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Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
Abdulhamid Ibrahim
Published on 03 June 2023 • read for 3 minutes
Seattle Thunderbirds forward Jared Davidson, left, and forward Dylan Guenther, right, try to get the puck past Peterborough Petes goaltender Michael Simpson during first period semifinal CHL Memorial Cup hockey action in Kamloops, BC, Friday, June 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Jeff McIntosh Photo by Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press
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KAMLOOPS, BC – Jared Davidson attributed his upbringing to the no-quit mentality he possesses.
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“For me, it goes back to the way I was raised with my parents,” said the Seattle Thunderbirds forward. “They gave me that no-quit mentality no matter what I was doing.
“Whether it was in school, hockey or whatever sport I played, they didn’t want me to stop. They wanted me to see through (with) what I was doing and work hard and the results would come naturally.
Davidson was passed in two NHL drafts before being pulled by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round (130th overall) of the 2022 draft. Now in his fifth season with Seattle, he will have a chance to play for the team’s first Memorial Cup title as the tournament’s third leading scorer with six points (one goal, five assists).
That drive has been the calling card for a Thunderbirds team that has pushed itself to this point after a disappointing loss in the Western Hockey League Finals last season.
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“I don’t know what else to say, this team is just so resilient, so great,” said Davidson. “Every chance we got, we stepped up and played the way we were supposed to play.”
Seattle will play Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions Quebec Remparts for the last time this season on Sunday, as they seek their third Memorial Cup title and first since 2006.
The Thunderbirds went down 3-1 to the Remparts as the two last played in the round-robin stage on Monday. Since then, the WHL champions won 6-1 against host Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday to earn a place in the semifinals before beating Ontario Hockey League champion Peterborough Petes 4-1 on Friday to make it to their first-ever tournament final.
Head coach Matt O’Dette credited his team’s togetherness for reaching this point.
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“I think team camaraderie, team chemistry, that’s what keeps you going at this point in the season,” he said. “We have a pretty tight team, we went through this last year in the playoffs (when) we battled out six elimination games before finally losing in the final.
“I think that says how close your team is, you just want to live to fight one more game with your teammates. We have that again this year and it’s been challenging because we’ve had some new faces, so that was a goal of ours to develop that team chemistry that helps you in these situations.
The Remparts – who earned their last place finish after the win against the Thunderbirds, the second of two straight wins to open the tournament – are quite a task.
“Obviously it’s a big challenge, you know, (they’re a) really good team,” said O’Dette. “After the first game against them, our loss, we worked towards a second chance against them.
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“We are here and we have to make a better effort.”
O’Dette pointed out some things he wants his team to do differently this time around.
“Overall I thought we played a pretty good game,” O’Dette said of Monday’s performance. “They did a great job defending their net front, we didn’t get in much.
“So that’s something we clearly need to do. We didn’t score enough, we have to get to the net and try to create a few more chances, some traffic for the goalkeeper.”
Davidson said Seattle’s start will also be key.
“I think if we hit the road a little earlier, we can start a little faster,” said the Edmonton resident. “They got an early one and we were chasing the game from the start.
“So ready to play at the puck drop and play our style of hockey.”
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After Friday’s win, O’Dette and Thunderbirds forward Kyle Crnkovic were quick to point out that the mission wasn’t over, despite helping the franchise reach a point it never was.
The need for more is something O’Dette is relying on from his players coming on Sunday.
“When we lost in the (WHL) final last year, we wanted to come back here,” he said. “Last year we didn’t win the championship, this year we managed to win it and when you have elite players the good thing about them is that they are not satisfied.
“So winning the championship is not enough, they want the next goal, the next prize and our team is looking for that, Quebec is looking for that. There is only one team that goes home happy, so we are at that point now.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 3, 2023.
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