Honoring Kyle Chyzowski, Ryder Thompson, and Tyson Jugnauth

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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Honoring Kyle Chyzowski, Ryder Thompson, and Tyson Jugnauth

March 20, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The Portland Winterhawks are proud to celebrate Kyle Chyzowski, Ryder Thompson, and Tyson Jugnauth as they take the ice for their final regular-season home game this Friday. These three standout overagers are eagerly preparing to lead the team into the first round of the 2025 WHL Playoffs.

Thompson and Chyzowski have been with the club for the entirety of their junior hockey career, which began during the shortened 2020-2021 season. Jugnauth arrived in the Rose City shortly before the Teddy Bear Toss last season but has played a key role every step of the way.

So far, the trio of Chyzowski (310), Jugnauth (123), and Thompson (300) have played a combined 733 regular and playoff games for the Winterhawks.

Chyzowski, the 49th captain in team history, is having a breakout season in 2024-2025 as the five-foot-ten, 171-pound center has set career highs in goals (41), assists (63), and points (104). Sitting fourth in WHL scoring as of Thursday, Chyzowski's leadership and character will leave a lasting legacy on the organization that will be felt for years to come.

Thompson is renowned for neutralizing the opposition's top lines and has stepped up his offensive game this season, posting a career-high in goals and points. The left-shot defenseman, who entered his final WHL campaign with five career goals, has found the back of the net nine times in 66 games, showcasing the development in his offensive game without losing his shutdown prowess.

Jugnauth sits two points shy of the 90-point plateau, a rare accomplishment for WHL defensemen as no one had accomplished until former Winterhawk Luca Cagnoni last season. Leading all WHL-blue-liners in scoring, Jugnauth is poised to cement his name among the league's elite defenders.

Winterhawks president and general manager Mike Johnston acknowledged the overagers. "We are proud of the impact these three players have had on the organization. Certainly, the fans recognize what they've done on the ice, but also what they've done to our culture, and representing our team off the ice has been outstanding."

Kyle Chyzowski

The Winterhawks captain began his WHL career during the 2020-2021, playing 20 games in the bubble during the COVID-shortened season. So, while his first official home game at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum was on March 21, 2021, he played in front of the Portland faithful on October 2, 2021. "I feel like there's been so many weekends coming to the VMC and getting ready to put the gear on, so for (Friday) to be the last one is pretty crazy," Chyzowski said. "I'm really thankful that we still have the playoffs to still play out."

The memories he will take away from the Rose City are something he will never forget, "Portland is everything. It's basically my home. It's been everything for five years. I've got my best friends I'm playing with or have played with the past five years. My billet family and all the guys around me, it's everything to me. To think that is coming to an end is pretty crazy, but I'm really trying to embrace these last couple of months."

Kyle Gustafson, Portland's head coach, had high praise for Chyzowski. "He's a guy that's been driving our team for three years; Chyz is a warrior. To see what he's doing this year with his personal accomplishments and the points he's getting is awesome. He battles every day in practice."

Chyzowski's impact on the Winterhawks goes beyond the number of points he produces on game days. Wearing an extra letter on the jersey runs in the Chyzowski family. Along with his cousins, Ryan (Medicine Hat) and Nick (Kamloops), all three served as alternate captains for two years before being named captain for their respective organizations in their fifth year.

"It's really special and an honor to have previous captains in (Gabe) Klassen, (Tyson) Kozak, and (Nick) Cicek behind me to fill their shoes. To get that honor, I feel like I've earned it, but it is still a privilege to have, and I never take or took it for granted," Chyzowski said

"(Kyle) holds the ultimate compliment whenever you talk about individuals who make other players better. That's what I think about with Kyle Chyzowski," Gustafson proudly stated. "No matter who is with him, they get better. His leadership off the ice is something that is hard to mimic and hard to really fathom what he's been able to do and how he's influenced this organization."

Ryder Thompson

As an alternate captain for Portland the last two years, Thompson's final season with the Winterhawks has been nothing short of spectacular. In addition to helping the team clinch the fifth seed in the 2025 WHL Playoffs, his leadership shines bright.

With his final regular season game in the WHL right around the corner, Thompson said the milestone snuck up on him. "I hadn't been giving it too much thought, but I would say the one time I was thinking about it was our second last game walking into the building. I got a little bit emotional thinking about my last game coming up. My parents actually just got in (on Wednesday), so they are here for the weekend," Thompson said with a smile.

In the team's run to the WHL Championship last year, Thompson was a steady presence on the back end. His commitment to being responsible in his own end provided the Portland coaching staff a reliable, steady force to shut down plays.

Anyone who has conversed with Thompson will testify to his character being top-notch.

"Ryder is such a special person," Gustafson said, beaming from ear to ear. "When I think about Ryder, I think about the COVID year when the world was shut down and his sacrifice to come to Portland without knowing what was going to happen, just his dedication to getting better as a player, and he's a first-class person. I think that's what sets him up for having success as a hockey player, just his hard work, dedication to the sport, and obviously his dedication to this organization. I cannot say enough nice things about Ryder Thompson."

Though Thompson has been a cornerstone of Portland's defense for five seasons, his journey with the Winterhawks feels like it's passed in the blink of an eye. "Looking back, at 16, I had all the 20s telling me that it goes by fast, and I didn't believe them. Being a 20-year-old and being that guy saying the same thing, it sounds cliche, but it really does go by fast. Portland became my second home. And I'm just so grateful," he said.

Tyson Jugnauth

While Thompson and Chyzowski played for the Winterhawks for five seasons, Jugnauth's tenure in the squall gray started on December 9, 2023.

"Tyson's a guy that I wish we had longer," Gustafson expressed. "It's a little bittersweet. He's such a good hockey player, but at the end of the day, you wish you had a little more time with him because he's such an outgoing person. He's an incredible hockey talent. The things that he's able to do on the ice is stuff you can't teach. I probably learned more from (Jugnauth) or maybe what he learned from me."

Portland acquired Jugnauth's rights from the Kamloops Blazers. Then, Jugnauth joined the Winterhawks after leaving the University of Wisconsin.

"I obviously took a different path than Chyz and Ryder showing up here. I started in British Columbia when I was 16, college at 18, and now ending my junior career in the Western (Hockey) League at 20. It's definitely something that will take a little time to set in."

In his WHL debut, Jugnauth registered two assists against Seattle. Throughout his 123 regular and playoff games, the five-foot-eleven, 171-pound rear guard has 24 goals, 131 assists, and 145 points.

"My development on the ice has skyrocketed from where it was a few years ago. I also developed off the ice, too," Jugnauth said about how playing for Portland helped him in his hockey career. "I met some of my best friends here, who I will stay in touch with the rest of my life. I've loved it here. I don't regret coming here at all. I've loved every second of it, and I would make the same decision over again if I could."

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