WHL Portland Winterhawks

Portland Winterhawks This Week

January 11, 2010 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Hawks Happenings On The Ice:

The Winterhawks pulled off a blockbuster deal prior to yesterday's trade deadline by acquiring defenseman Luca Sbisa from Lethbridge, who brings nearly 50 games of NHL experience to the Winterhawks. Sbisa, who will represent Switzerland at next month's Olympics, has registered 11 goals and 50 assists for 61 points in 97 career games with Lethbridge. He's also suited up for 30 playoff games with the Hurricanes, and totaled five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. He's currently rehabilitating an abdominal injury he suffered at the World Junior Championship.

The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau released its midterm rankings of draft-eligible players, and five Winterhawks are among the top 100 skaters: Forward Nino Niederreiter is ranked at #14, center Ryan Johansen is ranked #16, defenseman Troy Rutkowski is ranked #43, forward Brad Ross is #69 and defenseman Taylor Aronson is #90. No other team in the WHL or through the entire CHL has more than three skaters among the top 100.

With an assist Saturday, Brad Ross ran his scoring streak to six games. The WHL Player of the Month for December has six goals and six assists for 12 points in that span. His 49 points this season leads the Winterhawks, and he's already nearly doubled his 2008-09 scoring total, when he registered 26 points.

The Winterhawks' game Wednesday in Kamloops will be shown live at 7 p.m. in Portland on FSN Northwest.

Hawks Happenings Off The Ice:

On Friday the Winterhawks and Portland Trail Blazers and their design and development partners answered Mayor Sam Adams' call for concepts for the renovation or adaptive reuse of Veterans Memorial Coliseum, submitting a concept for a modernized, enlivened Coliseum that would draw daily community activity. For more information, visit http://www.winterhawks.com/news/pressreleases/index.html?article_id=497.

Mascot hockey bragging rights are on the line Saturday, January 30 as the Portland Winterhawks host their annual Mascot Night, presented by Comcast, at the Rose Garden. Tom-A-Hawk is inviting his mascot friends to help entertain fans of all ages, and the night will also feature a mascot hockey game during the second intermission.




Western Hockey League Stories from January 11, 2010


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