Sutter seattle thunderbirds

While bears were seemingly falling from the sky, I took the time to run down to the ice level and I mean run: I nearly ran over a few suite attendants in my mad dash to get some on ice photos of the beary special activities. Anyone up for a game of 5,bear pickup? The players even helped with the cleanup. Here, defenseman Dave Sutter foreground, right and left wing Chance Lund background, left organize the bears into piles.

Assistant Director of Operations Joey Ravotti tosses teddy bears onto a tarp in an effort to clear the ice of bears. Every sort of bear-collecting device imaginable was used to pick up the donated bears off the ice and transport them into the depths of the ShoWare Center for counting and packing. Cool Bird carries an armful and also a beakful of teddy bears to an on-ice transport car during the Teddy Bear Toss. Not every bear tossed made it to the ice, unfortunately.

This furry friend got caught up in the protective netting above the glass at the south end of the rink. A bit after play resumed, a ShoWare maintenance worker climbed the boards to free the stuck bear. And that does it for an exciting first period. As is true for all games against US division foes, this game featured plenty of hard hits that elicited groans from not only the players being hit, but from the fans as well.

For this next photo I had a lot of trouble deciding what crop to use. What do you think? Should I have cut off the left side up to Rutkowski and just showed Calvin and him? Let me know in the comments section below! Defenseman Erik Bonsor knocks the puck away from Portland defenseman Troy Rutkowski, eliminating the chance of a shot on Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard on the play.

Center Brendan Rouse center and Portland right wing Ty Rattie compete for a puck while Seattle left wing Mitch Elliot watches on in the beginning of the third period. In the third period, the T-Bird offense was firing on all cylinders, earning a whopping 22 shots on goal in the period, just one less than they had in the first two periods combined.

In fact, for long amounts of time Calvin Pickard was relegated to puck-chaser often times as Portland sent many clearances down the ice. Center Justin Hickman continued his physical play, checking Winterhawks into the boards often and without warning. Here, he crushes his latest victim, Portland defenseman Joe Morrow, into the glass in the north end of the rink. Lockhart is brought to his knees while scrapping for the puck with Portland defensemen Rutdowski left and Morrow right.

During a Seattle powerplay late in the game, Portland used their timeout to plan how to kill the penalty. The Thunderbirds also used this time to strategize and earn a goal or two that would get them back into the game.

During that power play the Thunderbirds did get a goal from Marcel Noebels to bring the score to Unfortunately my view of the actual goal was blocked, but I did get a celebration shot with Noebels center , Toomey left and Lockhart right. Fans showed their support to Noebels and the rest of the team by standing and cheering on the T-Birds after the goal.

I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! The bears will be given out to local fire and police departments to give to children in times of crisis, so thanks for helping with that great cause! Have any questions for me? Let me know in the comment section below!

This post will contain photos from the Kamloops game Jan. That game was certainly the most exciting home game of the year, one where the T-Birds scored three times in the third period only to lose on a controversial call, to say the least, in the shootout. In addition to the excitement of the game, I finally was able to use my mm lens in a hockey game! The fellow faced an astounding 26 shots in just the first period.

Pickard makes another first-period save against Kamloops. He made 25 saves in the first period alone, and 55 total that night. They did have a few more opportunities than shots, however, including this one by Connor Sanvido. I was excited for the second period to come, for I wanted to test out my mm lens for hockey. Anyway, I had finally gotten it fixed and tested it out during the second period, while I was behind the north net and facing the Thunderbirds when they were attacking the Kamloops goal.

I was able to get numerous plays in front of the net, such as…. Center Travis Toomey battles with Kamloops defenseman Josh Caron middle for a rebound in front of the Kamloops goal early in the second period. A shot this lens allowed me to get is battles for the puck in the corners.

Take this one, for example, where Sanvido right and Toomey left are battling Kamloops defenseman Brandon Underwood for the puck in the left corner. I could even get a photo when the play was happening right in front of me. Defenseman Dave Sutter tries to gain possession of the puck along the boards behind the net in the second period. Down by three goals, the T-Birds had to attack a lot in order to stay in the game.

In all, they had 15 shots on target in the third period—just one more than the second. The T-Birds found themselves on a powerplay when Kamloops defenseman Austin Madaisky was called for hooking, and the T-Birds capitalized on the advantage when Marcel Noebels finally knocked the puck into the net. Just twenty seconds later, Jacob Doty scored the T-Birds second goal of the night. Now down just one goal, the T-Birds kept pressing and forcing the Blazers to play defense.

