OIL KINGS FACE UNFAMILIAR FOE IN WHL FINAL

The Edmonton Oil Kings are venturing into the unknown when they take on the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL final.

Heading into Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Rogers Place (7 p.m.) on Friday, the Oil Kings know very little of their opponents, not having played the Thunderbirds since October 2019, and never previously facing them in the playoffs.

The Thunderbirds made it to the final with an upset series victory against the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference final, winning 3-2 in Game 7 on the road Tuesday.

“It's been a while, but I think now with the technology we have and knowing other coaches in the league, you're able to connect with some guys who have been coaching against that team and have a conversation with them,” said Oil Kings head coach Brad Lauer.

“With everything online and what we can do with breaking video down and that stuff, there are not a lot of secrets between teams.

“It's just a matter of doing the work and going to get it and we've done a lot of work to make sure we understand the team we're playing and we're looking forward to it.”

The Thunderbirds finished fourth in the Western Conference standings this season with a 44-18-4 record. They defeated the Kelowna Rockets in five games in the opening round, then upset the Portland Winterhawks in seven before taking out the Blazers.

As was the case against Kamloops, Seattle defeated Portland on the road in Game 7 to win the series.

The winner of the final goes on to represent the WHL at the Memorial Cup in Saint John, N.B., from June 20-29.

“It's been a while since I played against them, I think I was 17 the last time I had to meet up with those guys,” said Oil Kings forward Justin Sourdif, who was acquired from the Vancouver Giants just prior to the WHL trade deadline. “I do know a few guys on that team; they're a really skilled team, who play a heavy game and they have really good goaltending and it's going to be a tough series.”

Seattle is led offensively by Jared Davidson, Lukas Svejkovsky, Reid Schaefer and Henrik Rybinski.

Davidson, 19, an Edmonton product, had 42 goals and 89 points in the regular season and leads the Thunderbirds with 11 goals and 25 points in 19 playoff games. Svejkovsky, 20, was a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has nine goals and 24 points in 18 playoff games for the Thunderbirds.

“I think you just have to do whatever you can to get a view of them,” said Oil Kings captain Jake Neighbours. “Our coaches are doing a great job of scouting them and looking at their details, their structure and how they play.

“So, we'll be going through that and making sure we're prepared. But I think at the end of the day it's about us and how we play the game and I think that's how we need to approach this series.”

The Oil Kings have been required to play just one extra game on the way to the WHL final. They swept the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Red Deer Rebels before dispatching the Winnipeg Ice in five games in the Eastern Conference final.

The Ice were expected to provide a stiff challenge for the Oil Kings, having finished first overall in the WHL standings, but were little match for Edmonton's experience, skill and depth.

The Oil Kings finished off the Ice with an emphatic 7-1 win in Game 5, which kept them from having to travel back to Winnipeg for the last two games of the series in the 2-3-2 format.

Against the Thunderbirds, the Oil Kings will have five home games, if required, as the series is being played in a 2-2-3 format thanks to availability issues at the Showare Center in Kent, Wash.

The Thunderbirds only had access to their facility on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because of school graduations scheduled for the building.

Seattle will host the Oil Kings on Tuesday and Wednesday and then play the remaining three games of the series, if necessary, at Rogers Place.

The Thunderbirds will be the designated home team in Game 6 and will have last change.

“I think they looked around their area to find something else, but unfortunately due to COVID that has gone on in there for two years, there are a lot of graduations, weddings and things like that booked in those buildings,” Lauer said.

“We had a tough time getting hotel rooms over there right now. It's a busy time and I believe they checked what they had and unfortunately, they weren't able to find anything.”

Regardless, the Oil Kings are hoping to carry over the momentum from defeating Winnipeg into their series against the Thunderbirds.

The Oil Kings played, arguably, their best game of the playoffs in closing out the Ice. They are healthy, well-rested and motivated going into the final, particularly since they did not have an opportunity to compete for a championship the previous two years because of the pandemic.

“This is something that is really special for this group. Growing up in Edmonton, I've seen a lot of runs by the Oil Kings in years past going to the WHL final and Memorial Cup,” said Oil Kings forward Carter Souch.

“At the end of the day, this is why we play hockey, for moments like these, and I think we're all really excited for it.”