Tri-City Americans clinch berth for the Western Hockey League playoffs
Without playing on Tuesday, the Tri-City Americans clinched a spot in the Western Hockey League playoffs.
That’s because the Seattle Thunderbirds beat Victoria 8-0 on Tuesday, mathematically clinching a playoff berth for the Ams. It’s the first time since 2019 that Tri-City has made the WHL playoffs — although there were no playoffs in 2020 or 2021 because of covid.
Who will the Ams play in the first round?
That answer is still to be determined. With 13 regular-season games remaining, Tri-City sits in fourth place in the Western Conference standings. If the Americans stay in that spot, they’d open against the No. 5 team in the standings.
If the season were to end today, that would be the Everett Silvertips. But the Prince George Cougars are biting at the heels of the Silvertips.
Here’s what the standings look like:
4. Tri-City 27-21-5-2, 61 points
5. Everett 27-24-2-1, 57 points
6. Prince George 26-23-4-0, 56 points
▪ Tri-City beat Everett 6-2 in the Toyota Center on Wednesday night, giving the Americans a 5-4 season win over the Silvertips in their series (Ams went 4-1 at home).
In Wednesday’s win, Adam Mechura and Jalen Luypen each scored two goals and an assist for the Ams.
▪ Parker Bell, Tri-City’s outstanding forward who was drafted last year by the NHL’s Calgary Flames, made his return to the ice last Saturday night in a game against the Spokane Chiefs.
Bell had been sidelined since Jan. 27, when he took a blindside hit and landed hard on the ice in a game at home against Everett.
Prep basketball
Here’s a reminder which of our region’s teams (and where they play) have state playoff games this weekend:
State high school basketball
Class 4A boys
Game 1 — (8) Richland vs. (1) Curtis (both to Tacoma), Tacoma CC, 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24
Game 8 — (13) Chiawana vs. (12) Mariner (winner to Tacoma, loser out), Arlington HS, 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 4A girls
Game 2 — (7) Kamiakin vs. (2) Camas (both to Tacoma), Battle Ground HS, 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24
Game 5 — (16) Olympia at (9) Richland (winner to Tacoma, loser out), Richland HS, 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 6 — (15) Sunnyside vs. (10) Bothell (winner to Tacoma, loser out), Lake Washington HS, Kirkland, 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 3A boys
Game D A— Tuesday, Feb. 21: (20) Walla Walla 55, (13) Mount Vernon 46 (loser out)
Game 8 — (20) Walla Walla vs. (12) Arlington (winner to Tacoma, loser out), Arlington HS, 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 3A girls
Game A — Tuesday, Feb. 21: (16) Kennewick 73, (17) Eastside Catholic 61 (OT) (loser out)
Game 5 — (16) Kennewick vs. (9) Bonney Lake (winner to Tacoma, loser out), Auburn HS, 12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 2A boys
Game 2 — (7) Prosser vs. (2) Anacortes (both to Yakima), Arlington HS, 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 2A girls
Game 4 — (5) Tumwater vs. (4) Prosser (both to Yakima), Davis HS-Yakima, 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24
Game 6 — (15) Mark Morris-Longview vs. (10) Othello (winner to Yakima, loser out), Ellensburg HS, 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24
Class 1A girls
Game 6 — (15) Annie Wright vs. (10) College Place (winner to Yakima, loser out), Richland HS, 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24
Class 2B boys
Game 4 — (5) Brewster vs. (4) Columbia-Burbank, (both to Spokane), Richland HS, 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24
Game 5 — (16) Dayton-Waitsburg vs. (9) Lind-Ritzville-Sprague-Washtucna (winner to Spokane, loser out), Cheney HS, 12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 8 — (13) Auburn Adventist vs. (12) Tri-Cities Prep (winner to Spokane, loser out), Richland HS, 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 2B girls
Game 1 — (8) Mabton vs. (1) Colfax (both to Spokane), Cheney HS, 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 4 — (5) Adna vs. (4) Warden (both to Spokane), Ellensburg HS, 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Class 1B boys
Game 2 — (7) Cusick vs. (2) Sunnyside Christian (both to Spokane), Richland HS, 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 3 — (6) Lummi Nation vs. (3) DeSales (both to Spokane), Richland HS, 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25
NWAC basketball
If the season ended today, both of the Columbia Basin College men’s and women’s basketball teams would qualify for the NWAC Championship tournaments.
That’s a good thing, since the tournament is at CBC this year.
The CBC women hold a 1-game lead over rival Walla Walla Community College for first place, and the title could come down to when the two teams meet in Pasco on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Meanwhile, the Hawks men hold a 1 1/2 -game lead over Yakima Valley for the fourth and final East Region berth.
The NWAC Championships will be held March 8-12 — women’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight on March 8-10, men’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight on March 10-12.
Then the men’s and women’s Final Four games will be played on campus on March 18.
The men’s and women’s championship games are set for March 19 at CBC.
NWAC EAST MEN STANDINGS
North Idaho 14-0 East, 26-0 overall
Walla Walla 10-3, 21-5
Spokane 10-5, 20-7
CBC 8-5, 18-5
YVC 7-7, 10-13
Blue Mountain 5-8, 12-12
Wenatchee Valley 4-10, 8-18
Treasure Valley 2-11, 6-19
Big Bend 2-13, 4-20
Saturday, Feb. 18
Blue Mountain 86, Wenatchee Valley 83
North Idaho 82, Walla Walla 75
Spokane 95, Treasure Valley 89
YVC 84, Big Bend 66
Wednesday, Feb. 22
North Idaho 82, Spokane 72
Wenatchee Valley 90, Big Bend 81
CBC at Treasure Valley, ppd, weather
Walla Walla at Blue Mountain, ppd, weather
Thursday, Feb. 23
Walla Walla at Blue Mountain
Saturday, Feb. 25
Big Bend at Blue Mountain
North Idaho at YVC
Treasure Valley at Wenatchee Valley
Walla Walla at CBC, 4 p.m.
NWAC EAST WOMENS STANDINGS
CBC 10-3 East, 17-5 overall
Walla Walla 9-4, 19-6
Wenatchee Valley 9-4, 12-12
Big Bend 9-6, 15-12
North Idaho 7-6, 13-11
YVC 6-8, 9-15
Spokane 6-9, 6-16
Treasure Valley 3-10, 5-19
Blue Mountain 2-11, 4-17
Saturday, Feb. 18
Big Bend 83, YVC 71
Treasure Valley 62, Spokane 57
Walla Walla 71, North Idaho 58
Wenatchee Valley 72, Blue Mountain 52
Wednesday, Feb. 22
North Idaho 59, Spokane 50
Wenatchee Valley 68, Big Bend 61
CBC at Treasure Valley, ppd, weather
Walla Walla at Blue Mountain, ppd, weather
Thursday, Feb. 23
Walla Walla at Blue Mountain
Saturday, Feb. 25
Big Bend at Blue Mountain
North Idaho at YVC
Treasure Valley at Wenatchee Valley
Walla Walla at CBC, 2 p.m.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
