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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Portland to the Pros: Winterhawks Proud to Share Staff Advancement and New Hires

August 20, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Portland, Ore. - The Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club is proud to share multiple members of its hockey operations and business staff have advanced to the National Hockey League.

Earlier this summer, Director of Scouting and Assistant to General Manager Mike Coflin (Calgary Flames), Head Equipment Manager Clayton Johns (Los Angeles Kings / Ontario Reign), Head Goaltending Coach Brendan Burke (New York Rangers / Hartford Wolf Pack), and Manager of Digital Media and Communications Peter Dewar (Carolina Hurricanes) all accepted similar positions in professional hockey. The Winterhawks take pride in celebrating development and advancement, showcasing that Portland to the Pros accounts for more than just the players.

After 12 seasons with the Winterhawks, Mike Coflin has accepted an amateur scouting position with the Calgary Flames. Coflin spent the last six seasons as the Winterhawks Director of Scouting and he also held the title of Assistant to General Manager since 2021. Coflin will continue to scout in Western Canada as he transitions to his new role with the Flames.

Johns recently accepted a position to be the Head Equipment Manager of the Ontario Reign, AHL affiliates of the Los Angeles Kings. Johns spent the past three seasons as the Winterhawks Head Equipment Manager and worked as the equipment manager for Hockey Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, capturing gold with the under-18 team.

Burke operated as a Winterhawks goaltending coach for the past two seasons and held the title of head goaltending coach during the 2023-24 campaign. He previously played for the Winterhawks from 2011 to 2015 and amassed 72 regular-season wins with the club. He was a part of the Winterhawks 2013 WHL Championship and appeared in two Memorial Cup Championships with Portland (2013) and the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights (2016). Burke recently accepted a goaltending coach position with the Harford Wolfpack, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates of the New York Rangers.

After spending the last three years in Portland as the Manager of Digital Media and Communications, Dewar has accepted the role of Digital Content Strategist with the Carolina Hurricanes. Dewar main duties included operating the Winterhawks social media channels, maintaining the team website, and operating as the lead graphic designer.

With the advancement in the hockey operations department, the Winterhawks are excited to announce Alberta-based scout Matt Davidson will assume the role as Director of Player Personnel and Greg Sampson will assume the title of Assistant to General Manager / Director of U.S. Scouting. Portland previously announced the addition of goaltending coach Travis Hoy to Kyle Gustafson's coaching staff and the Hawks are thrilled to add regional scouts Cory Gibbons (U.S.) and Chris Jacobson (Saskatchewan) to their family. Jacobson previously played for the Winterhawks from 1995 to 1998 and he helped the club capture its second Memorial Cup Championship in 1998. Ryan Scheer will assume the role of Head Equipment Manager after spending three years as the lead equipment manager with the White Rock Whalers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL). He is no stranger to the Winterhawks, however, having helped Clayton and his staff over the past few years.

Congratulations to Brendan, Mike, Clayton, and Peter on their promotions to professional hockey and to Travis, Matt, Cory, Chris, and Ryan on their new roles with the Winterhawks.

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