It was an eventful week for the Everett Silvertips. Everett had its top defenseman return from injury, made a trade to add a forward, and saw one of their own ink an NHL deal. And the Tips won a few games, too.
A busy week both on and off the ice saw Everett go a perfect 3-0, and now the Tips are closing in on first place in the U.S. Division.
Part of the week’s good news was getting Kaden Hammell back from injury. The 18-year-old defenseman, who was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the fifth round of this year’s NHL draft, hadn’t played since Oct. 22 because of an upper-body injury. However, he returned to action during Friday’s home game against Portland, meaning the Tips had their No. 1 defenseman back in the fold.
Everett’s injury list remains long, however, with four forwards being listed as week-to-week. To help alleviate the problem the Tips acquired 17-year-old forward Will Jamieson from Spokane on Thursday in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2027 WHL prospects draft. The 5-foot-11, 181-pound native of Delburne, Alberta, was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 prospects draft. He had two goals and two assists in 16 games over the past two seasons. Jamieson, who’s unrelated to Tips defenseman Eric Jamieson, has yet to appear in his first game with the Everett.
Then on Sunday the team announced that forward Ben Hemmerling signed his first professional contract, inking a three-year entry-level deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. Hemmerling, a 19-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta, was selected by Vegas in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL draft. In 158 career games over the past four seasons with Everett, Hemmerling has 41 goals and 99 assists, including seven goals and 18 assists in 24 games this season through Saturday. Signing a pro contract means it’s likely Hemmerling plays professionally in the minors next season.
As for the games, Everett began the week with a big 6-2 home victory over East Division-leading Saskatoon on Wednesday. The Tips then finally won their first game against Portland in four attempts, scoring the game’s final six goals in a 6-3 come-from-behind victory at Angel of the Winds Arena. Everett completed its sweep of the week with a 4-3 overtime victory at Kamloops on Saturday, with Dominik Rymon playing hero with the overtime winner.
The three victories improved Everett’s record to 16-9-1-0, and with 33 points the Tips are in second place in the U.S. Division, just one point behind Wenatchee and two points ahead of Portland, though the Winterhawks have three games in hand.
Three stars of the week
Third star: Ethan Chadwick. The 18-year-old goaltender came to the rescue in the game against Portland, relieving Tyler Palmer to start the second period and stopping all 20 shots he faced in the final two periods to aid Everett’s comeback. He then picked up the win against Kamloops, making an incredible glove save in overtime to keep it tied 3-3. He finished the week with a .942 save percentage.
🎥SAVE OF THE NIGHT🎥
Putting the 'WHOA' in WHOA-vertime!@RealCdnSS | @WHLsilvertips | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/xIwnfofn4F— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 26, 2023
Second star: Austin Roest. The 19-year-old forward continues to roll, registering three goals and three assists across the three games. His two goals and an assist sparked Everett’s impressive victory over Saskatoon, as they helped turn a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead.
First star: Teague Patton. The 20-year-old forward finished the week with four goals and two assists. He was the star of the show for Everett against both Portland and Kamloops. His natural hat trick in the second period against Portland tied the score after the Winterhawks led 3-0 after the first, and his goal and assist against Kamloops forced the Blazers to play catch-up throughout.
The week ahead
The Tips are in the midst of their second and final long road trip of the season, traveling first to northern B.C. for a pair of games against Prince George on Monday and Tuesday, then heading east to northern Alberta for games at Edmonton on Friday and at Red Deer on Saturday.
The two games against Prince George will gauge how Everett stacks up against the best in the Western Conference. The Cougars (17-6-0-0) are an offensive juggernaut, averaging nearly five goals per game. Seven Cougars were averaging more than a point per game prior to Monday’s contest, with 18-year-old forward Riley Heidt (13 goals, 28 assists) and 20-year-old forward Zac Funk (20 goals, 20 assists) leading the way.
It’s a different story in Edmonton, where the Oil Kings (6-16-0-1) have the worst record in the league and are allowing nearly five goals per game. Edmonton is led by 17-year-old forward Gavin Hodnett (three goals, 14 assists), as well as 20-year-old defenseman and former Tri-City American Marc Lajoie (eight goals, 10 assists). The Oil Kings will have a big crowd in attendance as it’s their teddy bear toss night.
The trip concludes at Red Deer (10-9-0-3), which started the season slower than expected, but has won four straight to get back in the Central Division mix. Eighteen-year-old goaltender Rhett Stoesser (6-4-0-1, 2.15 goals against average, .925 save percentage) has been one of the league’s best, while 20-year-old forward Kai Uchacz (13 goals, 10 assists) leads the offense.
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