BREAKING NEWS: T-Birds Stars, Kraken Prospects, Earn WHL All-Star Honors
A group of players from the Seattle Thunderbirds and one from the Everett Silvertips have been recognized as All-Stars for the 2023-24 Western Hockey League season. Among them are two selections drafted by the Seattle Kraken.
The WHL unveiled its First and Second All-Star Teams, comprising two defensemen, two forwards, one center, and one goalie from each of its four divisions, totaling 48 players.
Jagger Firkus, a forward with the Moose Jaw Warriors, was unsurprisingly named a first-team All-Star from the WHL East Division. Nicknamed the “Firkus Circus,” he was chosen by the Kraken in the 2nd round of the 2022 draft. At 19 years old, Firkus showcased his talent throughout the season, earning the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s Top Scorer with an impressive 126 points (61 goals, 65 assists) in 63 games.
Hailing from Irma, Alta., the 5-foot-11, 160-pound prospect was recognized as the Tempo WHL Player of the Week three times. He also achieved the longest point scoring streak of the season, amassing 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 26 games from November 25, 2023, to February 17, 2024. Firkus boasts a career total of 310 points (144 goals, 166 assists) in 230 WHL regular season games.
Defenseman Caden Price of the Kelowna Rockets, drafted in the 3rd round in 2023, secured a spot on the Second All-Star team. Price had an exceptional season, tallying 55 points (13 goals, 42 assists) in 62 games. Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 180 pounds, the Saskatoon native contributed to the Rockets’ fifth-place finish in the WHL’s B.C. Division. With 174 career WHL regular season games under his belt, Price has recorded 116 points (20 goals, 96 assists).
T-Birds, Silvertips Among U.S. Division All-Stars
Despite undergoing a rebuilding season, the Seattle Thunderbirds managed to secure three spots on the WHL U.S. Division Second All-Star Team, while the playoff-bound Everett Silvertips secured one spot. Among the selected players were Seattle Thunderbirds goalie Scott Ratzlaff (drafted by Buffalo) and defensemen Jeremy Hanzel (drafted by Nashville) and Sawyer Mynio (drafted by Vancouver), along with Everett Silvertips forward Ben Hemmerling (drafted by Vegas).
Fond Farewells
“With the conclusion of the T-Birds season, the WHL journeys of three 20-year-old players, namely Hanzel, Eric Alarie, and Sam Popowich, come to a close. In junior leagues affiliated with the CHL, players are restricted to those who start a season between the ages of 16 and 20. Everett also paid tribute to its ‘overage’ players, and our esteemed photographer Caroline Anne graciously provided these photographs.”