A suspension and injuries have forced the Thunderbirds' younger defensive players into action, and it will only make Seattle better when the other defenders return.
Prior to the beginning of this season, the Thunderbirds found themselves in a predicament on defense. They returned their top seven blueliners from last year -- Shea Theodore, Jerret Smith, Jared Hauf, Evan Wardley, Adam Henry, Ethan Bear, and Kevin Wolf -- and added touted 16-year-old Sahvan Khaira to the mix.
The Thunderbirds made their second trade with Saskatoon in the past week, moving 20-year-old defenseman Adam Henry to the Blades in exchange for 17-year-old defenseman Turner Ottenbreit.
The Thunderbirds announced early Thursday that they had dealt 20-year-old right wing Sam McKechnie to the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for a sixth-round selection in next summer's Bantam Draft.
The 2015 NHL Entry Draft will represent the culmination of 17 years of hard work for athletes from all over the world who were born in 1997 or late-1996. The 2014-15 season will serve as the final audition for those players who, as juniors in high school, will be critiqued on a nightly basis to determine how they'll fit with an NHL club.
Training camp is in the books for the Thunderbirds, and while some questions were answered, it seems like even more emerged. The roster has been trimmed for the preseason, which begins on Friday, although an exact list of names has yet to be made public.
The Thunderbirds announced Wednesday morning that they have agreed to a deal to send 20-year-old forward Jaimen Yakubowski to the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for a 2016 third-round draft pick.
The Thunderbirds won't be the only team forced to make wholesale changes, as each of the division's other four clubs will need to answer some questions and replace star players -- and in some cases, coaches -- to maintain their stature.
Sahvan Khaira fell to the ninth round of WHL Draft because of his uncertainty about playing in the league, but the 16-year-old defenseman is looking like a steal for Seattle.
The Thunderbirds took a big step in bolstering their offense during Wednesday's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, drafting Denmark's Alexander True in the first round and using their second-round choice on Austria's Florian Baltram.
The Thunderbirds announced Tuesday afternoon that they have agreed to a three-year contract extension with head coach Steve Konowalchuk, keeping him in Seattle through the 2017-18 season.
When Seattle snagged Mathew Barzal with the first overall choice in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, the T-Birds faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The Thunderbirds' plan on defense was shaken up when highly-touted prospect Dante Fabbro committed to the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League.
