The Portland Winterhawks had one more home game before they hit the road for six, and it was against the lowly Wenatchee Wild.
The Wild are truly falling from grace, and they haven’t had an easy time—here’s a brief look at their history. They entered the league as the Edmonton Ice, moved to Cranbrook, and became the Kootenay Ice. The team faced a major battle when it relocated to Winnipeg, as the city and community fought hard to keep it. Mile-high promises followed the team, from a new rink in South Winnipeg to a chance at a Manitoba rivalry and more. The team ended up playing at the University of Manitoba’s Wayne Fleming Arena, the smallest in the WHL, and even with some renovations, fans could sit on only one side.
The WHL finally stepped in and ordered the team sold. Wenatchee, the lone U.S. team in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), faced COVID-related issues that kept it from traveling and left it dormant. When restrictions lifted, Hockey Canada, the sport’s governing body, changed. The BCHL opted out of Hockey Canada and, with it, any participation in the Canada-wide Centennial Cup, awarded to the playoff champion across the five-league group.
The WHL came calling, looking for expansion, with talks of Chilliwack reentering the league, now pushed to at least 2027, and Wenatchee. The Winnipeg Ice finished a tough season, losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds for the right to represent the WHL at the Memorial Cup. The draft cupboard was bare after building for a run, and the team moved to Wenatchee with the bloom coming off the rose.
The initial year or two were decent. They excelled in their first year but started to slip last season. Now, they’ll be hard-pressed to do well this year as they rebuild. Fortunately, the people of Wenatchee can handle growing pains in their support of the team, a feat that might not go over well in cities with plenty of entertainment.
The Wild came into Portland with goaltender Tobias Tvrznik backstopping the team. He has been the backbone of this squad. However, with a less-than-solid group up front, they won’t get a ton of wins.
The Hawks got some good news and bad news at almost the same time. Kyle McDonough, who has been on the shelf for a bit, returned to the Hawks’ fold. However, Max Psenicka’s injury was more serious, and he is out week-to-week.
The Hawks had two solid periods in the game against Wenatchee. Trevor Toyne had just signed a WHL Standard Player Agreement and was in the lineup. He scored just over six minutes in, his first WHL goal. Wenatchee responded six minutes later while on the power play. David Hoy, who had just returned from the penalty box, scored a shorthanded goal while his teammate Will McLaughlin was in the sin bin. Two and a half minutes later, Kyle McDonough returned to form and scored his first of the campaign as the Hawks led 3-1 after one period.
The second saw a lone goal by the Hawks, the first for Jordin St. Louis, as the Hawks now led 4-1. After strong double-digit shots on goal in the first two periods, the Hawks couldn’t break double digits in the third frame but still kept Wenatchee off the scoresheet in a 4-1 win. The Hawks nearly doubled Wenatchee in shots, 40-21, but struggled to stay out of the penalty box, giving Wenatchee six chances, though they cashed in on only one. The Hawks came up empty on three man-advantage attempts.
The Hawks now head on the road with an afternoon game in Kamloops, a single game in Penticton, a pair in Kelowna, and a pair in Spokane before another five at home. From there comes the Eastern Swing, and they can choose to fly to start and end it.
The Chiefs were the last unbeaten team in the WHL, finally falling to the Lethbridge Hurricanes despite being outshot 40-22. The Tri-City Americans climbed out of the basement in the standings, leaving Seattle there. The Brandon Wheat Kings hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Prince Albert Raiders cling to the last spot with just two wins in nine games.
The OHL sees the Sudbury Wolves, after their massive trade, as the only team unbeaten in regulation, with one shootout loss. However, the Soo Greyhounds at 6-1-1-0, Guelph Storm at 6-2, and Brantford Bulldogs at 7-2-0-1 are making their case for superiority, with Guelph set to host the Memorial Cup. Teams struggling include the Brampton Steelheads (2 points in 8 games due to overtime and shootout losses), the Barrie Colts (3 points at 1-7-0-1), and the Owen Sound Attack (4 points at 2-6). The season is early, and changes can and will happen.
A couple of teams have strong records. The Quebec Remparts are 7-1, and the Val-d’Or Foreurs are 6-1-1. Baie-Comeau has yet to pick up a regulation win at 0-7-0-1, with one point from a shootout. Five other teams are in single digits in points in the 18-team league, with at least two wins needed to join the double-digit point club. Baie-Comeau almost got a win. They scored three goals in a row to take an early lead on the Gatineau Olympiques. Gatineau scored twice in the second period and nearly tied it with a couple of minutes left. With a few minutes left in the third, Gatineau tied it, sending the game to overtime, where nothing was settled. Gatineau pulled off the comeback in the shootout. Backup Finn Moffett came in after the three Baie-Comeau goals and stopped all three shootout shooters to win the game. It was Baie-Comeau’s first point of the season. Such is a 60-minute game.
Be the first to comment