Push to Playoffs: 5 Tri-City Americans players to watch during the 24-25 WHL playoffs

After a roller coaster of a season, the Tri-City Americans are headed to the Western Hockey League playoffs ranked seventh in the Western Conference.

The junior professional league of 15- to 20-year-olds includes 22 teams across two divisions, who face off against each other starting in late September. This season, the Americans won 32 of their 68 games. Of their losses, six ended in overtime and one ended in a shootout.

The team went on a 12-game win streak early in the season, and had multiple other (smaller) win streaks throughout the year. Left-winger Brandon Whynott recorded at least one goal or assist in each game of the streak, and he was named the Hardest Working Player of the Year at the team’s end-of-season awards.

The regular season came to a close over the weekend, and the Ams begin the first round of playoffs against the Victoria Royals on March 28 in Victoria, B.C., Canada. The best-of-seven matchup starts with two games in Victoria, and the first home game of the playoffs is scheduled for April 1.

The Herald spoke with five key players to watch about the regular season, playoff anticipation, and their time in Tri-Cities.

Tri-City Americans players to watch

Whether it’s your first Americans game or you’ve been waiting for playoffs all season, you’re guaranteed some gametime action watching Jake Sloan, Savin Virk, Max Curran, Lukάš Matěcha and Cash Koch.

All five gave massive thanks to the fans for their support all season long. Forward Cash Koch said the support here is “unmatched compared to anywhere else.”

They all noted how loud the crowd gets in the Toyota Center, and how the fans are always there to support no matter what the score is. The fans keep them going, keep their energy up, and help them turn things around when it matters most.

“This team runs on the fans,” said forward Savin Virk. “The support that you guys show, it doesn’t go unnoticed, it means the world.”

Captain Jake Sloan, #15

Team Captain Jake Sloan leads the team in goals, and was only passed up for overall points at the very end of the season. He has produced consistently on the ice, bringing in goals and assists all season long, and is particularly reliable during the Power Play.

Quick stats

• Points: 73 (second most)
• Goals: 29 (most)
• Assists: 44 (second most)
• Power Play goals: 5 (second most)
• Game-winning goals: 4 (tied for most)

A center from Leduc, Alberta, Canada, the recently-turned 21-year-old has spent his entire WHL career with the Tri-City Americans. As captain this year, he’s tried to influence the rest of his team to stay focused and productive on the ice. He’s also prioritized team chemistry, encouraging the players to spend time together just for fun, and to talk through any slumps or performance problems as a team.

“We’re just very close together off the ice, so it translates over onto the ice…” Sloan said in an interview. “I think we’ve just got good team chemistry, a good bond between everyone, so it helps with our on-ice skills.”

He also encourages practicing simple skills as much as they can, staying fit and focused on performing well. They’re all in the league to grow their skills, so he helps the team improve as a whole and with players’ individual game. He says the growth comes from starting with what comes naturally, and working on additional skills from there, not forcing a new style.

For him, he’s always been a playmaker on the ice, and while he’s kept this mindset in the WHL, he’s also learned to improve his own game.

“I kept getting told to be more selfish and shoot the puck, so I’ve been doing that a lot more.” Sloan said.

Fast facts

• Team award: Offensive Player of the Year
• Favorite music: Country
• Off-ice activities: Golfing, hiking or walking dogs, relaxing

Savin Virk, #16

Another player consistently producing points is one of the rookies, 17-year-old Savin Virk. He’s tied for the most short-handed goals and most game-winning goals on the team, and is also in the top five for points, goals and Power Play goals.

Quick stats

• Points: 46 (fifth most)
• Goals: 22 (fourth most)
• Power Play goals: 4 (third most)
• Short-handed goals: 2 (tied for most)
• Game-winning goals: 4 (tied for most)

The right-winger from Surrey, British Columbia was named the WHL’s Rookie of the Month in February for an explosive performance at the start of 2025. In February, he had a four-game goal streak and the first hat trick (three goals in one game) of his WHL career.

For his first year in the WHL, the season has had its ups and downs. But the team often turned things around when the pressure was turned up, in overtime or against a really strong team.

