The Seattle Thunderbirds will drop their first puck in Kent no later than Jan. 3 – and could do it as early as Dec. 27 – as the team released its Western Hockey League schedule last Friday.
The T-birds, set to move into the new Kent Events Center, open their 32nd season with back-to-back games in British Columbia against the Prince George Cougars on Sept. 19-20. In fact, they will play their first five games and 26 of their first 34 on the road as they await completion of the new Kent facility.
They’ll face off against the defending Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs in their final KeyArena home opener on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 7:05 p.m.
Barring anything unexpected, their 6,025-seat Kent home is officially scheduled for completion on Jan. 2. If that date holds, the Thunderbirds will take to the ice the next night against the Everett Silvertips.
But if it is finished earlier, Seattle could move in as soon as Saturday, Dec. 27 against the Portland Winter Hawks, their longtime rival. Other home games scheduled around that time are Dec. 28 against Spokane and Dec. 30 against the Chilliwack Bruins.
“We booked Dec. 27, 28 and 30 in the KeyArena between Christmas and New Year’s with the idea that games on those days could be relocated to the Kent Events Center if it is completed at the time,” team vice president Colin Campbell said in a prepared statement.
“Based on how they have maintained the construction timeline, we felt it was a good bet to schedule these three games with the potential to move from KeyArena once the completion date becomes certain,” he added.
“A Kent Events Center opener against the Portland Winter Hawks on Dec. 27 would be unbelievable.”
While the early-season schedule is undeniably rugged – it includes a trip of seven games in 12 days from Nov. 8 to 19, beginning in Chilliwack, B.C., then heads to Saskatchewen and Manitoba for games against the six-team Eastern Division – it swings in Seattle’s favor after that. Of the final 38 games – essentially the second half of the 72-game schedule – 28 will be at home, including nine of the final 10. That includes a six-game homestand in Kent from Jan. 17-27, and an eight-gamer from Feb. 22-March 13.
In the last three weeks of the regular season, each of the Thunderbirds’ four U.S. DIvision opponents – Portland, Spokane, Everett and the Tri-City Americans – will play twice in Kent.
Season tickets for the entire 36-game schedule are on sale. To date, 70 percent of the luxury suites have been sold, and the first two rows right behind the glass are sold out.
Single-game tickets for the eight games scheduled at KeyArena will go on sale Sept. 3. Tickets for all home games after Christmas and the balance of the season will go on sale at a later date to be determined.
More ticket information is available by contacting the Thunderbirds at (206) 448-7825, on online at www.seattlethunderbirds.com.
SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 19 @ Prince George
Saturday, Sept. 20 @ Prince George
Friday, Sept. 26 @ Tri-City
Saturday, Sept. 27 @ Everett
Friday, Oct. 3 @ Vancouver
Saturday, Oct. 4 vs. Spokane
Friday, Oct. 10 @ Everett
Saturday, Oct. 11 @ Portland
Sunday, Oct. 12 @ Chilliwack
Friday, Oct. 17 @ Tri-City
Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. Kelowna
Wednesday, Oct. 22 @ Kamloops
Friday, Oct. 24 @ Spokane
Saturday, Oct. 25 vs. Everett
Wednesday, Oct. 29 @ Kelowna
Saturday, Nov. 1 @ Tri-City
Tuesday, Nov. 4 vs. Edmonton
Friday, Nov. 7 vs. Red Deer
Saturday, Nov. 8 @ Chilliwack
Tuesday, Nov. 11 @ Prince Albert
Wednesday, Nov. 12 @ Saskatoon
Friday, Nov. 14 @ Regina
Saturday, Nov. 15 @ Brandon
Tuesday, Nov. 18 @ Moose Jaw
Wednesday, Nov. 19 @ Swift Current
Saturday, Nov. 22 vs. Portland
Friday, Nov. 28 vs. Kootenay
Saturday, Nov. 29 @ Portland
Friday, Dec. 5 @ Tri-City
Saturday, Dec. 6 @ Portland
Sunday, Dec. 7 vs. Calgary
Wed., Dec. 10 @ Vancouver
Friday, Dec. 12 @ Spokane
Saturday, Dec. 13 @ Spokane
Saturday, Dec. 27 vs. Portland
Sunday, Dec. 28 vs. Spokane
Tuesday, Dec. 30 vs. Chilliwack
Wed., Dec. 31 @ Portland
Saturday, Jan. 3 vs. Everett
Sunday, Jan. 4 vs. Kamloops
Wednesday, Jan. 7 @ Kelowna
Friday, Jan. 9 vs. Tri-City
Sunday, Jan. 11 vs. Prince George
Friday, Jan. 16 @ Everett
Saturday, Jan. 17 vs. Everett
Sunday, Jan. 18 vs. Tri-City
Wed., Jan. 21 vs. Kamloops
Friday, Jan. 23 vs. Spokane
Saturday, Jan. 24 vs. Portland
Tuesday, Jan. 27 vs. Medicine Hat
Wed., Jan. 28 @ Kamloops
Friday, Jan. 30 @ Everett
Saturday, Jan. 31 vs. Kelowna
Friday, Feb. 6 vs. Lethbridge
Saturday, Feb. 7 @ Tri-City
Sunday, Feb. 8 vs. Vancouver
Friday, Feb. 13 @ Everett
Saturday, Feb. 14 vs. Portland
Sunday, Feb. 15 vs. Chilliwack
Wed., Feb. 18 @ Spokane
Friday, Feb. 20 vs. Spokane
Saturday, Feb. 21 @ Portland
Sunday, Feb. 22 vs. Vancouver
Saturday, Feb. 28 vs. Portland
Sunday, March 1 vs. Everett
Tuesday, March 3 vs. Spokane
Friday, March 6 vs. Tri-City
Saturday, March 7 vs. Tri-City
Wed., March 11 vs. Prince George
Friday, March 13 vs. Portland
Saturday, March 14 @ Portland
Sunday, March 15 vs. Everett
Home games 7:05 p.m.; Sundays 5:05 p.m.
Home games on Oct. 4, 18 and 25, Nov. 4, 7, 22 and 28, and Dec. 7 are at KeyArena. Home games on Dec. 27, 28 and 30 are scheduled for KeyArena, but could be moved to the Kent Events Center if the facility is finished. Home games Jan. 3 and beyond are at the Kent Events Center.
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