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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Clinch Spot in 2022 WHL Playoffs

February 27, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Portland, Ore. - The Portland Winterhawks, proud member club of the Western Hockey League, have become the third team to clinch a spot in the 2022 WHL Playoffs. With a current record of 34-13-3-2, the Winterhawks will appear in the WHL postseason for an 11th-straight campaign.

The Winterhawks clinched a berth on Saturday night as they beat the Prince George Cougars 5-3, putting them at 73 points. Neither the Spokane Chiefs nor the Victoria Royals can catch the Winterhawks in the standings, thus solidifying the Hawks' spot in the postseason.

Portland once again has high hopes for challenging for another championship. Since moving to Portland, the Winterhawks have won three Ed Chynoweth Cups in 1982, 1998 and 2013, and two Memorial Cup Championships in 1983 and 1998. In 2020, the Winterhawks won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the regular-season champion of the Western Hockey League, but never had a chance to compete in the 2020 or 2021 playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Winterhawks have consistent scoring depth this season with four players already surpassing the 50-point threshold, led by Detroit Red Wings prospect Cross Hanas (19G-41A). Both Buffalo Sabres prospect Tyson Kozak and 2022 NHL Draft hopeful James Stefan rank in the top-20 in WHL goal scoring, and the team's entire forward corps has stepped up with key contributions when called upon. Alternate captain and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jaydon Dureau is averaging well over a point-per-game pace through 33 games this season, and fellow alternate captain Gabe Klassen has already shattered career highs in goals, assists and points during his 18-year-old season.

Defensively, co-captain Clay Hanus has been a cornerstone on the blue line for the Winterhawks, posting career-best numbers with 54 points (13G-41A) in 52 games. After leading Winterhawks rookies in scoring last season, Pittsburgh Penguins draftee Ryan McCleary has produced over a quarter of his season-long points total in February alone. Seventeen-year-old Luca Cagnoni ranks second among WHL defensemen in scoring with 30 points, and could hear his name called early in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Between the pipes, Taylor Gauthier and Dante Giannuzzi have proven to be one of the best goaltending tandems in the league. Gauthier sports a 13-1-0-0 record with the Winterhawks, leads the league with a .932 save percentage and ranks second with a 2.17 GAA. Earlier this month, the 20-year-old backstop from Calgary, Alta. set a new franchise record for longest shutout streak at 251:11 minutes, and has blanked opponents three times this season. Giannuzzi has been equally electric in net, boasting a 13-2-0-1 record and 2.49 GAA since December, while reaching a new career-best win total with 17 victories.

The Winterhawks are in a three-team race for U.S. Division supremacy and continue to chase down another division title and home-ice advantage in the WHL Playoffs. That journey continues next weekend in Everett where the Winterhawks face the top-seeded Silvertips on Friday night for a 7:05 p.m. PT puck drop and they return home to face the Tri-City Americans on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PT.

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Ticket packages for the 2022 WHL Playoffs will go on-sale March 1st. Individual tickets will go on-sale in the coming weeks once the conference standings are finalized. For more information, please visit Winterhawks.com or call our ticket office at 503-236-4295.

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2022


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