Game Day Hub: November 1 at Medicine Hat
Published on November 1, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release
Portland Winterhawks at Medicine Hat Tigers
Week two of the Alberta road trip kicks off Wednesday night with a battle in Medicine Hat against the Tigers.
Puck Drop: 6:00 p.m. PT
Venue: Co-Op Place - Medicine Hat, Alta.
Uniforms: Black
2022-23 Season Series: Portland went 1-0-0-0 against Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat 3 @ Portland 4 (Oct 08 2022) OT
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: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Upcoming Promo Games:
Friday, November 17 - Hometown Heroes Night - BUY TICKETS
Sunday, November 19 - Hawks Fight Hunger Night - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 2 - Fox12/KPTV Toy Drive - BUY TICKETS
Sunday, December 3 - Women of the Rose City Night - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 9 - Teddy Bear Toss - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 16 - Holiday Sweater Night - BUY TICKETS
FOLLOW ALONG: Box Score
Rest And Reset
After starting the season on a torrid 8-1-0 pace, the Winterhawks received a rude welcome to Alberta with three straight losses last weekend. Hardly the start they wanted to the trip, sure, but a little adversity only stands to benefit the team in the long run. For now, the focus shifts to winning one shift at a time, one period at a time, one game at a time to get back on track.
Despite recent results, several Hawks have continued their strong play from the start of the season. Diego Buttazzoni continues to put forth consistent production with points in all 12 games this season, while Kyle Chyzowski and Marcus Nguyen seem to have hit another gear with goals in multiple games to start the road trip.
Hometown Hero
Portland features five Alberta natives on this year's roster, four of whom are from the Calgary area and enjoyed skating in front of friends and family last weekend. Now, it's Medicine Hat native Ryan Miller's turn as the 16-year-old rookie returns to his roots in the Gas City.
Miller grew up playing minor hockey in Medicine Hat until 2021 when he joined the Northern Alberta Xtreme program ahead of his WHL Draft year. In 2022, he was selected by Portland in the third round, #66 overall, of the WHL Prospects Draft, and has skated in two games with the Hawks since recovering from offseason surgery last summer. Here's hoping for a happy homecoming for #23 tonight!
Star Power
On the other side, 15-year-old Gavin McKenna has been stealing headlines since before he even made his WHL debut. Cousin to budding NHL superstar Connor Bedard, McKenna was selected first overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft that yielded Miller to Portland. The prohibitive favorite for first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft is just getting started, too, recording 38 points in 30 career WHL games before his 16th birthday this December.
And it's not just McKenna - Medicine Hat boasts five players on last week's NHL Central Scouting "Preliminary Players to Watch" list ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, including A-rated (projected first-rounder) Cayden Lindstrom. The Hawks will have their hands full no matter who's on the ice, but the team will undoubtedly relish the challenge ahead.
James Stefan Hits 200
The Winterhawks' leading scorer is expected to hit a major milestone tonight in his 200th WHL game!
Now in his fifth season with the Hawks, James Stefan has recorded 173 points in 199 games to date. His 18 points in 12 games lead the Hawks to start the 2023-24 campaign after ranking third in team scoring with 64 points in 64 games last season. The Laguna Beach, Calif. native was not drafted into the WHL, but rather signed with Portland alongside fellow 20-year-old Jack O'Brien in November 2018 out of the Little Caesars AAA program in Michigan.
Congrats, James!
STAY SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Western Hockey League Stories from November 1, 2023
- Wild Announce Pair of "Movember" Fundraisers for Men's Health - Wenatchee Wild
- WHL Announces Mandatory Neck Guard Protection - WHL
- CHL Team of the Month Named for October - WHL
- Jan Špunar Named WHL Goaltender of the Month - Portland Winterhawks
- Zac Funk Named WHL Player of the Month for September/October - Prince George Cougars
- Terik Parascak Named WHL Rookie of the Month for September/October - Prince George Cougars
- WHL Announces Monthly Awards Winner for September/October - WHL
- You Won't Find a Birthday Party Quite Like This... - Saskatoon Blades
- Game Day Preview: Game 15 vs Portland - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Game Day Hub: November 1 at Medicine Hat - Portland Winterhawks
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
