Thunderbirds defeat Blazers, advance to WHL Championship Series

The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Kamloops Blazers 3-2 in Game 7 of the WHL Western Conference Championship Series on Tuesday at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia, to advance to the WHL Championship Series for the third time since 2016.

The Thunderbirds will face the Edmonton Oil Kings when the series begins Friday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Thunderbirds had to stave off elimination for the fifth time in the 2022 playoffs on Tuesday, becoming the first team in WHL history to win two Game 7s on the road in the same playoff run.

“I’m speechless,” said Thunderbirds head coach, Matt O’Dette. “The resiliency from these players is amazing. I’m running out of adjectives to describe the character we have in that room. With our backs against the wall again, we found a way to get the job done.”

Games 1 and 2 of the championship series will be held in Edmonton. The Thunderbirds return home to host games 3 and 4 at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent on Tuesday, June 7 and Wednesday, June 8 at 7:05 p.m.

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