Wild Season Ends in Thriller & 10 Former Stars Make History!

The Wenatchee Wild closed out the final weekend of play, refusing to fade quietly. Wenatchee's final home game saw the Wild beat the number one-seeded Everett Silvertips, 5-1. With injuries to top Wenatchee Wild goaltenders Tobias Tvrznik and Cal Conway, Wenatchee Wild goaltender Carsten Leyerzapf stepped right into the fire and fired up the Wenatchee faithful with 54 saves, earning the win in their final home game of the season.

The following night, in Everett, the Wild played toe-to-toe with the Silvertips, losing 6-5 in a thrilling Saturday night game to close out the 2025-26 WHL season.

Carsten Leyerzapf turned aside 54 shots, while Zane Saab and Aiden Grossklaus each scored twice. Grossklaus’s goal with just 6.2 seconds remaining capped a spirited comeback.

Wenatchee finished the year 25-38-3-2, improving on last season’s win total.

Everett’s Hunter Rudolph notched a hat trick as the Silvertips capped a record-setting 57-8-3-2 campaign.

Ten Wenatchee Wild Alumni Set for 2026 NCAA Division I Hockey Tournament

The Wenatchee Valley’s hockey pipeline to the highest levels of college hockey is on full display once again. Ten former Wenatchee Wild players will compete in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Tournament, which begins Thursday with regional action across four sites.

North Dakota and UConn each boast a pair of former Wild players. North Dakota enters as a top seed in the Sioux Falls Regional, led by Cade Littler (5G, 8A in 33 games) and Tyler Young (5G, 6A in 29 games). Littler previously posted 113 points in Wenatchee, while Young tallied 37 points in 56 games during the 2019-20 season.

The UConn Huskies feature Huston Karpman, making his second NCAA appearance, and Brendan Dunphy, who recorded six points in 36 games this season after 22 points in 47 WHL games with the Wild. Dunphy was selected in the seventh round by the Florida Panthers in last year’s NHL Draft.

Cornell’s Parker Murray (53 points in a season-and-a-half with Wenatchee) returns for the Big Red’s fourth straight tournament berth.

Quinnipiac’s Graham Sward, who exploded for 81 points in his final WHL season, has contributed 15 points in his rookie college campaign.

Defending national champion Western Michigan features Garrett Szydlowski (57 points over two Wild seasons), while Ean Somoza — a key part of last year’s title run before transferring — posted 24 points to help Minnesota State win the CCHA Mason Cup. The Broncos and Mavericks meet again in the first round.

Wisconsin’s Daniel Hauser, the WHL’s all-time winningest goaltender with 103 victories, brings 18 wins to the Badgers.

Dartmouth’s Jason Stefanek (28 points in 53 games with the Wild in 2022-23) added 12 points in his college debut after winning an ECAC title.

Wenatchee fans can follow the action starting Thursday, with matchups including UConn vs. Michigan State and Wisconsin vs. Dartmouth in Worcester, and Western Michigan vs. Minnesota State in Loveland.

Wenatchee Wild Forward Sam Elliott Commits to Alaska Fairbanks

20-year-old Wenatchee Wild forward Sam Elliott, who just finished his Junior hockey career, has committed to continue his hockey career at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, joining the Nanooks for the 2026-27 NCAA Division I season.

The 2005-born White Rock, B.C. native spent one impactful season with the Wild, recording 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) in 45 WHL games as a 20-year-old.

He arrived from the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles, where he tallied 28 points in 68 games over two seasons and helped capture the 2024 Fred Page Cup championship after earning Rookie of the Year honors.

“Sam made a sizable impact both on and off the ice during his time in Wenatchee,” -Wenatchee Wild

The Nanooks, celebrating their 100th anniversary this season, finished 15-15-3 and won the inaugural United Collegiate Hockey Cup. Twelve former Nanooks have reached the NHL, including Colton Parayko.

Elliott becomes the eighth Wild player to announce an NCAA Division I commitment since CHL players gained eligibility in late 2024. He plans to pursue a business degree in Fairbanks.

The Wenatchee Wild congratulate Sam Elliott and wish him success with the Nanooks.

Wenatchee Wild Ink Minnesota Standout Tate Hardacre

The Wild have signed 2007-born defenseman Tate Hardacre to a Scholarship & Development Agreement, adding a big, physical blueliner with proven offensive upside to their Western Hockey League roster.

The Chaska, Minnesota native helped lead Minnetonka High School’s Skippers to the Class AA state championship game this season, finishing as runner-up. In 30 games, the 6’4” Hardacre tallied 28 points, including a seven-game point streak, earned a Reed Larson Award nomination as the state’s top high school defenseman, and landed on the all-tournament team.

“Tate is a player we are very excited about; he’s hard to play against with good offensive instincts and can impact the game in all three zones.” -Wenatchee Wild Assistant GM Chris Clark

Hardacre, who captained Southwest Christian/Richland as a junior and notched seven NAHL games with St. Cloud, emphasized his defensive reliability and looks forward to sharpening his skating in the WHL’s fast pace.

The Wild proudly welcome Hardacre to the pack as he begins his junior career in Wenatchee.