Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News' WHL 2025-26 preview series. Leading up to the start of the 2025-26 season, THN's WHL team will preview each Western Hockey League organization and provide a prediction on how each team will perform during the campaign. Today's edition will focus on the Seattle Thunderbirds, who will be looking for a second-straight appearance in the playoffs.
The Thunderbirds are coming off what ended up being a surprising campaign. They fought for a playoff spot before falling to the Everett Silvertips in Game 6. Seattle also saw three players drafted last June, with Radim Mrtka, Braeden Cootes and Ashton Cumby hearing their names called.
Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, there is a lot of intrigue surrounding this Seattle team. The Thunderbirds are bringing back quite a few players from last year, which is crucial to keeping chemistry within the team. The Thunderbirds also have some exciting young players who should take steps forward in their development this year.
Key Departures:
G Scott Ratzlaff, F Hayden Pakkala, F Nathan Pilling, F Brayden Schuurman
Overall, Seattle did not lose a ton of players from last year's team. Some notable forwards, however, are Pakkala, Pilling and Schuurman, who all aged out of the WHL. As for the biggest loss, that would be Ratzlaff, who is headed to the AHL next season.
Key Additions:
F Cameron Kuzma, G Marek Sklenicka
The Thunderbirds didn't add a ton of new players during the 2025 off-season. They did acquire Kuzma from the Regina Pats and signed Sklenicka, who was selected in the 2025 Import Draft. While Kuzma should help the forward group, Sklenicka will be in the conversation for starting goaltender after coming over from Czechia.
2025-26 X-Factor:
One player to keep an eye on this season is forward Simon Lovsin. He posted 35 points in 64 games during the regular season before scoring four goals in six post-season games. If Lovsin can establish himself on both the power play and in the top six, the 19-year-old could be in store for an impressive season.
2025-26 Prediction:
The best word to describe Seattle is intriguing. They have some talented players at the top of the lineup and have built some depth which should be able to deliver throughout the year. Ultimately, they should be able to improve on last year's record and once again find themselves in the playoffs.
Fourth In The U.S. Division, Seventh In The Western Conference
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