Thunderbirds Sneak out 1-0 Overtime Win over Wild to Open 2026-27 Season

Published on September 19, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)

Wenatchee Wild News Release

WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild and Seattle Thunderbirds started their 2026-27 Western Hockey League seasons in rare territory Saturday at Town Toyota Center.

The teams clashed for nearly 64 minutes of scoreless hockey, and goaltenders Carsten Leyerzapf and Grayson Malinoski combined for 68 saves, before Luke Puchner sneaked a shot into the top corner of the Wenatchee cage to give Seattle a 1-0 overtime victory. The scoreless tie in regulation was the first for Wenatchee's current WHL club since the former Kootenay ICE played the Swift Current Broncos to a shootout and a 1-0 finish in October 2010.

Seattle set the pace in the first period, notching 12 of the game's first 14 shots and taking a 16-4 margin into the intermission. Wenatchee responded swiftly in the second, with a 16-5 shots margin in its favor. The teams combined for eight shots on goal over four minutes of overtime, the first for the teams under the league's new no-return overtime rules. The Wild won four of the five faceoffs in overtime - however,...