“That’s just the way it goes,” Virk said about the season. “Sometimes you have to find a way to dig deep late, and our team’s been pretty resilient in that part.”

On the ice, he likes to get involved early, hit the ground running (or skating, technically). He’s even scored a goal on his first shift out a couple times this season, and he’s been the first goal scorer four different times, a feat only accomplished by one other player on the team, Sloan.

Lately playing on a line with the team’s Captain, Virk and Sloan have gotten to know each other’s game well. Virk said getting more comfortable with the entire team has increased his capacity and performance on the ice.

“For Sloaner, he’s been a proven point-getter…” Virk said. “He’s been good for all the years he’s been here, which has been quite a while. He’s Captain this year, and he’s someone we always look up to during games. You just want to play for him and play for the rest of the leaders.”

Fast facts

• Team Award: Rookie of the Year (tied with Gavin Garland)
• Favorite music: Hip-hop and pop
• Off-ice activities: Hanging out with teammates or billet family

Virk said the team doesn’t really have cliques when they hang out, no separation by age or experience, everyone spends time together. The players told the Herald some of their favorite spots in Tri-Cities include Graze, Greek Islands, Twigs and Hooked.

Ams players live locally, with billet families who might host several players during the season. Virk spoke highly of his billet family and the time he spends with them.

“Whether it’s dinner with your billets, dinner with your teammates, that’s the best part about junior hockey, just getting to make those relationships that you know will last a lifetime,” Virk said.

Max Curran, #73

Leading the team in assists and recently edging out Sloan for most overall points is center Max Curran. He also has the most Power Play assists on the team.

Quick stats

• Points: 74 (most)
• Goals: 22 (third most)
• Assists: 52 (most)
• Power Play goals: 4 (tied for third most)
• Power Play assists: 15 (most)

The 18-year-old is from Prague, Czech Republic. During the 2024 NHL Draft, Curran was selected in Round 5 by the Colorado Avalanche. He attended their training camp during the offseason and will remain a team draftee through his remaining years in the WHL.

Curran told the Herald he hears from the Avalanche throughout the season about his gameplay, with guidance for improvement, which has helped his game.

“But as of right now, I’m playing for Tri-Cities, so I’m focusing just on this season and trying to get as far as I can in playoffs,” Curran said.

He says he’s always been a playmaker on the ice, but has leaned into the role more since coming to North America. The coaching team has given him a lot of trust in his role, and the trust he has with his teammates makes it easier.

“It’s just been kind of natural,” Curran said. “I like setting guys up, I like helping my teammates, and I like to create offense.”

Fast facts

• Team award: Scholastic Player of the Year
• Favorite music: Czech rap and UK rap
• Off-ice activities: Studying, spending time with teammates

This season, Curran maintained a 4.0 across nine courses, including Czech literature. He also spends a lot of time with his teammates, especially goaltender Lukάš Matěcha, who is also from the Czech Republic.

The duo listens to a lot of Czech rap. They’ll often ask the locker room’s go-to DJ, defenseman Carter Savage, to play Czech rap in the locker room, and he will occasionally give in - but not often. Other players also noted Savage isn’t keen on requests, though they appreciate his high-energy rap and radio mixes.

Either way, Curran and Matěcha are both just appreciative to have someone on the team who speaks their same first language.

Lukάš Matěcha, #30

The team’s starting goalie this season, Lukάš Matěcha has played 49 games and won 26 of them. This makes him the fifth-best goalie in the entire WHL.

Quick stats

• Save percentage: .900
• Average goals against: 3.55

He just recently turned 20, so he still has one more season he can participate in the WHL. From Paradubice, Czech Republic, he has been playing hockey as a goalie since age 4, and was brought in by the Americans in 2023.

“I’m far from my family, so it’s hard sometimes, but I try to not focus on that, and focus on the hockey,” Matěcha said. “That’s the reason I’m here, you know?”

When he’s in the net, he’s always visualizing how the puck may come down the ice or make its way toward the goal. He doesn’t focus on the specific situation, stressful as it may be, and instead treats every puck the same, whether it’s practice or overtime.

“I don’t feel any pressure in the net,” Matěcha said. “I’m just focusing on the puck.”

