Tri-City Americans

The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at Toyota Center. Every game is broadcast locally on the Tri-City Americans' flagship radio station 870 AM KFLD, and each game can also be heard streaming live at KFLD's UStream Channel, as well as occasionally being telecast on Saturday nights on KVEW 42.2. The Tri-City Americans have also been featured in the television series Z Nation episode "Day One".

Tri-City Americans
City	Kennewick, Washington
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Western
Division	U.S.
Founded	1966
Home arena	Toyota Center
Colors	Navy blue, red, silver, white
General manager	Bob Tory
Head coach	Stu Barnes^[1]
Website	www.amshockey.com
Franchise history
1966–1967	Calgary Buffaloes
1967–1977	Calgary Centennials
1977–1982	Billings Bighorns
1982–1983	Nanaimo Islanders
1983–1988	New Westminster Bruins
1988–present	Tri-City Americans
Championships
Regular season titles	1 (2007–08)
Playoff championships	Conference championships 1 (2009–10)

History

The Tri-City Americans franchise is an original franchise of the WHL. They began in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes before being renamed the "Centennials" after one season. The franchise was also known as the "Billings Bighorns" from 1977 to 1982 before relocating to Nanaimo, British Columbia, as the Nanaimo Islanders. After one season, they moved to New Westminster, British Columbia, to become the second incarnation of the New Westminster Bruins. They moved to the Tri-Cities in 1988.

The Americans enjoyed local support until early 2000, the start of four owners in four years, all wanting to relocate the team to Canada. Between selling off team assets, lack of on-ice success, and one owner banning the local newspaper columnist from attending games, the attendance dropped considerably. Although the ownership group represented by Darryl Porter had stated upon purchasing the team that they would create a local presence, Porter had still not moved to the Tri-Cities in his third year of ownership. In 2004, Porter attempted to move the team to Chilliwack, British Columbia. However, other Western Hockey League teams voted to prevent the move, including all four other American teams as well as two Canadian teams. Shortly after this failure, the team was sold to Tri-Cities natives, including former Americans' players Olaf Kolzig, the former goalie for the Washington Capitals, and Stu Barnes of the Dallas Stars. Since the sale, the team has doubled attendance figures and won the first division championship in team history. Porter and his investment group were later granted the Chilliwack Bruins as an expansion franchise.

On November 29, 1989, Americans goaltender Olaf Kolzig became the first goalie to register a WHL goal when he successfully shot on an empty net against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Americans annual series with the Highway 395 rival Spokane Chiefs is always intense and full of action, their biggest rival year in and year out. The competitiveness of the two team is such that an annual tradition with the Americans is to play the Chiefs at home on New Year's Eve. The only time this tradition was broken was due to a one-day strike by the Americans over the training tactics of one of the coaches.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2002–03 season, sixteen-year-old goaltender Shannon Szabados became the first female player to compete in the WHL when she played one game for the Americans. In 2010, Szabados won gold in women's ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics playing for Canada.

During the 2007–08 WHL season, the Americans won the US Division regular season championship for the first time after a March 15, 2008, game against division rival Spokane Chiefs in Kennewick, Washington, at the Toyota Center. The Americans won the Western Conference regular season championship, as well as the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best overall regular season record in the WHL. The 2009–10 season marked the third straight year the Americans won the US Division.

At their annual New Year's Eve game against the Spokane Chiefs on December 31, 2008, the Americans set a record for attendance at a hockey game in the Toyota Center, with 6,042 attendees.^[2] The Americans surpassed this number on March 13, 2010, in a game against Spokane, with an attendance of 6,053.^[3]

The Americans won the Western Conference championship for the first time, in the 2010 playoffs, defeating the Chilliwack Bruins, Kelowna Rockets, and Vancouver Giants in successive series before dropping the league championship to the Calgary Hitmen in five games.

Charitable work and events

The Americans are charitably-active in the Tri-Cities area. Years ago, the Americans were one of the first teams to do the "Teddy Bear Toss", which was originally called "Toy Trick". This is where the fans would throw stuffed animals onto the rink on a selected night when the home team scores their first goal. The players collect the bears and hand them out to various organizations or the players take them along with them when they visit children in the local hospitals.

