Vancouver Giants fall to Seattle in Cameron Schmidt return game

Schmidt, who’s fifth all-time in goals for the Giants, has chances but is held off the scoresheet in a 3-1 Seattle win

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Published Feb 17, 2026 • 3 minute read

Vancouver Giants goalie foils former teammate Cameron Schmidt on a breakaway Monday at the Langley Events Centre. Schmidt got the last laugh, though, as his Seattle Thunderbirds won 3-1 in his first game back at the LEC since being traded. Photo by Rob Wilton

The Vancouver Giants kept former star Cameron Schmidt off the scoresheet in his return to the Langley Events Centre Monday afternoon, but Schmidt and his new Seattle Thunderbirds mates kept the Giants out of the win column once again.

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Seattle recorded a 3-1 triumph over Vancouver before an announced crowd of 4,516 in a holiday matinee that marked the first game between the teams since the Giants dealt Schmidt to Thunderbirds on Jan. 5 as part of their midseason hybrid rebuild.

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The fleet-footed winger had chances — including being foiled by Vancouver goalie Kelton Pyne when he tried to go five-hole on a short-handed breakaway in the second period — but didn’t register point for the game. That’s only happened eight times this season to the Dallas Stars prospect.

Schmidt’s 81 points, including 38 goals, in 56 regular season games have him second in WHL scoring, trailing only the 84 points put up by Kamloops Blazers forward JP Hurlbert.

Even though he’s been gone for seven weeks, Schmidt is still Vancouver’s leading scorer on the season, with his 27 goals and 60 points in 39 games as a Giant. The 19-year-old played 162 regular season games over four seasons with Vancouver and tallied 99 times, which is the fifth-best mark in franchise history.

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The Giants made seven deals the week of the Jan. 8 trade deadline, looking to both stay in the playoff race this season and also bring in younger talent that could help them next year. They received defenceman Kaleb Hartmann, 18, and five WHL Draft selections — including two first rounders in 2026 and 2028 — for Schmidt, and used some of that capital to acquire sharpshooter Mathis Preston, 17, in a swap with the Spokane Chiefs.

The Giants looked as connected as they have all season in the first game after all the trading, recording an entertaining 4-3 overtime victory versus the Tri-City Americans on a night when Preston scored the winner. Preston hurt his knee the next evening against the Wenatchee Wild and star defenceman Ryan Lin injured his wrist the next night after that in a return match in Wenatchee, and neither has played since.

Vancouver (20-32-1-2) has dropped eight of 10 with both players missing, and they’re last in the 12-team Western Conference. They’re 11 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with 13 games remaining.

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There’s no firm timeline on a return for either Preston or Lin. They were both named to the Wednesday’s WHL Prospects Game at the LEC, but have been replaced in the lineup. Lin is back skating on his own, so he could be in the Vancouver lineup within the next couple of weeks.

Seattle (22-23-4-3) is 10th in the West, three points below the playoff bar. They’re back at the LEC on Feb. 27, and than Vancouver visits the Thunderbirds on March 15.

Seattle had dealt Vancouver Canucks centre prospect Braeden Cootes, 19, to the Prince Albert Raiders and received four players and four draft picks, including first rounders in 2026 and 2028. They used some of that acquire to Schmidt. Schmidt, who was a Stars’ third rounder last summer, is more likely to be back in the WHL next season than Cootes, 19, the Canucks’ first rounder (No. 15 overall) last summer who started the current campaign with three games with the big club before being reassigned to junior.

Giants netminder Kelton Pyne received a slashing major at 19:37 of the third Monday for taking his stick to Seattle’s Antonio Martorana. Pyne was tossed from the game as a result and could be looking at suspension from the league. All non-fighting major penalties are automatically reviewed by the league. Pyne, 20, received a one-game suspension for the match penalty he was assessed for taking his blocker to a Wenatchee opponent at the 19:50 mark of the third period in the Jan. 11 game.

The Giants didn’t have goalie Burke Hood (illness) this weekend, but the 18-year-old New York Islanders draft pick is expected to be ready to go when the team resumes action with a trip to the Spokane Chiefs on Friday. Call-up Oliver Bryks, 16, played the final 0:23 Monday against Seattle, marking his WHL debut. He’s part the Delta Hockey Academy’s Under-18 team this season.

@SteveEwen

SEwen@postmedia.com