Seattle breakers jersey

The PCHL folded the following year. They were renamed when they entered the PCHL. The team won the league in In , the league became the Western Hockey League and the Ironmen changed their name to the Bombers the following season. Guyle Fielder, who became Seattle's greatest minor league scorer in history, made his debut during these years. Fielder played 15 of his 22 professional seasons in Seattle.

He finished his career with 1, points in 1, games. He was named the league's MVP six times. Fielder played in an era when the NHL consisted of just six teams, which relegated many accomplished players to the minor leagues. Fielder played just 15 games in the NHL. They used to tell you if you don't make the play just dump the puck in. But Guyle used to hang on to it until he made the play.

You could get away with that in the minors but not in the NHL. The team rebranded as the Seattle Americans a season later. In , Fielder broke the professional single-season scoring record and was named the Most Valuable Player. The team also finished in first place that year.

In — the team's last as the Americans — the franchise won a playoff series for the first time. This isn't the first time Seattle attempted to secure an NHL expansion team — it's just the first time it's been successful.

In June , the NHL announced that a Seattle group led by lawyer Vince Abbey had been awarded an expansion team that was set to begin play during the season. Abbey also had to repurchase shares in the Totems. When Abbey missed several deadlines, the NHL threatened to remove the franchise. The Totems folded after the season, which left Seattle without a hockey team for the first time in 20 years. Abbey then attempted to purchase the California Seals — an NHL team that competed from to — but failed.

As a result, the NHL removed the expansion franchise from Seattle. A second attempt to secure an expansion team was made in But the push for an expansion team stalled. MacFarland said he and Larson were under the impression they were there to file a formal application.

Ackerley told The News Tribune he believed the money wasn't there. We just felt it wasn't going to happen financially. Ackerly withdrew his application in December , telling the NHL he was unable to find an ownership group willing to meeting the asking price. How could they sit with us and not tell us what they were going to do? The league added teams in two cities — Ottawa and Tampa — that were willing pay the amount.

The Breakers, who played in the Seattle Center Ice Arena, existed for eight seasons and finished with a record of The Breakers were sold to new owners after the season and were renamed the Seattle Thunderbirds. Glen Goodall joined the team during the season and remained through He still holds Thunderbirds' records in goals, assists and points and his jersey is the only one retired by the team.

He was very dangerous off the rush with speed and skill. I had lots of respect for him coming into the league at 14, something I know I couldn't have done. At just years-old, Goodall was invited to Seattle's camp with the chance to make the team.

The plan was for him to play in 15 games, but he performed so well that he remained for the full season and spent six more years in Seattle. I look back on my career and I say this many times, Seattle was the best time of my career. I just loved it. In , the Thunderbirds enjoyed the best regular season in franchise history. They finished and ranked No.

Due to an increase in popularity, they began playing home games in the Seattle Center Coliseum, which frequently sold out despite holding nearly 12, people. Seattle and Victoria eliminated Portland , and then Victoria knocked off Seattle in the division finals four games to none.

John Neeld led the team in scoring with 36 goals and 61 assist, followed by defenseman Tim Hunter 14 goals, 53 assists, PIM. For the second straight year the Breakers would have no all-stars on the first or second teams.

It has a seating capacity of about 4,, more than enough for the new team which had trouble drawing fans throughout it's history. Les Calder was the coach for the inaugural season.

The Breakers had a good year, finishing However, they were in the tough Western Division and that record left them in fourth and last place at season's end. It's a shame, because that record would have given the team a second place finish in either the East or Central Divisions. As a result of the last place finish, the Breakers did not make it to the playoffs. Things got so tight financially that coach Monte Miron was fired with seven games remaining in the season because the team could no longer afford to pay him.

He was replaced by one of his players, Mike Mesic, who led his teammates to a record down the stretch, followed by a quick first round departure from the playoffs as Seattle was beaten by Portland four games to one.

One former team employee told me that the season was like "a low-budget version of Slap Shot in the front office", complete with an owner who kept a well stocked liquor cabinet, and his "trophy wife" who made personnel decisions. Did I mention that the organ player was blind, and used to listen to the radio broadcasts to know when to play?

Unfortunately no one told him there was a seven second delay in the broadcast Alan Graves led the team in scoring with 47 goals and 43 assists. For the third year in a row there would be now Breakers named to the first or second all-star teams, and no Breaker player was selected in the NHL Draft.

Spokane dropped out after 26 games, leaving the division with four teams for the remainder of the season. Jack Sangster was the team's new coach, and the Breakers became known as "Sangster's Gangsters" as they terrorized the league.

The team featured 13 players with more than minutes in penalties each, led by Mitch Wilson with he still managed to score 35 points on the season. Even leading scorer Wayne Prestage 50 goals, 58 assist got into the act, racking up minutes.

Sangster was named the Coach of the Year at season's end. In the playoffs, Seattle finally picked up a win in the first round by sweeping Victoria four game to none. It was then on to the division finals, where Portland outlasted Seattle in a bloodbath of fights and bench-clearing brawls to win the series four games to two.

While the Breakers again were shut out as far as first and second team all-stars go, six players were selected in the NHL Draft, with Ken Daneyko picked in the first round 18th overall by New Jersey, where he played a long and productive career. There really wasn't much to cheer about, the team didn't stand out in any way. Fred Ledlin was the leading scorer 50 goals, 59 assists , and no one even came close to penalty minutes Phil Stanger led with In January of the Breakers made what is undoubtedly the strangest trade in the history of hockey.

Seattle owned the rights to forward Tom Martin, who was playing with the University of Denver. They traded his rights to the Victoria Cougars "for a used bus and future considerations" quote from Total Hockey, 2nd ed.

When asked about the trade years later, Breakers owner John Hamilton stated "It may have been the best deal I ever made. The playoffs were practically over before they started, as Portland knocked off the Breakers four games to none in the first round. Again Seattle was shut out of the all-star first and second teams, and no one was selected in the NHL Draft. It was more of the same in the playoffs, though, as Kamloops did the honors and swept Seattle five games to none. Alan Kerr led the offense with 46 goals and 66 assists.

Brent Severyn was the only player selected in the draft, picked in the 5th round 99th overall by Winnipeg. The "Hottest Thing on Ice" left , eh? It was the first time since that Seattle would not make it to the playoffs. Scott Robinson led the team in scoring with 44 goals and 53 assists. The last Seattle player chosen, Jame Huscroft 9th round, st overall would go on to a long NHL career with a number of different teams.