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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winter Hawks to Host Training Camp in Portland

August 12, 2004 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


For the first time since the late 1970's, the Portland Winter Hawks will have training camp in Portland, at Memorial Coliseum, Sunday August 29 through Thursday September 2.

All sessions will be free and open to the public to attend, but the special evening sessions from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday will probably be more fan friendly to watch. However, fans will not have access to any rosters, line-up sheets, or player information during training camp sessions, so fans may not be aware of who is on the ice. For a complete listing of sessions, now updated and changed from an earlier tentative schedule, visit the Hawks' team website at www.winterhawks.com

The Hawks have held training camp in Kimberley, British Columbia since the late 1980's and again, this season, the Hawks will hold their annual "Rookie Camp" there from August 24-27. Most of these players are too young to play for the Winter Hawks this season and will not be attending main camp in Portland.

Part of the reason the location of training camp changed was a change in immigration policies instituted by the U.S. government that had a short-term effect on the visas used by Canadian and European players who play on the five U.S. Division teams. That is why no U.S. Division team will be playing any home games until after October 1. This immigration change is expected to only have a short-term impact and things will probably return to normal next season. But, it gives dedicated Portland hockey fans a chance to see what goes on during the team's training camp.

"We want to thank the Oregon Arena Corporation for making it possible for the ice in the Coliseum to be available for our training camp," said Winter Hawk Director of Operations Kelley Robinett. "It will be good for our fans to have this chance to see the inner workings of training camp, especially during the evening sessions. And, we are happy to announce there will be no charge for parking and admission is free for all sessions. We just want fans to understand there will be only certain sections of seats available and that the main entrance doors of the Coliseum will not be open. Fans will need to at the lower level of the Coliseum through the doors adjacent to the Winter Hawks business and ticket offices."

The Hawks will play five pre-season games, starting with a six-team tournament in Everett, Washington over Labor Day Weekend. The Hawks will play Tri-Cities Friday September 3, Spokane Saturday September 4, and Seattle Sunday September 5 – all games at 3:00 p.m. at the Everett Events Center. Portland will have one home pre-season game on Friday September 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The Hawks will also play at Tri-Cities on Friday September 17 at 7:05 p.m. to close out the exhibition schedule before opening their 29th season on the road, in Kamloops, Friday September 24 at 7:00 p.m.. Portland's home opener is Saturday October 2 against Seattle at 7:00 p.m. in the Rose Garden.

Camp closes Thursday afternoon, September 2, and players who survive the roster cut will remain with the team practicing in preparation for the season. There could be other players who do not earn a spot on the roster, but, instead, are put on the club's 50-player protected list as a result of their performance in camp. Some players could also be away attending NHL camps during part of this time. The Hawks have four players that have been drafted by NHL teams: Braydon Coburn (Atlanta), Ivan Dornic (NY Rangers), Brandon Dubinsky (NY Rangers) and Mike Funk (Buffalo Sabres). In addition, forwards Robin Big Snake (NY Rangers) and C.J. Jackson (Minnesota Wild) have been invited to NHL Rookie Camps as free agents.

The Hawks have a strong nucleus of returning players from the 2003-04 team that finished second in the U.S. Division with a (34-29-6-3) record. Portland has 12 returning forwards, 5 returning defenseman and 2 returning goaltenders for a total of 19 returning players if Coburn does not play for the Atlanta Thrashers this season. Atlanta, which signed Coburn to a three-year NHL contract this summer, has indicated he will be given every chance to earn a spot in the NHL if there is no lockout as a result of the collective bargaining agreement expiring on September 15.

during some, or all, of the pre-season depending on commitments to NHL training camps.

Portland is working on securing a release from the Czech Ice Hockey Federation for 18-year-old Czech forward Martin Bucek, the Hawks' first round pick in this summer's CHL Import Draft. They are hoping to have everything in place to allow Bucek to attend training camp. Dornic, who is from Slovakia and returns for his second season for the Hawks, is Portland's other European player.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from August 12, 2004


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