They did, keeping the T-Birds off the board for another 10 minutes despite Seattle controlling the puck most of that time.

Noebels tries to protect the puck from Kamloops center Dalibor Bortnak left and defenseman Corey Fienhage right. Right wing Burke Gallimore has the puck knocked away by Kamloops center Dalibor Bortnak in the third period.

Over the past few games, I had noticed that Connor Sanvido was receiving more ice time, particularly in the third period and on power plays. Eventually the Thunderbirds did tie it up, however. Unfortunately Noebels, the goal scorer, blocked my view of the puck going into the net, but he paid me back by giving me a strong celebration shot afterward. Noebels raises his arms in triumph after the T-birds tied the game up at three with barely a minute left to play in regulation.

My hustle was rewarded with this image of Noebels trying to win the game…. Kamloops also had their chances in the overtime period, specifically this one by center Dalibor Bortnak. The shot sailed wide to the right, fortunately for the Thunderbirds. Not all Kamloops shots went wide in overtime, though. Calvin was forced to make nine saves in extra time, none of them producing as cool a photo as this one…. Despite complaints from Pickard, Toomey, and the rest of the Thunderbirds, the shot was not reviewed and the shootout ended at for the T-Birds.

Use it to decide for yourself if Pickard touched it or not…. Overall, it was a thoroughly entertaining game to watch and to photograph. Hopefully the next one will be just as good…. And also hopefully I can get caught back up on this blog. Expect photos from the Kelowna game up in a few days. What do you think of the ending of this game? Re-affirm it?

Let me know in the comments section! Center Colin Jacobs is all smiles after left wing Marcel Noebels background converts his shootout attempt against the Americans. Despite the successful conversion, the T-Birds fell in the shootout, In the first 33 games of the season, the T-Birds had three of their four home games against Tri-City, and each one was a hard-hitting matchup worthy of the rivalry.

The clips that were filmed went out live during the morning news broadcast, and the four players there Luke Lockhart, Brenden Dillon, Burke Gallimore, and Michael Salmon had to arrive early in order to meet with the KING 5 crew. I snapped this gem during a break in shooting…. Center Luke Lockhart right and right wing Burke Gallimore top rest on the ice during a break between takes. They did this a bit over the first half, as the T-Birds have accumulated 15 wins so far this year.

What luck! Jacob Doty joins the rest of the Thunderbirds in celebration of their Nov. Seeing something from a different vantage point can make the most typical of things seem new or exciting. I was allowed to shoot the Red Deer game on Nov. I was up there for the pregame events, including the introduction of the Thunderbirds starters. His save percentage of. All I really knew about the game was that it was really fast and players were allowed to fight with a five minute penalty, though.

Being one of the bigger teams in the league, the T-Birds have really thrown their weight around for the first part of the season, making sure to hit the opposing team and even fighting them if need be. One of the bigger fighters on the team is Jacob Doty, who is frequently making sure the opposing team leaves the game black and blue. After scouting out the location and perfecting my exposure for the surroundings, the players arrived and we got down to business.

One of my favorite detail shots from the half-year is this photo taken during a particularly chippy game against Medicine Hat. Jacob Doty leans over and tries to intimidate the Medicine Hat player across from him before a faceoff at center ice during a Nov.

When it does, it can make a cool photo to see the two players all sprawled out. That happened in the Medicine Hat game; an action I thought was sure to lead to an all-out brawl between the teams.

The more I look at this photo, the more I like it. Not only is it taken at a cool angle from the catwalks , but the look on his face—particularly that smirk—adds some nice emotion to it. This might be ranked higher on this list—and would definitely be the best shot of a Calvin Pickard save—if this was in fact a save; this is actually a shot of a Tri-City goal.

I took this early enough in the play, however, for it to look like a decent photo Pickard doing well. It was taken fairly recently, at the game where I finally realized how to shoot from behind the glass Home Game Thunderbirds Unlucky Against Americans.

It really is a cool photograph, and important, too. Check out this goal-saving grab Dave Sutter made on the puck. Defenseman Dave Sutter saves a goal by grabbing the puck out of the air just before it crosses the red line during a game against Medicine Hat Nov. Or November. Or even October for that matter. Crazy, right? Colin Jacobs celebrates a goal in front of the Portland bench during the home opener against the Winterhawks Sept. Furthermore, the spotlight on Jacobs makes him jump out at the viewer and the stick and shoulder in the foreground give a nice frame to Jacobs to really draw your eye to him.

