Delta Hotels Preseason Classic (Everett, WA, 30 Aug-1 Sep, 2019)

[JMCx4]

From: The Everett Silvertips

NINE-GAME, THREE-DAY DELTA HOTELS PRESEASON CLASSIC OPENS FRIDAY, AUG. 30 IN DOWNTOWN EVERETT

EVERETT, Wash. – The Everett Silvertips (@WHLSilvertips), seven-time U.S. Division champions and the 2018-19 Western Hockey League Business of the Year, announced today … (the) 16th annual schedule opening tournament as the Delta Hotels Preseason Classic in Everett begins play Labor Day weekend, on Friday, Aug. 30. The Silvertips will open their pre-season schedule that night at 7:00 p.m. against the Tri-City Americans at Angel of the Winds Arena, a rematch of the 2019 WHL Playoffs’ first round.

Ticket packages and single game tickets for the Delta Hotels Preseason Classic in Everett will be on sale by Aug. 1 at www.everettsilvertips.com/tickets, available for pick-up on Aug. 26, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Silvertips membership account holders for the 2019-20 season receive Delta Hotels Preseason Classic ticket packages free of charge, inclusive with membership benefits.

The Silvertips will play in a six-game pre-season schedule (three games at home). The Delta Hotels Preseason Classic in Everett, traditionally welcoming all U.S. Division clubs plus an additional member from the Western Conference, again add the Vancouver Giants, the defending Western Conference champions. The three-day tourney, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, opens with an 11:30 a.m. matchup, follows with a 3:00 p.m. matinee game, and concludes each day with a 7:00 p.m. Silvertips home game. …

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[JMCx4]

First two games of Day 1 (Seattle vs. Vancouver & Spokane vs. Portland) were very chippy, and good end-to-end skating. Waiting for Game 3 to start, Tri-City vs. host Everett. Building has been very warm all day and the puck had started rolling & hopping a lot by Game 2. No particular standout players from what I saw. Players still trying to get their ice legs & working to sync up with teammates. Quite a few 15 & 16 year-olds getting ice time and each pretty much holding their own. Rosters are huge, so lots of scratches. I expect the rosters to get solid by the final day, and maybe then we'll see some noteworthy players to follow into the regular season.

 

[JMCx4]

IMO, Game 3 of Day 1 brought the best hockey of this tourney so far. A pair of Everett D-men, 19 y-o Jake Christiansen & 16 y-o Aiden Sutter, impressed me most with their play on both ends of the ice (Sutter in particular with his transitional speed). 6' 6" LW Conrad Mitchell (an 18 y-o) used his size very well to challenge attacking TC Americans puck carriers, but he did seem to slow down as the 3rd period wore on. But my Star of the Game nod goes to Tri-City goalie Talyn Boyko, a 6' 6" sixteen year-old man-child who stopped 53 of 55 Silvertips shots in regulation & stopped 5 more shots in the 5-minute 3-on-3 sudden death period before the home team buried Shot #61 in the closing minute of OT. Everett looked the most organized & best coached of the 6 teams on Day 1, but Boyko did an amazing job to keep his overmatched team in the game.

My wife & I are looking forward to more exciting hockey in the coming days. It's good to be back in a hockey arena again, after summer took the game away for a spell.

 

[JMCx4]

I missed the early Portland vs. Vancouver game on Saturday, but the two later games (Seattle vs. Tri-City and Spokane vs. Everett) were another competitive pair. The Thunderbirds have been relatively well supported by fan numbers (including a self-designated flag waver), and the Tips fan base grew by maybe 50% for their second match (with far more vocal support from the anthem to the final horn). The Everett/Spokane night cap even featured an actual glove-dropping bout, but it only lasted a few seconds & a couple of swings before a knockdown ended both players' nights.

Tournament wraps up Sunday with 3 more games. Seattle & Everett will meet in the final evening match, with both teams going in @ 2-0. Should be the rowdiest crowd of the holiday weekend - couldn't have been scripted any better.

 

[JMCx4]

The final day of this 3-day tourney brought 3 more entertaining matches, each decided by one goal. Vancouver needed regulation + 5 minutes of 3-on-3 sudden death OT + 7 rounds of a shootout to defeat Spokane 2-1. That game was followed by Tri-City beating Portland 3-2. The nightcap brought the most noise, as Seattle dominated offensively in regulation (despite a large deficit in SOGs) but lost 3-2 to host Everett on an OT winner.

For me, this preseason tournament will be remembered for three things: (1) the very friendly arena staff @ Angel of the Winds; (2) the intensity of play (far more energy & speed of transition than I was expecting in preseason games with juniors teams); and (3) the consistently questionable refereeing through all 3 days (proving that improvements on preseason performance are necessary for the officials as well as for the players).

 

[JMCx4]

I finally got all of my Preseason Classic snapshots organized & uploaded to my public Flickr account: Angel of the Winds Arena (Everett, WA). Nothing professional, just a fan's-eye view of the facility & the hockey on the ice. Enjoy as you like.