The Portland Winterhawks had a rough October with six straight losses, some close by a goal and others; well, let’s say they weren’t close. The Hawks took the traveling show on the road against the Spokane Chiefs. The Chiefs are in the bidding hunt to host the Memorial Cup when it’s the WHL’s turn in 2026. This means they will be tough this year and even more so next. The young Hawks trek to the Veterans Memorial Arena was one for the ages. It was a typical playoff game, with Portland mustering just five shots in the period and Spokane with 13, but the score was tied at 0 at the end of one.
Shea Van Olm of Spokane got his first of two on the night early in the second period. Josh Zakreski replied for Portland 6 minutes later as the tempo of the game quickly picked up, and there was a tremendous amount more feeling in the game, including a fight breaking out and a few minor penalties with Zakreski’s goal coming shorthanded. Portland’s Hudson Darby put the Hawks up by one near the end of the period as Spokane blitzed the Hawks for 24 shots, but it was the 12 that netted the Hawks a pair of goals.
The third period saw Van Olm’s second of the night on the powerplay, and an empty net goal sealed the deal for the Chiefs at 4-2. Ondrej Stebetak was awarded the game’s third star with 46 saves on 49 shots, but the losing streak continued. However, it was a turning point as the Hawks’s resiliency with the shot clock at 50-28 Spokane and Spokane at 1-4 on the powerplay, Portland 0-2, still made it tough, and Spokane was challenging to secure that win.
The Hawks then headed to accesso Sho Ware Center and a date with the Thunderbirds. Like the Hawks, Seattle went all in and is paying for it with youth on the roster, so the matchup would be intriguing. Plus, the game was part of the TV games for the Hawks and Thunderbirds, so it, along with points, came bragging rights of TV superiority.
Fans didn’t have long to wait for a goal. Just 20 seconds in, Carter Southern silenced the crowd with his first on the season. The Hawks went up by two with Kyle Chykowski’s tenth while the team was shorthanded. Into the second, Ryan Miller put the Hawks up by three with a powerplay goal.
As the period ended, Seattle’s Kyren Gronick put the Thunderbirds on the board. As the period ended, the Hawks took a roughing penalty, but Seattle took a roughing minor and the delay of the game carried into the third period. Josh Zakreski took one on the powerplay with Kyle McDonough midway through the third, with the Hawks enjoying a 5-1 lead. Seattle got one back late in the period, but it was too little too late as the Portland Winterhawks snapped a seven-game slide with a 5-2 win. Marek Schlenker was given the game’s first star, stopping 31 of 33 Seattle shots. Portland had 32. Portland was 2-5 on the powerplay and Seattle 1-5 on theirs.
Overall, it’s a light week for the Hawks. They have just one game this weekend versus the Wenatchee Wild before cramming eight games into the second half of the month.
Luke Brunen has been removed from the Winterhawks roster and is currently with the Melville Millionaires of the SJHL. Speaking of goaltenders, Tyler DiCarlo from Anchorage, Alaska, is the latest to sign a WHL Standard Development Contract. At 15, he’s too young to join the Hawks roster, but he made a quality showing at this year’s Neely Cup. He is currently on Team Alaska with assistant coach Josh Hanson, himself a former Winterhawk.
