The Portland Winterhawks’ season is off to a challenging start. With so many new faces and what feels like an endless road trip, the Hawks are bound to hit a few bumps before things settle.
After a tough loss in Medicine Hat, Portland rolled into Calgary to face the Hitmen. Hockey in Cowtown hasn’t been easy lately, as Calgary continues to search for its own identity in the Central Division.
The Hitmen struck first, sneaking a shot past goaltender Ondrej Stebatek from the slot. But the Hawks answered late in the first period when Kyle McDonough fired through traffic on the power play to even the score at one.
Early in the second, Calgary’s Kale Dach restored the lead with a slick backhand deke. Ryan Miller generated several strong chances before finally converting on a redirected shot to tie the game 2-2.
The third period was a goaltending showcase, with Stebatek and Calgary’s Aiden Heiss—making his WHL debut—both coming up big. After a missed tripping call behind the Hitmen net, Alex Weiermair dug the puck loose and fed Jake Gustafson for the go-ahead goal.
Calgary pressed in the final minute but couldn’t find the equalizer, giving Portland a 3-2 comeback win. The Hitmen outshot the Hawks 34–29. Portland went 1-for-5 on the power play and held Calgary scoreless on four chances before 3,100 fans at the Thanksgiving Day matinee.
The Hawks then headed north to Edmonton to face the powerhouse Oil Kings, who currently sit atop both the Eastern Conference and the WHL standings. Things unraveled early after a misplay behind the net by Stebatek led to an easy Edmonton goal. The Oil Kings poured it on with two more in the first and another late in the second on the power play.
Portland clawed back in the third. Jordan Duguay scored on the power play, Alex Weiermair added another midway through the frame, and Duguay struck again with four minutes left. But Edmonton answered just 45 seconds later and sealed the 6–3 win with an empty-netter. Shots were close (34–32 Edmonton), and both teams finished 1-for-5 on the power play.
Next up: Red Deer. A win over the Rebels in the final game of the swing would give Portland a winning road record and bring them to .500 on the season. Red Deer’s slow start could make them dangerous—just the kind of opponent that can surprise a road-weary team.
After that, the Hawks play once in Vancouver before finally returning home for their long-awaited opener against the Saskatoon Blades—their 12th game of the season, and remarkably, only their second at home.
Off the ice, the Winterhawks named Ryan Miller as the 50th captain in franchise history. He’ll be supported by overagers Alex Weiermair, Tyson Yaremko, and Carter Southern as alternates. The leadership group will guide a young roster through what’s already been a season of resilience.
Head coach Mike Johnston also received some exciting news: he’s been named assistant coach for Team CHL at the upcoming U.S. Prospects Challenge. The event takes place November 25 in Calgary and November 26 in Lethbridge, featuring the top NHL Draft-eligible players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL against the U.S. National Under-18 Team.
Last year’s challenge produced 16 first-round NHL picks from the CHL squad. This year’s rankings remain tight, with Everett (4th), Edmonton (5th), Spokane (9th), and Prince Albert (10th) representing the WHL in the national top ten. Host team Kelowna sits eighth and will need to elevate its game to contend for the Memorial Cup on home ice.
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