This week, though the Portland Winterhawks play this weekend, one game will be featured on TV. The home game against Seattle will air at 6 pm on Saturday the 15th as Fan Appreciation night.
A week later, it will be in Seattle on Saturday, March 22, with both games commencing at 6 pm.
Two injuries happened within a few days of each other, and both are notable. The first occurred during the Portland versus Everett game. On a night where the Hall of Fame welcomed Jim Benning and Braydon Coburn to the tapestry at the corner of the VMC, tragedy struck the Everett Silvertips. A check into the boards resulted in a tangling of players. One was Carter Bear from Everett, a 40-goal scorer eligible to be drafted this season. Things are now in doubt. During the collision, Bear suffered what has now been confirmed as a lacerated Achilles tendon. The injury was quickly attended to by Tips training and Portland staff members, and Bear was rushed from the ice on a stretcher. He did accompany the team to Everett. Bear’s injury requires time, and a lot of it. Timeframes for this type of injury can be upwards of a year with rehabilitation and possible surgery to repair. This could mean that not only will Bear miss the regular season and playoffs, but it will also cut heavily into next season. The Tips posted a big thank you to everyone involved in getting the situation under control quickly.
The other was in Seattle where the Tri City Americans were to face Seattle Thunderbirds. The Birds were only 3 points up on Wenatchee and six on Kamloops, and they were hoping to spread some distance while the Americans wanted to get back ahead of the Vancouver Giants, whom they trailed by 2, and Portland, whom they were three back. Seattle scored twice in the first period to lead 2-0. Just over a minute into the second frame, Terrell Goldsmith for Tri City and Ashton Crumby for Seattle got into a fight. What happened next was a nightmare for all in attendance and watching the game live stream. Goldsmith’s helmet came off, and Crumby landed a punch, which appears to be right between the eyes. It appears Goldsmith may have been knocked out. Goldsmith then crumpled and landed face-first on the ice, hitting hard. Instantly, Goldsmith was a bloody mess. Rushing to his aid was the Tri City trainer to stop the massive bleeding. It is thought Goldsmith may have gone into convulsions while on the ice. A stretcher was summoned, and he was carried from the ice, leaving a massive amount of blood on the ice. Both teams went to their respective dressing rooms as the ice was cleared. After ten minutes, it was decided to postpone the game to a later date. It is most likely that the final 2 periods will take place prior to a game in Seattle, with the regulation game following.
Tri City announced that Goldsmith is awake and alert in the hospital as he recovers. While rare, these incidents are a good reminder that things can change instantly.
The games this week have altered the standings a bit. Swift Current couldn’t clinch the eighth and final playoff spot, but it’s all assured as they are 8 points up on Red Deer with four games remaining. The Broncos lost the Red Deer 3-2, which breathed a glimmer of hope. Calgary scored a 3-2 win over Edmonton and is tied with Medicine Hat for the Eastern Conference lead. Everett also won 3-2 over Spokane, heading the Scotty Munro Best Overall Record race by 6 points with four games left for them. Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Prince Albert are with a point of each other, and in a strange move< Prince Albert Raiders fired their coach, Jeff Truitt, who had been a coach since the 2022-23 season but was the assistant coach prior since 2019. Ryan MacDonald replaced him. MacDonald’s first game was a loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes this week.
Out West, Prince George Cougars and Victoria Royals remained tied in the BC Division, but Victoria has a game in hand and could come down to the final two meetings at the end of the season. Portland, Tri City, and Vancouver are knotted tightly, and the next few games will decide it all as the playoff matches. It’s coming down to the wire as the teams jockey to the finish for their spots and travel plans.
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