A definite first at the Tri-City rink was the breast cancer night. Brian Sandy, senior VP of business operations and chief marketing officer, thought up this event, where the ice is tinted pink and the players wear pink jerseys that are auctioned-off at the end of the night. After the game on February 2, 2008, every jersey sold for the maximum donation of $500 each, with all proceeds supporting breast cancer research.

The Americans also were active in raising start-up funds for the establishment of a local chapter of The First Tee. Players visit schools and hospitals weekly and assist the young hockey players with their practices. Links are provided on their website to other organizations like the local Humane Society, and opportunities have been provided to the Children's Developmental Center to volunteer to aid in the seating at games for a $15,000 check at the season's conclusion.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	GF	GA	Points	Finish	Playoffs
1988–89	72	33	34	5	—	300	299	71	4th West	Lost West Division semi-final
1989–90	72	39	28	5	—	433	354	83	3rd West	Lost West Division semi-final
1990–91	72	36	32	4	—	404	386	76	4th West	Lost West Division semi-final
1991–92	72	35	35	2	—	363	376	72	2nd West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1992–93	72	28	41	3	—	245	312	59	6th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1993–94	72	19	48	5	—	272	373	43	6th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1994–95	72	36	31	5	—	295	279	77	4th West	Lost West Division final
1995–96	72	45	25	2	—	336	255	92	3rd West	Lost West Division semi-final
1996–97	72	22	43	7	—	225	288	51	7th West	Did not qualify
1997–98	72	17	49	6	—	264	371	40	7th West	Did not qualify
1998–99	72	43	23	6	—	311	219	92	2nd West	Lost West Division final
1999–00	72	24	39	7	2	231	288	57	6th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
2000–01	72	21	36	8	7	217	284	57	7th West	Did not qualify
2001–02	72	31	31	10	0	260	271	72	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2002–03	72	20	44	3	5	240	335	48	4th U.S.	Did not qualify
2003–04	72	31	27	10	4	205	197	76	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference semi-final
2004–05	72	26	34	8	4	172	196	64	4th U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
Season	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	GF	GA	Points	Finish	Playoffs
2005–06	72	30	35	4	3	188	221	67	4th U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2006–07	72	47	23	1	1	240	190	96	2nd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2007–08	72	52	16	2	2	262	176	108	1st U.S.	Lost Western Conference final
2008–09	72	49	20	0	3	263	184	101	1st U.S.	Lost Western Conference semi-final
2009–10	72	47	22	1	2	272	193	97	1st U.S.	Lost final
2010–11	72	44	24	2	2	286	223	92	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference semi-final
2011–12	72	50	18	2	2	281	190	104	1st U.S.	Lost Western Conference final
2012–13	72	40	27	2	3	246	227	85	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2013–14	72	29	33	4	6	178	224	68	5th U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2014–15	72	31	38	0	3	190	242	65	5th U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2015–16	72	35	34	2	1	236	253	73	5th U.S.	Did not qualify
2016–17	72	41	28	3	0	272	252	85	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2017–18	72	38	25	8	1	255	249	85	4th U.S.	Lost Western Conference final
2018–19	68	34	28	5	1	214	230	74	4th U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2019–20	63	17	40	4	2	157	302	40	5th U.S.	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21	19	7	12	0	0	47	78	14	5th U.S.	No playoffs were held
2021-22	68	19	43	6	0	179	306	44	5th U.S.	Did not qualify
2022–23	68	34	26	5	3	256	245	76	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final

WHL Championship history

• 2009–10: Loss, 1–4 vs Calgary

Current roster

Updated October 31, 2023.^[4]

