O’Dette talks potential-epic playoff series

Seattle Thunderbirds’ head coach Matt O’Dette offered his take on what is likely to be a classic Western Hockey League postseason series featuring his club and the Kamloops Blazers.

The best-of-seven Western Conference Championship grudge match pits against each other two loaded teams with Memorial Cup aspirations.

Kamloops, which is this year hosting the national championship tournament, is looking for revenge on Seattle, which bounced the Blazers last year in Game 7 of the conference final, a 3-2 triumph at Sandman Centre.

Both teams are all-in for 2023, having made blockbuster trades and acquisitions to add to drafted-and-developed talent, moves that have made this series mustwatch for hockey fans, with 19 NHL-drafted players, eight players in NHL Central Scouting final rankings ahead of the 2023 draft and nine players who won World

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Junior gold for Canada this year set to square off in the conference final.

Blazers’ head coach and GM Shaun Clouston and team captain Logan Stankoven joined Kamloops Last Week in studio this week for an interview.

Subscribe to KLW and follow along through your favourite podcast provider.

Below is the question-andanswer session, with Marty Hastings [MH] of KTW doing the asking and Seattle coach O’Dette [MO] responding. It has been edited for length.

Game 1 is slated for Saturday, April 29, in Kent, Wash.

THE INTERVIEW

MH: What’s it like to be involved in a series like this, with two juggernauts going head to head?

MO: It’s exciting, for sure. Two excellent teams matching up in a conference final. What’s not to get excited about? There’s going to be some really good hockey on display, obviously, hotly contested, a really good matchup. It should be good for everyone involved, especially the fans.

MH: Nineteen NHL-drafted players, eight in NHL Central Scouting final rankings and nine who won World Junior gold this year — what jumps to mind when you hear that?

MO: I mean, you’re speechless, I guess. Rarely do you see that much talent on the ice at the same time in a junior hockey game. I think it speaks to both organizations and what they’re doing to get themselves here.

MH: As a coach, how are you coping with the stress and pressure that comes along with having such a great team and the expectations to win?

MO: You try not to think about it. You focus on the job you have to do and tackle each challenge and each game as you get to it. Certainly, there is more pressure, with the moves that we’ve made and the expectations this year. Pressure comes with it, but you try and go about your business and it hasn’t really been at the forefront of my mind.

T-BIRDS, A26