WHL Portland Winterhawks

Portland Winterhawks this Week

Published on December 6, 2010 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Hawks Happenings On The Ice:

The Teddy Bear Toss is coming up Saturday when the Winterhawks host the Prince George Cougars at 7 p.m. at the Rose Garden. After the Winterhawks' first goal of the game, fans throw teddy bears onto the ice, which are later donated to local hospitals and charitable organizations. Last season the Winterhawks collected 16,321 teddy bears, a number the team is hoping to surpass this season. The game is expected to sell out, so fans should purchase tickets this week in advance.

First round NHL draft picks Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter are firing on all cylinders. Johansen has come out of the gates in December with seven points in three games, while Niederreiter has five points in three games. Both players averaged a point per game in November, Johansen with 15 points in 14 games, and Niederreiter with 14 points in 14 games.

When the Prince George Cougars come to town for two games this weekend, it will put the top three 2010 WHL draft picks on the ice at the same time. Johansen and Niederreiter went fourth and fifth, respectively, in the draft, while the Cougars' Brett Connolly was the sixth overall pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Connolly has 36 points this season, helping lead an impressive turnaround in Prince George. The Cougars had just 12 wins last season, but already have 15 this season and lead the B.C. Division with 33 points.

The Prince George games will also feature two of the WHL's most heralded rookies. Portland's Sven Bartschi has taken over the Winterhawks' scoring lead with 19 goals and 42 points, both of which are also tops among all WHL rookies. Second in rookie scoring is Prince George's Martin Marincin, the top overall pick in the 2010 CHL Import Draft and the Edmonton Oilers' second round pick, 46th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Marincin is second among rookies and first among all WHL defensemen with 32 points.

Hawks Happenings Off The Ice:

Winterhawks players will be visiting local hospitals next Monday and Tuesday to deliver teddy bears collected at Saturday night's game. Full details on those visits will be released in the coming days.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 6, 2010


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