Seattle Thunderbirds

The team was founded in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) but moved to Kamloops, British Columbia, to become the Kamloops Chiefs in 1973.^[]

In 1977 the team moved to Seattle and was renamed the Seattle Breakers. The Breakers played in the Seattle Center Ice Arena, which had a seating capacity of 4,141 for ice hockey. Through eight seasons, the Breakers finished with a regular season record of 225 wins, 319 losses, and 32 ties; and playoff record of 11 wins and 21 losses, although they twice played in the West Division Finals.

Modern era

After the 1984–85 season, the Breakers were sold to new owners and renamed the Seattle Thunderbirds.^[]

The 1986–87 season saw the addition of Glen Goodall, who remained with the team through 1990. Goodall set the Western Hockey League career records for most games played (399), goals scored (262), assists (311) and points (573). He is still^[] the Thunderbirds leader in goals, assists and points. His jersey, number 10, was the first one to be retired by the Thunderbirds.^[]

The 2015–16 season was a breakout season for the Thunderbirds, and was one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. During the season, the Thunderbirds clinched the U.S. Division after a 4–1 win over the Spokane Chiefs on March 15. This was Seattle's third division championship in team history and first since the 2004–05 season. Seattle also finished the regular season with the second most wins in team history (45). In the quarter-final round of the 2015–16 WHL Playoffs, the Thunderbirds swept the Prince George Cougars, 4 games to 0, and advanced to the semi-final round against the Everett Silvertips, where the Thunderbirds dominated the Silvertips, winning the series 4 games to 1. With the win, they advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the Kelowna Rockets, the defending WHL Champions. Once again, the Thunderbirds continued their dominant playoff run, as they swept the series against the Rockets, 4 games to 0. The series-clinching win came in a double-overtime thriller as rookie Matt Wedman scored the game-winning goal halfway through the second overtime to give the Thunderbirds the 5–4 overtime victory, clinching the Western Conference championship. With the win, the Thunderbirds advanced to the WHL Championship for the first time since 1996–97. The Thunderbirds faced the Brandon Wheat Kings in the league final and lost the series 4–1.

The Thunderbirds did not have to wait long for their next shot at a league championship. Although they did not repeat as division champions the following season, Seattle finished the regular season with the second most wins in team history (46), topping their record from the previous season. In the quarter-final round of the 2016–17 WHL playoffs, the Thunderbirds swept the Tri-City Americans, 4 games to 0, and advanced to the semi-final round for a rematch with the Everett Silvertips. The Thunderbirds continued their postseason domination of the Silvertips, sweeping the series 4 games to 0 to advance to the Western Conference Finals and yet another rematch with Kelowna Rockets. Although this series did not end in a sweep in Seattle's favor like the previous year, the Thunderbirds still prevailed over the Rockets, 4 games to 2. With the win, the Thunderbirds advanced to the WHL Championship for the second straight year, this time against the Regina Pats. Unlike their previous two league final appearances, the Thunderbirds broke through and won their first-ever league championship, taking the series 4–2. The series-clinching win in Game 6 at the Brandt Centre came in an overtime thriller after the Thunderbirds rallied from a late two-goal deficit to force overtime with 2:54 remaining in the third period. Alexander True scored the game-winning goal midway through the first overtime period to give the Thunderbirds the 4–3 victory, clinching the Championship and sending the team to their second Memorial Cup appearance in team history and first as WHL champions.

Following their 2017 championship, the Thunderbirds lost many of their top players to AHL and NHL contracts. After several years of rebuilding, consisting mainly of early playoff exits, Seattle broke through in 2022. They finished only fourth in the Western Conference standings, but went on an impressive postseason run. Against the fifth-seeded Kelowna Rockets, Seattle took their first-round series in just five games. And after several recent playoff meetings with the Everett Silvertips|, this time Seattle faced their other archrival, the Portland Winterhawks. It was the first postseason meeting since 2015 and eighth overall.

Having narrowly missed another title, Seattle geared up for another championship run in the 2022–23 season. It paid off, with the team enjoying its greatest-ever season. Seattle quickly asserted themselves, climbing to the top of the Western Conference. They finished the regular season with the most wins (54) and most points (111) in franchise history, thus earning the top seed in the Western Conference. Seattle also allowed a WHL-fewest 155 goals. In a rematch of 2022, the Thunderbirds opened the playoffs against the Kelowna Rockets. All four games were close, but Seattle won all four. Round two was easier as the Thunderbirds swept away the Prince George Cougars 4 games to 0, outscoring them 25–5. Then in another rematch, Seattle faced the Kamloops Blazers in the conference finals. Seattle won the first two games, setting the franchise record for most consecutive wins to open a postseason (10). The Blazers proved a much tougher challenge than the previous two, but the Thunderbirds won the series in six games and returned to the final. In a battle of the league's top two seeds, Seattle faced the Winnipeg Ice in the Championship Series. And despite losing the opening game, the Thunderbirds finished the job this time. Seattle won the next four straight contests, ending at home in game 5. In the final game, Nico Myatovic scored a penalty shot 2:27 into the third period. It became the game-winning goal, as Seattle won 3–1 to secure the title. The team therefore earned its third-ever trip to a Memorial Cup, in which they performed far better than in 2017. They won two of their three round-robin games with victories over the OHL champion Peterborough Petes and host Kamloops. However, despite then winning the semi-final game against Peterborough, they ultimately lost in the final to the QMJHL champion Quebec Remparts.

Arenas

The Thunderbirds originally played at Mercer Arena, then split time with the Seattle Center Coliseum beginning in the 1989–90 season. When the Coliseum was renovated into KeyArena, the Thunderbirds returned.^[] In 2009, the Thunderbirds moved to ShoWare Center, 20 miles south in Kent.