Everett Silvertips
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The Everett Silvertips are a major junior hockey team in the Western Hockey League that plays in Everett, Washington. They were added to the WHL as an expansion team for the 2003-2004 season.
Success in their First Season
In the Silvertips' inaugural season in the U.S. Division of the WHL, they broke multiple records for an expansion team in its first year. Under the direction of General Manager Doug Soetart and Coach Kevin Constantine, they won the division title with a record of 35-26-8-2, and set a record for a first year team in any of the major junior hockey leagues (the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL) with 80 points earned in the regular season, eclipsing the record set by the 1982-1983 Longueuil Chevaliers of the QMJHL. Constantine received the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy from the league as the 2003-2004 Coach of the Year.
In the playoffs in 2004, the Silvertips swept the Spokane Chiefs 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs, and defeated the Vancouver Giants in the second round 4 games to 2. They played the Kelowna Rockets, last year's WHL champions, for the Western Conference title, defeating the Rockets 4-3 in an extremely close series (the Silvertips falling behind 3-1 before winning the final three games in overtime) and earning the chance to play the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL championship. The Tigers swept the series 4-0, ending the Silvertips' season.
Additional Team Information
The Silvertips are named for the silvertip bear (an alternative name for the grizzly bear), and the bear is featured on their logo. They play in the Everett Event Center, a $71.5 million dollar multipurpose complex that seats 8,250 for hockey games, and which was opened in 2003.
External links
- The Everett Silvertips' Official Web Site (http://www.everettsilvertips.com/)