The Portland Winterhawks spent training camp as close to home as possible, as the next month and a half will be spent at road games, as preparations are made for the VMC in the largest retrofit of the building in its history. In doing so, it’s sort of what Mike Johnston likes for a team. Play a bit on the road, make some bumps, fall, make errors, and then present a solid team once at home.
Preseason is always a tough time for many teams, especially those with players away at NHL camps as draftees or invites, and the disruption of creating cohesive lines, etc. It’s not an excuse; it’s a fact for many squads.
One only needs to look at the “standings” for the preseason. Teams like Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and Wenatchee, who struggled last regular season, appear unbeatable in the preseason. Teams like Prince George, who were a dominant force during the regular season, have yet to win a game.
In most preseason games, teams will split net-minding activities during the game and utilize as many rookies and limited-experience players as possible to get a good gauge of the development and growth, and whether adding to the club or sending them down for additional “seasoning” in a lower league may assist. This isn’t an excuse; some flourish when challenged.
The Hawks ended up on the winning side in just one game and on the losing side in four others, many of which were lopsided contests. They were one of two teams to give up 30 or more goals in their games and made it to double digits in goals scored. Two other squads were in single digits. This again doesn’t matter once next week’s games begin, as all teams start at zero.
The Hawks had to play all rookie goaltenders, seventeen years of age or younger, with zero WHL experience. That’s not an excuse; it’s reality and an opportunity to see how they fare in the environment of the WHL. In many cases, the opposite netminder was a well-established WHL goalie, a good test to see how youthful Hawks would fare. Overall, it’s an incomplete grade. No one has a definite return date for players in NHL camps, and several teams will play a much more youth-oriented squad as they welcome back players to the fold. Overall, the Hawks should welcome back all players as none are high enough draft picks to allow them to stay at 18 or European players at 19.
To the games. The Hawks played two in Everett. Originally known as the Labor Day tournament, it was renamed the Holiday tournament to reflect the partnership with the Holiday Inn near the rink. The Hawks faced Spokane, dropping a 7-0 decision and outshot 38-22. Power plays didn’t fare much in this contest. Sergio Davidson and Nixon Mah shared goaltending duties. Portland won against Seattle 5-4 in the next game on a goal by Kaye Ruedig with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation. Tyler DeCarlo and Blake Clarke split time in the net.
The Hawks then had a game in Spokane, where they dropped an 8-4 match to the Chiefs. Tyler DeCarlo and Sergio Davidson split netminding duties. The next night, it was the start of two games. The Hawks dropped a 6-1 decision to Penticton Vees, who used Jesse Sanche, whom they acquired via the expansion draft last year, against Tyler DeCarlo for the Hawks. In the final preseason game, it was the Wenatchee Wild with the 5-2 win. In that game, Tobia Tvrznik, who was drafted in the import draft by the Wild, competed against Blake Calrk, where both went the distance in their respective net duties.
If one is to look at any takeaways, it appears Clarke, DeCarlo, and Davidson are the three netminders most likely to start the season until the return of Ondrej Stebatek to the Hawks’ net. From there, one or more of the three listed will be reassigned. The same can be said for the rest of the roster, sitting at 31 or so. Most of the time, the roster sits at 22 and no more than 24, and adjustments will be made accordingly. In the meantime, it’s an opportunity to get in a great deal of practice and learning as the Hawks go for season 50 in earnest on Friday, September 19, with the start of the regular season.
The Hawks also announced a new partnership with Dave’s Killer Bread. The Hawks are hosting a meet and greet at Fred Meyer in Beaverton from 4-5 pm on Tuesday, September 23, where fans can win tickets, get autographs, and participate in other giveaways. On December 28, a “game takeover” will take place with interactive events on the VMC Concourse, and 100 tickets will be distributed. All will be announced at a later date.
In a week, it all starts for real. Buckle up, it’s time for a wild ride to the 50th Anniversary!
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