WHL Portland Winterhawks

Game Day Hub: March 22 at Tri-City

Published on March 22, 2024 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The final weekend of the regular season opens in Kennewick as the Winterhawks seek a season sweep of the Americans.

Puck Drop: 7:05 P.M

Venue: Toyota Center - Kennewick, Wash.

Uniforms: White

2023-24 Season Series: Portland is 5-0-0-0 against Tri-City

Tri-City 1 @ Portland 11 (Mar 15 2024) Final

Tri-City 2 @ Portland 5 (Feb 4 2024) Final

Portland 3 @ Tri-City 2 (Jan 26 2024) Final

Portland 6 @ Tri-City 5 (Dec 27 2023) Final OT

Tri-City 0 @ Portland 7 (Oct 15 2023) Final

Listen Live: Winterhawks Radio Network and on the Winterhawks App

Watch Live: WHL Live on CHL TV

Game Notes: Winterhawks Game Notes

Follow the Winterhawks: X (Twitter) | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Upcoming Playoff Games:

Round 1, Game 1 - Friday, March 29

Round 1, Game 2 - Saturday, March 30

FOLLOW ALONG: Box Score

Photo Finish

It's not often you enter the final week of regular season play without a single playoff matchup decided throughout the Western Conference, but that's where we're headed with just three days to go. Portland and Prince George have locked up the U.S. and B.C. Divisions, respectively, but who they'll play - and where they'll be seeded - remains up in the air.

As the Winterhawks and Cougars jockey for the top seed in the west, look for both teams to emphasize offense. If both Portland and Prince George both win their remaining games, they'll each finish with 102 points and 49 wins. They also each won twice in their head-to-head series, pushing the deciding factor for seeding to the third tiebreaker - overall goal differential. Currently, the Winterhawks hold a four-goal lead with a +123 differential to Prince George's +119, but things are far from decided as each club has shown the ability to put up gaudy single-game scoring totals. And don't forget - this only matters if both teams win each game this weekend. Buckle up!

Sweep Dreams

The Winterhawks have dominated the Americans this season, most recently thumping the Kennewick crew 11-1 at the VMC last Friday. With a 5-0-0-0 record in the season series, Portland will seek its third 2023-24 season sweep over an opponent tonight, having completed perfect runs against Victoria and Kamloops earlier this month. The Winterhawks' last sweep of the Americans came in a 7-0-0-0 run in the 2019-20 season.

Chasing 100

All eyes are on James Stefan this week as he chases down 100 points on the season. Looking to become the second Winterhawk to hit the century this year, Stefan's 48 goals lead all Portland skaters as the 20-year-old has hit new career highs across the board. If he reaches 100 points, Stefan will be the 20th American in WHL history to ascend to that plateau and the first since Emerson Etem in the 2011-12 campaign.

Of course, the Laguna Beach, Calif. native already turned heads around the hockey world after signing a three-year, entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers yesterday. Undrafted in both the WHL and NHL, Stefan's consistent production, leadership ability and all-situations excellence made him a shoo-in for a free-agent deal after the signing window opened at the start of this month. Congrats, Stef!

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 22, 2024


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