A Month After Title Celebration, Everett Silvertips Navigate Early Season Adjustments
A month following the opening of their 2026-27 campaign, which featured a banner-raising ceremony and an overtime defeat against the Portland Winterhawks, the Everett Silvertips are in a markedly different position than in recent years. The organization previously secured its first WHL Championship, a Memorial Cup appearance, and consecutive Scotty Munro Memorial Trophies for the regular season. While the squad that claimed the previous year's title never dropped two consecutive matches during their schedule, over half of those players have since departed. Consequently, the current roster, composed largely of newer players, is still developing its identity.
Entering a weekend series against the Tri-City Americans, the Silvertips had endured a five-game losing streak, with three of those losses occurring against the Spokane Chiefs, who hold the Western Hockey League's top points percentage at .889. Everett halted that skid on Friday but returned to the loss column the following day. With a record of 3-5-1-1 and 8 points, the team currently sits ninth in the Western Conference. However, they trail the third-place Victoria Royals, who hold 6-2-1-1 and 12 points, by only four points in a tightly contested early-season standings. The Silvertips are scheduled to embark on a road trip through Saskatchewan and Manitoba that extends through the end of October.
Everett 3, Tri-City 1
The Silvertips opened Friday's contest with a goal at 4:19 of the first period, courtesy of Atte Vuori. The 18-year-old Finnish forward, a selection in this summer's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, received a pass from linemate Eddy Spytz near the red line. Vuori maneuvered past two defenders into the Tri-City zone, cut in from the right side, and beat Americans goaltender Xavier Wendt to secure his first career WHL goal.
Tri-City outshot Everett 15-13 during the opening frame, but goaltender Bennett Byers maintained the lead. The Silvertips dominated play in the subsequent periods, outshooting their opponents 27-8 combined. Brendan Rudolph, a recent acquisition, increased the lead to 2-0 at 0:29 of the third period. The 18-year-old forward, who joined the team on Oct. 13 from the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for forward Clarke Schaefer and a 2030 fourth-round pick, scored on a backhand shot to the right corner following a deflected pass from Lukas Kaplan. Everett captain Jaxsin Vaughan added a power-play goal at 7:49, redirecting a point pass from Brek Liske. Tri-City forward Jakub Vanecek scored at 8:44, ending Byers' bid for a shutout, resulting in a 3-1 final.
Tri-City 2, Everett 1
The Silvertips again took an early lead on Saturday. Defenseman Mattias Uyeda collected the puck at center ice and scored from the high slot at 8:12 of the first period to make it 1-0. Tri-City responded in the second period. After killing an Everett power play, Americans forward David Huk sent the puck to Cruz Pavao along the boards. Pavao proceeded on a short-handed breakaway, scoring in the top right corner at 13:46 to tie the game at 1-1.
Bennett Byers denied a penalty shot with 6:42 remaining in the third period, yet the Tri-City team still secured a 2-1 victory. Ben Oliverio scored the decisive goal at 17:58, outmaneuvering Silvertips defenseman Jaxon Pisani to redirect a pass from Jesse McKinnon into the net.
Three Stars of the Week
First Star: A 17-year-old goaltender earned the top honor after handling both starts while Jayden Kraus remained sidelined with a lower-body injury sustained during the October 4 home contest. The netminder recorded 43 stops on 46 attempts, achieving a .935 save percentage across the two-game stretch.
Second Star: An 18-year-old forward claimed the second star for his spectacular goal on Friday, which gave the Silvertips a temporary lead.
Third Star: A 20-year-old forward took the third star after recording a power-play goal on Friday. He added six more shots on goal during Saturday’s defeat, bringing his weekend total to ten.
The Week Ahead
The Silvertips are scheduled to play Saskatoon, who hold a 5-3-1-0 record and 11 points, on Wednesday. The team then travels to Prince Albert for a Friday rematch in the WHL Championship against the Raiders, currently sitting at 2-6-1-2 with 7 points. The week concludes with an afternoon game in Brandon on Sunday against a team boasting an 8-3-0-0 record and 16 points.