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace	Drafted
12		Nick Anisimovicz	C	R	17	2021	Calgary, Alberta	Eligible 2024
6		Merrek Arpin	D	R	17	2021	East St. Paul, Manitoba	Eligible 2024
35		Nick Avakyan	G	L	19	2021	Glendale, California	Undrafted
22		Parker Bell	LW	L	20	2018	Campbell River, British Columbia	2022, 155th Overall, CGY
28		Pascha Bocharov	D	R	19	2023	Escondido, California	Undrafted
88		Camerin Cardona	C	R	17	2021	Anaheim, California	Eligible 2024
25		Maxmilian Curran	C	L	17	2023	Prague, Czech Republic	Eligible 2024
2		Lukas Dragicevic (A)	D	R	18	2020	Richmond, British Columbia	2023, 57th Overall, SEA
11		Andrew Fan	RW	L	19	2021	Eagle River, Alaska	Undrafted
9		Drew Freer	RW	R	18	2020	Calgary, Alberta	Undrafted
13		Jordan Gavin	C	L	17	2021	Surrey, British Columbia	Eligible 2025
19		Jake Gudelj	C	L	17	2023	North Vancouver, British Columbia	Eligible 2024
1		Kyle Kelsey	G	L	19	2023	Maple Ridge, British Columbia	Undrafted
51		Cash Koch	LW	L	16	2022	Calgary, Alberta	Eligible 2025
30		Lukas Matecha	G	L	18	2023	Czech Republic	Undrafted
24		Deagen McMillan	C	R	18	2020	Vernon, British Columbia	Undrafted
4		Ethan Peters (A)	D	R	20	2023	Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan	Undrafted
21		Carter Savage	D	L	18	2020	Surrey, British Columbia	Undrafted
37		Alex Serraglio (C)	D	L	20	2021	Langley, British Columbia	Undrafted
15		Jake Sloan (A)	C	R	19	2019	Girvan, Great Britain	Undrafted
7		Jackson Smith	D	R	16	2022	Calgary, Alberta	Eligible 2025
17		Thomas Tien	C	L	19	2019	Richmond, British Columbia	Undrafted
27		Brandon Whynott	LW	L	19	2023	Langley, British Columbia	Undrafted

Team records

Team records for a single season
Statistic	Total	Season
Most points	108	2007–08
Most wins	52	2007–08
Most goals for	433	1989–90
Fewest goals for	172	2004–05
Fewest goals against	176	2007–08
Most goals against	386	1990–91

Individual player records for a single season
Statistic	Player	Total	Season
Most goals	Kyle Reeves	89	1990–91
Most assists	Brian Sakic	122	1990–91
Most points	Brian Sakic	162	1990–91
Most points, rookie	Bill Lindsay	85	1989–90
Most points, defenceman	Steve Jacques	84	1989–90
Best GAA (goalie)	Chet Pickard	2.28	2008–09
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

NHL alumni

• Carter Ashton
• Stu Barnes
• Milan Bartovic
• Jake Bean
• Shawn Belle
• Alexandre Boikov
• Brian Boucher
• Jason Bowen
• Brandon Carlo
• Dylan Coghlan
• Eric Comrie
• Kimbi Daniels
• Chris Driedger
• Brad Ference
• Brett Festerling
• Dan Focht
• Morgan Geekie
• Scott Gomez
• Patrick Holland
• Olaf Kolzig
• Zenith Komarniski
• Jaroslav Kristek
• Jason Labarbera
• Daymond Langkow
• Brett Leason
• Scott Levins
• Bill Lindsay
• Jason Marshall
• Josef Melichar
• Steve Passmore
• Stephen Peat
• Alexander Pechurskiy
• Ronald Petrovicky
• Carey Price
• Michael Rasmussen
• Terry Ryan
• Terran Sandwith
• Jesse Schultz
• Ray Schultz
• Brendan Shinnimin
• Todd Simpson
• Dan Smith
• Sheldon Souray
• Clayton Stoner
• Jaroslav Svejkovsky
• Billy Tibbetts
• Juuso Valimaki
• Terry Virtue
• Vladimir Vujtek
• Tyler Weiman
• B. J. Young

Retired numbers

• 8 - Brian Sakic
• 14 - Stu Barnes, Todd Klassen^[5]
• 33 - Olaf Kolzig

References

1. "Stu Barnes Returns to Tri-City as Head Coach". OurSports Central. August 7, 2021.
2. Tri-City Herald. January 1, 2009. "Ams ring in new year with victory Archived 2013-02-04 at archive.today" by Annie Fowler. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
3. WHL Scoresheet Spokane@Tri-City. March 13, 2010. "WHL Scoresheet Spokane@Tri-City" Retrieved March 23, 2010.
4. WHL Network, Western Hockey League, retrieved October 31, 2023
5. Tri-City Herald. September 21, 2012. "Tri-City Americans Celebrate 25 Years 2012-10-05 at the Wayback Machine" by Annie Fowler. Retrieved January 2, 2015.

External links

• Tri-City Americans website
• Tri-City Americans flagship radio station
• Tri-City Americans celebrate 25 years | Tri-City Herald