McSweeney's WHL Community Collective: Portland Winterhawks
WHL Portland Winterhawks

McSweeney's WHL Community Collective: Portland Winterhawks

Published on July 30, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming environment in communities close to our 22 clubs in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team has the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate about. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.

Through the McSweeney's WHL Community Collective, we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club throughout the season.

The Portland Winterhawks have mixed haka and Hawkey for an unforgettable night on ice.

While the team has held dozens of nights highlighting different cultural groups from around the Pacific Northwest, the team branched out with its first-ever Pacific Islander Celebration Night on February 8, 2025.

"We say hockey is for everyone- and we want our actions to match our words," Winterhawks Manager of Community Relations and Communications Alyssa Mehalovich said. "This is our way of reaching out to those communities and really just being genuine and just kind of opening it up to everyone. At the end of the day, you could bring in new fans. For old fans, you could bring them back. You could keep the ones you have now happy. But it's all about inclusion and bringing people in, and these are great ways to do that."

The Teva Oriata Polynesian Dance Troupe opened the game with a traditional haka, while fans were also treated to Tahitian, Chamorro, Hawaiian and Samoan dances on the concourse throughout the night.

Local Polynesian tattoo artist Kamu Ink also designed a custom poster for the evening.

The usual rink fries also got a makeover with Kona Brewing holding a tasting event and Hawaiian food vendors slinging some mouthwatering fares.

Alternate captain Josh Zakreski, winger Hudson Darby and rookie Joel Plante even got to taste test traditional cuisines like ahi poke, musubi and taro pudding.

"For the most part, it was all new for them," Winterhawks Partnership Activation Manager Hailie Letioa said. "They had some stories too, of visiting some Polynesian islands and sharing some backstory of what they learned when they visited. But it was really cool just getting those first reactions and seeing what they liked or didn't like, teaching them some new words and meanings behind the history of the cultures and where those foods came from."

Winterhawks staff partnered with local groups like UTOPIA PDX, Pacific Islander Student Alliance, Pacific Climate Warriors PDX, Marianas Festival and Ka Ê»Aha Lāhui O Ê»Olekona Hawaiian Civic Club (KALO) to get their input on what to include in the event.

The result?

The second-highest attended game of the Winterhawks season, with more than 8,700 fans packed into the Glass Palace for a thriller against the rival Seattle Thunderbirds.

It was also the first time many of those people got to experience a live hockey game- but, hopefully, not their last.

"I didn't grow up familiar with hockey at all," Letioa recalled. "I played mostly basketball and soccer. For me, it was that first time exposure that I got to attend a game and see what that's like. It was a wonderful experience and I got to share that with my family and friends and recommend it like, 'Hey, come check this out."

Ultimately, the team hopes initiatives like this one, along with free programs like Tom's Tykes, which provides free gear and lessons to introduce kids to the game, will grow hockey's audience in the Rose City.

"We work with a lot of different community groups, but the main one this year was the Boys and Girls Club," Mehalovich added. "We bring them in and we teach them how to skate and play hockey for about three weeks, and we provide them with gear. We provide them with everything. Our players come in and coach. It's just an opportunity to expand the sport of hockey... We just want to make sure that we're giving everyone the opportunity."

Pacific Islander night will return to the VMC on January 30, 2026, as part of a long slate of specialty nights.

The 2025-26 schedule will also include Dia de Los Muertos, Pride Night, Women of Hawkey and a Chinese Lunar New Year game.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from July 30, 2025


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