In previous years, he’s spent some of the offseason training with NHL teams, including the Detroit Red Wings and the 2024 Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. Matěcha said he brought back skills he learned playing with and watching the NHLers at these development camps.

But with one more year in the WHL, he’s focused on his current league.

“I try to focus on the moment,” Matěcha said. “I am here now, and I am gonna do everything to win the games and playoffs.”

While it’s commonplace for goalies to have personal rituals on ice – like circling their zone, tapping both sides of the net, or certain warmup routines – Matěcha doesn’t have a ritual. He believes it takes your focus away from the game, that believing in superstitions impacts your mentality for the game.

“Ritual is another level of fear,” the goaltender said.

Fast facts

• Team award: Most Valuable Player
• Favorite music: Czech rap
• Off-ice activities: Anything to avoid being bored, especially time with teammates

Cash Koch, #11

With a game as physical as hockey, you’re bound to have some more physical players. The Americans forward known for his physicality is Cash Koch. While producing points and creating offense on the ice this season, he’s also been a primary enforcer for the team, often getting involved when things get heated. Because of this role, he has the most penalty minutes on the team.

Quick stats

• Points: 18
• Goals: 11
• Assists: 7
• Penalty minutes: 107 (most)

An enforcer is a strategic role to be in, because you have to be good at picking your battles. You can’t fall for easy temptation and risk an unnecessary penalty for your team, but if you play your cards right, you can put your team on the Power Play. You have to be careful not to put your team at a disadvantage.

“I just let it come naturally,” Koch said about physical moments on the ice. “Sometimes I look for it, but most the time it just comes to me.”

While many fans love him for his ferocity during fights or other heated moments, he’s just as focused on the game as the rest of his teammates. He’s watching what’s going on, setting up plays and thinking strategically at all times.

He’s one of the few players with a short-handed goal this season. Virk has two, as does defenseman Brandon Whynott. There are only three other players with a short-handed goal this season: Koch, Sloan and Curran.

Like his teammates, Koch thinks the team’s bond has contributed to their performance this season. He says being bonded from the start of the season has helped them establish mutual trust on the ice, that they all know they have each other’s backs.

“It’s kind of less pressure on yourself, knowing that everyone else is going to do their job,” Koch said.

Some of his favorite moments this season were the overtime winner on Pink Ice Night, a tradition for breast cancer awareness, and the 12-game winning streak.

“The 12-game winning streak, that was crazy,” Koch said. “That’s like, unheard of, especially at this level, so that was very special.”

Fast facts

• Favorite music: Country
• Off-ice activities: Fishing, dirt biking, video games with teammates, finishing his last year of school

Tri-City Americans defensemen

You can’t discount the efforts of the defensemen this season, either.

Two players tied for Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson Smith and Terrell Goldsmith.

Smith is expected to be an early pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft for his ability to get the puck out of danger and create offensive opportunities for his team. He racked up 54 points this season, the fourth-most on the team, across 11 goals and 43 assists.

Goldsmith is the only player who even comes close to Koch’s penalty minutes with 99, and he’s also known for his physical play. He was selected in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, now the Utah Hockey Club. This season, he has four goals and 12 assists.

Defenseman Charlie Elick just signed a three-year entry level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tri-City Americans in WHL Playoffs

The Americans are headed into the first round of playoffs, facing the team ranked second, the Victoria Royals. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.

• Game One will be March 28 in Victoria

• Game Two will be March 29 in Victoria

• Game Three will be at 7:05 p.m., April 1 in Kennewick

• Game Four will be at 7:05 p.m., April 2 in Kennewick

• Game Five, if necessary, will be at 7:05 p.m., April 4 in Kennewick

• Game Six, if necessary, will be April 6 in Victoria

• Game Seven, if necessary, will April 7 in Victoria

The players stressed the need for fan support during playoffs, whether old fans or new.

“Hockey is one of the best sports to watch in my opinion,” Virk said. “So if you’re going to come to a game at playoff time, I think you came to the right place at the right time.”

Virk noted how nice it is to clinch playoffs, no matter what league you’re in, and he called it a blessing just to have a chance.

They’re all looking forward to the big moments that will surely come during playoffs, and they know the crowd will support them through it all.

This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM.