Game Day Hub: January 2 at Wenatchee
Published on January 2, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release
The Portland Winterhawks open 2026 on the road, visiting Wenatchee to face the Wild tonight, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center.
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. PST
Venue: Town Toyota Center - Wenatchee, WA.
Uniforms: White
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Friday, January 9 - Pride Night - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, January 10 - 50 Years of Hawkey: Unveiling 30-21 - BUY TICKETS
Monday, January 19 - Tommy Palooza and Mascot Mayhem - BUY TICKETS
FOLLOW ALONG
Last Time Out
The Hawks came out flying in Portland, as Luke Wilfley opened the scoring just 1:29 in by cleaning up a bouncing puck in the slot for his second goal of the season, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead after one.
Everett answered early in the second when Rhys Jamieson tied the game at 2:41, but Portland regained the lead on the power play as Carter Sotheran set up Jordan Duguay for a wrist shot that beat Anders Miller's glove. Landon DuPont responded late in the frame to knot the game at two heading into the break.
Portland took control in the final 20 minutes of 2025. Ryan Miller buried a rebound off a Nathan Free one-timer for the go-ahead goal, Sotheran added insurance after forcing a turnover, and Alex Weiermair capped the scoring with the Hawks' third power-play goal of the night. Cruz Chase made 22 saves as the Winterhawks skated away with a 5-2 New Year's Eve victory.
Wild Watch
The Winterhawks and Wild square off tonight in the fourth of six regular-season meetings, with Portland looking to build on its winning streak after taking two of the first three matchups. Wenatchee enters the night with a 13-20-1-1 record and is in need of points as it sits at the bottom of the Western Conference.
Milestone Moments
During the December 28 matchup with the Tri-City Americans, two Winterhawks reached notable milestones.
Portland captain Ryan Miller recorded his first career WHL hat trick, scoring the team's first three goals to keep the Hawks in a back-and-forth battle. Selected in the third round by the Pittsburgh Penguins this past summer, Miller has totaled 42 points in 36 games this season, with 16 goals and 26 assists.
Alternate captain Carter Sotheran also hit a milestone, collecting his 100th career assist on Portland's fourth goal when his point shot was redirected by Jake Gustafson. The fourth-year veteran added three assists on the night and leads all Winterhawks defensemen with 35 points (5G, 30A), ranking fourth on the team overall. Sotheran has recorded 10 multi-assist games in 34 appearances this season.
World Juniors Watch
The 2026 World Junior Championships are well underway in Minnesota, and Winterhawks defenseman Max Pšenička delivered the game-winning goal for Czechia in its matchup against Latvia on December 31. Psenicka chased down the puck in the right circle and fired a shot that found its way through to give Czechia a 3-1 lead. Czechia went on to secure a 4-2 victory, improving to 2-1-1 in tournament play. The Czechs will next face Switzerland tomorrow, January 2, at 3:30 p.m. PST.
Tune in on Victory+
Fans can stream the Portland Winterhawks' entire 2025-26 WHL regular-season on Victory+ for FREE. Visit the Winterhawks hub.
Victory+ has replaced WHL Live on CHL TV, so make sure to visit victoryplus.com/download before the game on your phone, tablet, or smart TV.
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Western Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2026
- Late Goal from Preston Lifts Chiefs Past Giants - Vancouver Giants
- Wenatchee Opens 2026 Quickly, Earns 6-2 Victory over Portland Friday - Wenatchee Wild
- Chiefs Open the New Year with Giant Win, Preston Nets Game Winner over Vancouver - Spokane Chiefs
- Broncos Fall, 4-3, in Overtime to Hurricanes in 2026 Opener - Swift Current Broncos
- Rockets Fall, 3-2, in Shootout to Blazers - Kelowna Rockets
- Hawks Come up Short in Wenatchee - Portland Winterhawks
- Tigers Win 14th Straight Against Moose Jaw, 6-3 - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Preview: Americans at Royals - January 3, 2026 - Tri-City Americans
- Warriors Clawed by Tigers - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Oil Kings Unveil Jerseys for Superhero Day on Sunday - Edmonton Oil Kings
- December Ironworker of the Month: F Chase Harrington - Spokane Chiefs
- Thunderbirds Acquire Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Matthew Gard - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Rebels Complete Trades with Kelowna, Everett, Seattle - Red Deer Rebels
- Silvertips Acquire Flyers Prospect Luke Vlooswyk in Trade with Red Deer - Everett Silvertips
- Rockets Acquire Defenseman Keith McInnis from Red Deer - Kelowna Rockets
- Canadiens Prospect Pickford Named Tempo WHL Player of the Month for December - Medicine Hat Tigers
- NHL Prospects Pickford & Dach, 2026 NHL Draft Eligible Ruzicka Headline WHL Monthly Awards for December - WHL
- Rockets Sign 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft Selection Drew Larioza - Kelowna Rockets
- Game Preview: Game 37 VS Warriors - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Chiefs Host Giants Friday for First Home Game of 2026 - Spokane Chiefs
- Warriors to Start 2026 against the Tigers - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Game Day Hub: January 2 at Wenatchee - Portland Winterhawks
- Cougars Surrender Late Equalizer, Fall 6-5 in OT - Prince George Cougars
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