What plays will there be for me to capture during the second half? Do you agree with my selections? Did I miss something that deserves to be in this post? Let me know in the comments section below while you wait for to come! December 28, Categories: Best of It gives a good look into how we managed to fit 23 hockey players and one bird onto half a carousel without it breaking, might I add long enough to grab a photo. Now onto the photos! Between the pipes for Pickard was backup goalie Michael Salmon, who was making just his third start of the year.

Salmon and the T-Birds played well in the first period, keeping even with the Chiefs at one goal apiece and Salmon made more than a few nice saves and plays on the puck.

Just a bit later he made another save, this one unassisted. Need help finding the puck in this one like I originally did? Goalie Michael Salmon stretches his leg out to block a shot from Spokane left wing Colin Valcourt in the first period. Reid blocked the attempt with his stick. Check it out for yourself…. Center Travis Toomey collected a rebound off James Reid and buried it in the back of the net, tying the score at True to the rivalry between the Thunderbirds and the Chiefs, there were three fights during the game.

Now for the second period. Defenseman Brenden Dillon fires a slapshot towards the Spokane goal before Spokane center Steven Kuhn can block the attempt. I took my usual third period spot—between the benches—and started firing away. Unfortunately, so did the Spokane Chiefs. They allowed Spokane to take 15 shots on goal, of which five of those shots ended up in the net. After the last goal, Michael Salmon was pulled. Now, apparently to keep me from getting a big head, the Photo Gods decided to have the Chiefs block my view down the ice with their sticks.

Naturally, my autofocus picked the sticks to focus on instead of the players beyond them. You can barely tell that Mitch Elliot is checking a Spokane player into the boards. Here, Burke Gallimore sends a late shot towards the Spokane goal. I was shooting at Seattle U during that game so I missed all of it. Also, is there anything different you guys want to see? I want to hear some feedback from you as to where I should take this blog. Hello again everyone! I had to come down from Key Arena and a Seattle U.

Centers Justin Hickman right and Brendan Rouse center-left both try to force the puck through the Tri-City defense and into the net. Left wing Chance Lund takes a shot on the Tri-City goal, but Americans goalie Drew Owsley stops the puck before it can cross the red line. I have no clue why all of a sudden I could actually get good shots from behind the glass. It might be due to the fact I actually stepped away from the glass; normally I press my lens up against it to reduce glare from the lights, but I was moving around a lot more than normal.

It may be because the hockey and the photo gods got together and decided to smile on me, I have no clue. I just know I got some killer shots from that position. I was feeling pretty good and ready to continue my streak of good luck—and good photos—into the third period. Noebels skates around the Tri-City goal hoping to find a better angle for a shot while Tri-City defender Zachary Yuen follows in pursuit. Being not only a rivalry game, but the second game against the Americans in two nights, there was plenty of late hits and hard checks into the boards.

During one of the media timeouts in the third period, the team gathered at the bench to strategize. After the strategy session, but before they were called back out onto the ice, Jacobs left and Doty right discussed matters between themselves as well.

In keeping up with the rivalry, Lund and Tri-City defenseman Brock Sutherland found themselves in a fight with about five minutes to go in the game.

Although the two fighters were escorted off the ice, their dropped gloves, sticks, and helmets were still strewn about. Despite the game being decided, both sides kept up the pressure on the goalies and tried to earn one more goal.

The Thunderbirds also had their late-game chances on goal. Here, Dillon brings the puck down the ice with a defender in tow. I have no idea how I got so many good photos from just two periods, but hopefully my lucky streak will continue! This save, however, is a bit different: this one was made by defenseman Dave Sutter rather than goalie Calvin Pickard….

As I mentioned before, the T-Birds played pretty physically, making sure to hit the Tigers often. The hard checks started early, in fact, as center Tyler Alos knocks Medicine Hat defenseman Scott McKay to the ice shortly after the Sutter block pictured above….

Now as you all know this is my first year following and learning about hockey. Why am I talking about this you ask? I must have been really hungry when I took this photo. To be fair, though, that burger looks mighty tasty…. For the first ten minutes or so, I was on the catwalks just off the ice on the south end of the building, meaning I was just above and to the right of the Medicine Hat goal.

That meant any play that happened along the right side of the goal I had a nice view of. That includes this chance right wing Jacob Doty had on goal. Note: the random black lines are from the net behind the goal and above the boards. Yes it played havoc on my focus, but I did luck out with some things focused properly…. Halfway through the period, I moved down to my vantage point above the Seattle goal in hopes of some cool saves from Calvin. It seems like since the Eastern swing, the refs had been focusing on stopping fights before they happened.

