After two tough losses over the weekend, the Portland Winterhawks returned home for a rare midweek matchup against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. The Warriors, who had just been beaten 7–3 by Tri-City, were looking to get back on track. Portland had other ideas.
Ondrej Štěbeták was outstanding in net, stopping all 26 shots he faced to earn the first shutout of his WHL career as the Winterhawks rolled to a dominant 5–0 win. Ben Miller opened the scoring midway through the first period with his first WHL career goal.
Carsyn Dyck took over in the second, scoring twice in a four-minute span as Portland poured on the pressure. Alex Weiermair added a power-play goal during a blistering 24-shot period, and Jordin Duguay closed out the scoring late in the third.
Portland finished with a commanding 54–26 edge in shots and went 1-for-6 on the power play, while killing off all three Moose Jaw chances. The Winterhawks now head out on the road this weekend for games in Wenatchee and Seattle.
Ice Chips
A couple notable items came out of the two-game set with Kelowna and Portland over the weekend. Winterhawks forward Nathan Brown was suspended for a check-to-the-head penalty and will be eligible to return January 19 against Spokane.
In a scary moment, Kelowna Rockets goaltender [name]was struck just below the eye by a puck that left the playing surface while he was sitting on the bench. Medical staff from both teams attended to him before he was stretchered off and taken to a local hospital. Fortunately, he avoided serious injury, suffering only a severe black eye. It was a stark reminder that pucks can leave the ice at any time and why everyone in the arena must stay alert.
The CHL also mourned the passing of longtime OHL Commissioner and former CHL President David Branch, who died at age 77. Branch served as OHL commissioner from 1979 until his retirement in 2024 and was CHL president from 1996 to 2019. He was instrumental in advancing player safety, mental-health initiatives, and education, including the pioneering OHL Scholarship Program.
Two major awards bear his name: the CHL Most Outstanding Player of the Year and the OHL Executive of the Year. Branch was inducted into the Hockey Order of Canada in 2016, the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, and also served on the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee.
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