I hope everyone had a good rest over the holiday break from OSN, so we are dividing this into two reads. The first will deal with the 2023 end-of-year, and the second will encompass the trade deadline. Both of which you will want to pay attention to.
First up, the Hawks returned to the ice on December 26, and in the midst was goaltender Morgan Stickney, in for a shot with the team before she headed back to St. Mary’s, where she currently plays. This marked many firsts. First female to practice with the Portland Winterhawks after being the first female selected to the WHL and the Hawks. Though she won’t suit up this year, it will give her a good understanding of the WHL and the team.
The Hawks also signed goaltender 17-year-old Marek Schlenker. The signing allowed them to use him as an affiliate player this season. His arrival allows the Hawks some breathing room as Jan Spunar is not ready to play, and although Luke Brunen is a backup right now, the Hawks are taking no chances in Nick Avakyan going down.
The Hawks would play three games in 5 nights as they return from the break with a few games in hand.
Their first one was against Tri-City, a team they usually face coming out of the break. Justen Maric stood in net, who lasted all of 4:43 after handing the Americans two goals in the first five shots of the game. Nick Avakyan took over and saw the Hawks cut the lead in half just over a minute into the second frame. The Americans would score a minute and a half later, and that was until the midway point of the second. Diego Buttazoni notched his 14th of the year. Tri City countered with 15 seconds left in the period and did so shorthandedly. Gabe Klassen made it close early in the third period but saw a Tri-City powerplay near the midway of the third period, restoring the two-goal lead.
With Avakyan out, Diego Buttazoni scored with just over a minute left. Still, with Avakyan out, Jack O’Brien popped in his 14th of the season with just 14 seconds left to force overtime. Marcus Nuguyen capped off a Hawk comeback at 1:42 of overtime to give the Hawks a 6-5 overtime win. Shots favored Portland 47-30, and the powerplay was rough on the Hawks 0-5 as Tri-City was 1-3.
The next night, Seattle came to town. Earlier, Seattle pulled the trigger on Gracin Sawchyn (3rd overall in Thunderbirds scoring), his brother Lukas ( currently attending), and Tracen Ashley to Edmonton for Nathan Pilling and draft choices, 2nd Rnd. ’2, 7th Rnd. ’24, 3rd Rnd. ’25 5th Rnd. ’25, 1st Rnd. ’26, 2nd Rnd. ’27 Cond. and 3rd Rnd. ’27 Cond. This refills Seattle’s cabinet of picks, lost in their Memorial Cup attempt last year. For Edmonton, while it looks like a bottom team making the deal, they have been floundering in the basement for quite some time and need offensive grit if they are going to climb up the Central Division. Lukas is currently with the Chicago Wolves of the USHL, and obviously, the hope by Edmonton is he’ll join the DUB. Gracin, a Florida Panthers prospect, and Ashley were 89th overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects draft, so Edmonton also gets some quality talent.
Without them, the Hawks needed a big outing, still with Avakyan in the net. Luca Cagnoni started things while on a powerplay less than 5 minutes in. Seattle then scored a few minutes later to tie the game. The Hawks went on a five-goal spree, with three in the first by Kyle Chykowski, a pair, and a shorthanded score by Marcus Nguyen. The Hawks kept up in the second as Diego Buttazoni tallied less than two minutes in, and Marcus Nguyen added his second of the night.
Seattle rattled off the next three with one in the second period as shorthanded, then just 23 seconds into the third, and then the powerplay midway through the third made it close. Cganoni scored again, this time into the empty net. Still holding on for dear life, the Thunderbirds notched one of their own with 30 seconds left. Twelve seconds later, Ryan Miller scored an empty net goal of his own to win it 8-5. The shots were very close, with Portland edging out Seattle 40-39 and 1-4 on the powerplay, while Seattle went 2-5 on theirs.
New Year’s night was an appearance of the Vancouver Giants, who can provide some stiff opposition despite being 8th in the Conference and holding on there. Such was the case of this game, where Portland’s Josh Zakreski scored just past the 9-minute mark of the first period. No other scoring happened until the third, where Josh Davies scored to make it 2-0. With just over three minutes to go, Vancouver pulled its goaltender for the extra attacker and saw James Stefan capitalize just thirty seconds later to shut out the Giants 3-0. It was Avakyan’s first career shutout, and he was named third star. The shots heavily favored the Hawks 53-14, and Brett Mirwald of the Giants was named second star. No one scored on the powerplay Portland 0-4, Vancouver 0-1
At the tail end of the year, Regina Pats made four deals in an attempt to make the playoffs since the move of Connor Bedard to the NHL A trades was made with the Saskatoon Blades. The Pats traded the rights to Washington Capitals prospect Alex Suzdalev, who is currently in the IK in Sweden but should be in the WHL soon, as he signed an ELC with the Caps just a month after being drafted. In addition, a 2025 WHL Prospects Draft sixth-round pick for rookie center Zach Moore, Slovakian defenceman Sam Barcik, the rights to 16-year-old defender Dayton Deschamps, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and a first and third-round pick in the 2026 draft.
The Pats received Haper Lolacher from the Moose Jaw Warriors in return for a 2025 conditional seventh-round pick. They then tradedBorya
Finally, they traded Parker Berge to Everett in exchange for veteran Silvertips defender Ty Gibson and a 2025 second-round pick. This again restores the Pats closest as well.
The Cougars also made a deal with Lethbridge Hurricanes to add scoring power, with 20-year-old Chase Pauls going to PG for a third-round pick in 2024.
All eyes are on the Wenatchee Wild now. Having moved from Winnipeg this past season, the trip was costly. In its efforts to make the Memorial Cup, the team emptied its closet of draft picks to just one choice, a 5th-round one in 2024 and nothing in 2025 or 2026.
Because of this, the Wild is expected to pull the trigger on some of its assets. Currently, they are solid in the Division and Conference, but should they not succeed in any part of the playoffs, the team will be horrid in the next couple of years, which is not something one wants to offer in a new town.
