seattle skaters following a strong feed from Diego Buttazzoni. Buttazzoni had all of the attention from the last two Thunderbirds skaters back, and Zakreski used that to his favor by skating in behind and going five-hole to beat Ratzlaff. That score with less than two minutes was all that Portland got, as Seattle held on for the win at home.

Sights from postgame as the Seattle Thunderbirds accepted team and booster clubs awards after their Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 win over the Portland Winterhawks at the accesso Showare Center. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)

Quick Thunderbirds notes

Seattle gave defenseman Hyde Davidson and forwards Coster Dunn, Simon Lovsin and Brayden Schuurman the night off.
The Thunderbirds finished with an 18-13-2-1 record at home this season.
The win means Seattle splits the ten game season series with Portland, finishing 5-5-0-0.
2024-25 award winners following the game, both team and from the booster club,
- Team Awards
  - Humanitarian of the Year: Nathan Pilling
  - Scholastic Player of the Year: Brendan Rudolph
  - Top Scorer: Braeden Cootes
  - Most Improved: Ashton Cumby
  - Rookie of the Year: Radim Mrtka
  - Defenseman of the Year: Radim Mrtka
  - MVP: Braeden Cootes
- Booster Club Awards
  - Shutouts: Scott Ratzlaff
  - Hat trick awards: Nathan Pilling, Antonio Martorana, and Coster Dunn
  - 3 stars awards to: Braeden Cootes and Scott Ratzlaff
  - Pucks to the 19's: Coster Dunn, Scott Ratzlaff, and Ashton Cumby
  - Quilts to the 20's ("Graduating Players": Hayden Pakkala, Nathan Pilling, and Brayden Shuurman

What’s next?

With tonight’s win at the accesso ShoWare Center to close out their home schedule for the regular season and with the handing out of team and booster club awards postgame, our Seattle Thunderbirds shift their focus to a game that isn’t even a full contest as they’ll play the resumption of the March 11th game versus Tri-City that was suspended earlier in the second period with the T-Birds leading, 2-0. That contest will take place on Sunday, March 23rd, 2025 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, and we have to imagine that the Thunderbirds will rest some of their players with the playoffs already clinched and this game having no meaning really.

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