Last Tuesday, however, we had a very large scuffle not a full-blown fight, however by the Seattle net. Luckily I was in position to capture it….

Sutter and Medicine Hat left wing Dylan Bredo are also involved in the fracas. Both Ramsay and Kessy received two minute penalties for their involvement in the situation. After the refs got everything straightened out, play resumed. Soon after, the Tigers controlled the puck at the Seattle end. In fact, Medicine Hat nearly earned a shot on goal here, but center Travis Toomey knocked the puck away before Pickard had a chance. Just after that shot, the Tigers managed to get the puck in behind Calvin but still in front of the goal.

Sensing an oncoming Medicine Hat player, Sutter made a goal-saving grab for the puck and caught it. I caught the play on film, about which I was very excited about. Check out the play for yourself….

In all the excitement my photos I forgot to mention the goal. So on to the second period! I spent all of that period along the catwalk that runs above the team benches. You can classify this next photo as nothing else but good luck and taken at the right time.

Their sticks somehow align themselves, however, into a triangle and the puck is nearly dead-center in that triangle. Who knew geometry was used in hockey? From the catwalk over the benches, I had a nice view of fans in the middle and tops of each section. It just so happened that one of the fans below started showing off a Thunderbirds scarf during a timeout in the second period.

Before the faceoff at center ice to open play again, right wing Jacob Doty made sure to talk smack to the Medicine Hat player next to him. Later on in the third period, Noebels found himself on a breakaway to the goal with only the goaltender in front of him. Medicine Hat defenseman Sebastion Owuya tried to get back to Noebels and the puck, but ended up falling to the ice and sliding into Noebels, knocking him down.

Noebels buried the penalty shot that resulted from that play, cutting the lead to There was still plenty of hockey left to be played, though. One never materialized, however. What did happen is the T-Birds pulled Pickard with a few minutes left in an attempt to score a couple goals and equalize the game. Center Colin Jacobs left fires a slapshot towards the goal in hopes that Noebels can tip it into the net.

It was an entertaining game, though, and one I had a lot of fun shooting. And, as you all know, they went on to win their next two games. So that was nice…. Or you can debate the merits of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo.

Your choice. First off, yes I know this title is a terrible pun. Now about the game? Oh well, it was just one of those nights. A few minutes later center Luke Lockhart fired a shot past Kootenay goalie Nathan Lieuwen to give the Thunderbirds an early lead over the Ice. For the second game in a row, Cool Bird appeared in a suite right by where I was shooting in the first period to throw t-shirts into the crowd I think he might be following me, hmm…. Naturally, for the second game in a row I grabbed a photo of him throwing shirts.

Game timeline: somewhere between the Cool Bird photo and this next photo, Kootenay scored two goals to take the lead.

Sorry I have no photos from them, but they were both blocked by players in front of the net. Pickard came out to diffuse a run by Kootenay left wing Kevin King. Any shot I tried to get was either out of focus, blocked by a player not involved in the play, or taken at a bad angle through the glass and made blurry by that. I was easily the worst thing in the arena during the second period…. All four of the pictured candidates put up a valiant effort but unfortunately none of them were selected to ride the zamboni.

About five minutes into the second period, coach Rob Sumner replaced Calvin with backup goalie Michael Salmon. The Ice scored two more in the second period, making the score But of course my bad period continued when a player brushed up against the glass just to my left.

Bryce Kindopp cross-checks Blake Lyda in the back of the head and we get a penalty for responding. Sure, Lyda deserves a penalty there but so did Kindopp. Follow AndyEide. Will they be big ones? Andy Eide Thunderbirds end strange and hard season on a high note with dominating win over Spokane The Seattle Thunderbirds dealt with a lot of adversity this season but end on a high note. Andy Eide Thunderbirds enjoy winning again after snapping six-game losing streak The Seattle Thunderbirds have been scuffling but battled against a good Portland Winterhawks club to snap a six-game losing streak.

Andy Eide Dealing with adversity, young Thunderbirds drop pair of games in Portland Injuries and penalties have thrown a ton of adversity at the young Thunderbirds which showed up in a pair of losses at Portland this weekend. There have been some comparisons to when Konowalchuk made his debut with the Thunderbirds in That team was last in the Western Conference before his arrival, with a record. Seattle went on to win the WHL Championship in When I went into Seattle, believe it or not, it was my first year as a head coach.

So no rebuild in Red Deer in ? The team is still in a tough division with several teams figuring to be in the mix for a playoff position. Kind of have that internal competition and I think we have that with good depth.