The 2023-24 WHL season is approaching quick; training camp will begin on August 30th. Pre-season starts on September 8 when Tri-Cities travels to the Angel of the Winds Arena to take on the Everett Silvertips.
The rest of the pre-season schedule consists of three games. This includes two against the newest US Division team, the Wenatchee Wild, and one against the Portland Winterhawks. The last pre-season game is scheduled for Saturday, September 16 in Kennewick against the Wenatchee Wild.
Then on September 22nd, only six days after the final preseason game, the Americans are slated to start their season in Prince George for the second straight year in a two-game tilt. Then a week later, on Saturday, September 30th, play in Spokane before heading home for the October 7th home opener against Everett.
Tri-Cities is looking to build on a successful 2022-23 campaign, their best season since 2018-19, with many offensive weapons returning. Some of these returnees include Parker Bell, a Calgary Flames draft pick; Lukas Dragicevic, the only defenseman in the CHL to lead his team in scoring. Dragicevic is also a Seattle Kraken second-round pick. On top of that Jake Sloan, and Jordan Gavin, who just missed out on the WHL Rookie of the Year award to Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs. That is to just name a few of the returning players.
Some defensive players that will be mostly confirmed to return for another season include Jackson Romeril. He is a former Kelowna Rockets defenseman traded to the Americans on trade deadline day in January. Merrek Arpin, a second-round pick in 2021, got injured early into the 2022-23 season. Finally, Carter Savage was one of the team’s best defensemen in 2022-23 for the Americans.
In the crease next season for the Tri-City Americans will be Nick Avakyan, the backup for Tomas Suchanek the past two seasons. Suchanek will not return, as the Americans signed both of their recent CHL Import Draft picks. You can only have two on a roster at once. Presumably, Adam Mechura and Tomas Suchanek are off the roster now.
That means Avakyans backup will likely be Lukas Matecha, the 99th overall selection in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Matecha, a 2005-born Czech native, played for HC Dynamo Pardubice’s U20 team last season. Matecha posted a .918 save percentage and 2.53 goals allowed average in 32 games for the team last season.
Coaching-wise, Stu Barnes, the 2022-23 US Division Coach of the year and a Dunc McCallum Trophy finalist, will be back for his third season as the man in charge. Jody Hull and T.J. Millar, assistant coaches for the 2022-23 Americans will be back for the 2023-24 season.
Regarding some of the new incoming young players that might turn an eye or two next season include Jackson Smith, who was taken second overall by the Americans in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft; Cash Koch, a second-round selection in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft and Kainoah Brankovic. Brankovic was a finalist for the CSSHL U17 Prep Divison defenseman of the year and an All-Star for the CSSHL U17 Prep BC/ID division.
Another new exciting player is Maximilian Curran, the 39th overall selection in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Curran, a 2006-born, six-foot-three Center from Praha, Czechia, will add depth to the Americans roster this upcoming season. Curran spent the 2022-2023 season with three HC Slava Praha teams. With the U17 Slava Praha squad, Curran posted 37 points (15-22-37) in 18 games. With the U20 Slava Praha, 27 points (9-18-27) in 18 games. He also dabbled in a few games with the HC Slava Praha senior squad picking up zero points in two games.
Now onto some roster speculation. Since it’s only mid-July, some roster spots remain to be fought for. Technically there are still four 20-year-olds on the roster, and only three can return for the season. Those four are Ethan Peters, Alex Serraglio, Parker Bell, and Tyson Greenway. According to Elite Prospects, speedy Parker Bell is slated to return to the squad with two openings left after that. Assuming that the Americans keep a long-time player in Tyson Greenway, who has spent his entire WHL career with the team. Lastly, Alex Serraglio, who has been Lukas Dragicevic’s defense partner for the past two seasons. Serraglio would also provide a leadership role for a young defense along with Dragicevic.
That would leave Ethan Peters, a defenseman, out. Peters was acquired by the Americans one day before last season’s trade deadline. He won an Ed Chyrnoweth championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings during the 2021-2022 season and a Memorial Cup that same season.
With the rebuild having gone on for several years, the Tri-City Americans should be looking to cash in soon with the talent they have before it is gone. Fans in Tri-Cities have a reason to be excited this year as there should be a lot of fast-paced and high goal-scoring action.
Northwest Sports Desk 