The Portland Winterhawks break camp and pick up a win in their first preseason game at home. The camp and preseason were well attended as the Hawks played a preseason game at home for the first time in years, posting a 5-3 win over the Tri-City Americans, whom they won’t face in Everett or Tri-City in the coming weeks for their “tournaments.”
The Hawks announced the preseason roster on Facebook and their website, and it does not list Max Psenica. Drafted by Utah at 19, he could be assigned to the ECHL, AHL, or the main roster. He could also return to Portland. Because of the possibility of losing him, the Hawks haven’t listed him on their roster. The roster lists 19 forwards, with eight having not donned the Hawks sweater. Seven of the 10 defensemen haven’t been on the Hawks roster so that it will be a fairly fresh group behind the blue line. The goaltenders listed are as expected, with Stebetak, Cruz and Clark, along with DiCarlo, who appeared early in games last year as the fourth between the pipes. Overall, with a shift into the NCAA primarily with older players, teams seem to be developing younger stars and should provide some exciting matchups.
They will bring this roster on the road for the four games, minus any players off to NHL camps, and be ready for the season opener September 18 in Everett and the home opener September 26, when they face the Kamloops Blazers.
The Neely Cup was a cakewalk for Team Walker, who went 6-2 overall and a perfect 3-0 in 3-on-3. They scored 24 goals and were the only team in single digits for goals against, at eight. The Cup featured team names of players not drafted in the WHL but who made a huge impact overall in the NHL and beyond.
There was a bit of panic at the start of the month when Victory Plus dissolved. The website had several leagues and teams on the go, but Victory Plus never paid those teams. The WHL is the only league within the CHL that offered free webcasting, and with all the recent upgrades by teams enhancing the feed, graphics, and more, many thought it would just end.
Dan Near, President of the WHL, offered an interim solution while the league sorts this out. During the 2026-27 campaign, fans will be able to follow the action on YouTube. The platform, which has exploded over the past several years, will at least be the WHL’s home this season. Details on how it will work will be released soon.
The other leagues within the CHL will still be offering games, but at a cost, something Near didn’t want to go back to. Near said that the exposure on Victory Plus was amazing, getting to places and being talked about, which bodes well for recruiting. It will be interesting to see if this is a one-year setup or something one can rely on going forward.
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