Our local WHL team began their season with a pair of games over the weekend. They opened the 2022-23 campaign with a home game against the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Langley Event Center on Friday.

The Thunderbirds went up 2-0 in the first period thanks to goals from Gracyn Sawchyn and Brayden Dube.

With 1:30 left in the frame Ethan Semeniuk got the Giants on the board with a goal assisted by Jaden Lipinski.

Mazden Leslie tied it up with a powerplay goal in the second but the Thunderbirds took the lead again late in the period.

The Giants struck again on the powerplay in the third with a goal from Ty Thorpe. Kyren Gronick picked up his second PP assist of the night.

The game went into overtime tied at three and then to a shootout. Gracyn Sawchyn beat Giants goaltender Brett Mirwald to seal the win for Seattle.

Mirwald stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced in regulation and overtime but was 0 for two in the shootout.

On Saturday the Giants travelled south to Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, WA to take on the Silvertips.

Jackson Berezowski scored 1:44 into the first and the Silvertips held the lead the rest of the night. Everett added a second eight minutes later to double their lead.

Jaden Lipinski finally got the Giants in the game with an early goal of the year candidate in the second period.

JADEN LIPINSKI, IT'S ONLY NIGHT TWO!😱@WHLGiants pic.twitter.com/P6uBup3KQK

— The WHL (@TheWHL) September 25, 2022

That was about all that went right for the Giants on Saturday. The Silvertips won the game 4-1.

Matthew Hutchinson started in goal for the Giants and was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots halfway through the game. Brett Mirwald replaced him and stopped all 11 shots he faced.

Overall, opening weekend didn’t go as planned for the Giants with an 0-1-1 start. Next up is a match with the Victoria Royals at home on Friday.