With many things going on within the WHL and CHL, the Hawks also needed to find a new man behind the microphone leading into this season. Nick Marek, who had been the voice of the Portland Winterhawks for the past several seasons, packed up and moved to North Carolina, where he could be closer to home. The Hawks had initially snatched him from the NAHL team based in Texas, the Lone Star Brahmas, back in 2018, and his run in the Rose City was memorable, including an appearance in the Western Conference Final.
Back then, he was a 26-year-old who had called 300 Junior games; now he has doubled that and ten some as he reaches 35.
Having him leave was a massive hole within the group, not only in broadcasting, but for many of the things that made him a strong presence in the digital age.
The Hawks went hunting, knowing that Josh Critzer was in the back pocket, should they need additional time to find their person.
It seems that they have found that person.
Will Hentschel comes to the Hawks after working as an announcer for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL as both announcer and media relations intern, and appears to have been found by Jeff McGilliss, who is the Hawks COO.
Hentschel will be the Hawks’ play-by-play broadcaster and Broadcasting and Communications Coordinator, and brings a strong resume to the game. Having been the voice on ESPN+ and FloSports for NCAA programs such as Harvard, Bentley, UMass Lowell, Babson, and Florida Gulf Coast University, in addition to the Everblades.
Hentschel’s broadcasting background also includes calling college basketball and baseball games, hosting a team-run podcast, and earning a Broadcast and Digital Journalism degree from Syracuse University. It is most likely that he will test the feed during the preseason tournament games and also post a video of his impending arrival in Portland, where he promoted the first official home game on October 25, when the Hawks face the Saskatoon Blades.
Another interesting addition comes on the heels of the WHL playoffs and Memorial Cup games being featured on the Victory App. The Hawks have announced that all 68 games will be featured on the app, allowing fans to see the Central Swing in October as well as several of the big matches that the Hawks are promoting for the 50th anniversary.
The WHL has also included every game of the WHL in a blockbuster multi-year deal with Victory Plus in streaming. For years, the issues have been shaky platforms, lost signals, and other problems, leading to a less-than-enthusiastic fan base and most certainly dwindling numbers. The last year, which saw playoffs and Memorial Cup games added, significantly enhanced the viewers’ experience. It will allow those who have been unable to get to games or get tickets to specific battles to see the games in real time. They will also be locating archive games, classic matchups, and on-demand content, the likes of which have not been seen before. This will mark the first-ever free viewing of the games and make it available worldwide. Those who watched games during the playoffs remarked on the clarity of the content.
Action on the stream through the Victory+ app begins September 19 as eight games are slated that night.
Because camp will once again be at Sherwood Ice Arena, the limited capacity means that camp will once again be closed to the general public. However, in the age of digital, a stream of events will be available. The subscription costs $25.95 per month. Updates will be on winterhawks.com. The camp will be three days, Thursday, August 27, to Saturday, August 30, with the dreaded cuts that night and during the following week. Expect about 30 to 35 players to attend the Everett tournament, and fewer than 30 when the team heads to Kennewick. The average during the season is 23 players, so there will be some reassignments there.
Among the news will be several players not in the camp skating, including Reed Brown, Hudson Darby, Jaxon Jaffray, Max Pšenička, Ondřej Štěbeták, and Tyson Yaremko. Seventy-six players are scheduled to partake. Ominously missing is that Luke Brunen played a handful of games during the time another goaltender was needed and before Marek Schlenker became the backup to Stebetak. The Penticton Vees drafted Marek during the expansion draft, so many thought Brunen might slot back in following that. The goaltenders listed on the roster are born in 2008 to 2010, so the backup will be the same age or younger than Stebatek, who would be slated at the number one goalie spot.
The teams, named after Perry Turnbull, Randy Ireland, Wayne Babych, and Paul Mulvey, will compete in two 25-minute periods, as in previous years. This year, a 10-minute 3-on-3 battle will follow the second game. Camp will now be just three days, with games starting at 3:30 on Thursday and Friday, and 8:30 am on Saturday, with that being a full day with competition, and then the finals to conclude the cup, the two competition games ending by 12:30, and then resuming for the final games at 4 pm. The $50 million renovation at the VMC is slated to be completed in time for the October 25 home opener against Saskatoon.
Can you taste the frosty ice yet? It may be hot outside, but it will cool off quickly, and hockey season will be in full swing.
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