CIONA, THUNDERBIRDS WIN WHL CHAMPIONSHIP

With the roar of the accesso ShoWare Center crowd behind him, Lucas Ciona looked a little lost for words.

"It's no better feeling," he said in his post-game on-ice interview with the WHL. "We did it with the best group of guys there possibly is. I love every single one of these guys and this crowd is just amazing. That building ... that was our team tonight, they were amazing."

Ciona captained the Seattle Thunderbirds to a WHL Championship victory on Friday night, downing the Winnipeg ICE in Game 5 with a 3-1 victory. They will now head to the Memorial Cup, which kicks off next weekend in Kamloops.

The Edmonton, AB, who was selected by the Flames in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, wrapped up the WHL Playoffs with nine goals and 14 points in 24 games. In the regular season, the forward put up 28 goals and 75 points through 63 games.

Ciona has spent his entire WHL career with the Thunderbirds, being drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 2018 draft. In 195 career regular season games, he has 50 goals and 136 points. In the playoffs, he has 14 goals and 23 points in 43 career games.

The Flames signed Ciona to a three-year, entry-level contract on Oct. 30, 2022.