With a couple of weeks yet to go before the start of the regular season, a few preseason games will take place to whet the appetite of crazed hockey fans. To Everett, where the Portland Winterhawks faced two different types of opponents.
To start off, the Spokane Chiefs, who look to move further into the playoffs than they have in recent years. The U.S. Division will be another interesting one, as it seems to always have some of the tightest races during the season. The Chiefs feasted on the Hawks, 5-1, with Blake Clark manning the pipes for the first period of shutout hockey. Ondrej Stebetak played the final 40 minutes and allowed four goals.
The next night, it was Everett, a team that played Memorial Cup hockey last year and will be on a down cycle this year. The result was a 7-2 win for the Hawks. The goaltending duo consisted of Ondrej Stebetak, who allowed one goal in a period and a half, and Tyler DiCarlo, who allowed one in his half.
It was interesting to note that Crux Chase did not appear in either game, but perhaps he will with the two games this week, as Ondrej Stebetak will head to an NHL camp along with several other players. The Hawks dealt with goaltending needs last year, leading to the trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers to get Chase.
The Hawks have also announced a new deal with idegy as their new Official Promotional Merchandise Partner. This would mean items such as fan giveaways or similar promotions during the upcoming campaign. It does not affect team store apparel. Fans have lamented the lack of promotional items for the past few seasons. Bobbleheads, which were popular at the start of Gallacher’s ownership, have been nonexistent under the latest ownership group. People have been interested in the trading card sets, but with a maximum of 500 sets released at various times of the year, many have been unsuccessful in completing those sets. As the season progresses and new promotional theme nights arrive, one can hope for some exciting ideas.
As the regular season gets closer, it is important to note that with preseason and just two regular-season games in September, it is truly too early to see what the 2026-27 Winterhawks record will look like. One thing is for certain: the youth continues to be very gung-ho in the early stages and will likely account for much of the scoring initially. Veterans will likely pace themselves better to prevent burnout, especially when the team hits the wall in December, when the halfway point arrives and several players leave to participate in camps for the World Juniors and other showcase tournaments.
When one looks at the preseason standings, it becomes obvious that the records aren’t the main focus. Instead, the emphasis is on line combinations, trying out a few new ideas, and seeing how the mechanics of a team operate. There are fans who do not fully understand this concept, thinking their team should score at will, stop every puck, and control a game.
Preseason is very different from the regular season, as players are just returning from home, getting the cobwebs out, and shaking off the rust from being off the ice for some time. The upcoming preseason games will most likely focus on youth and how, or if, those players will integrate into the team. Currently, most rosters are heavy with players. They will be cut down prior to the regular season and finalized by October 9, at which time only three players aged 20 may be on the roster. Teams can’t trade players at this time and can only add players through roster deductions if players are at NHL training camps.
Be the first to comment