Winterhawks Postseason Success
May 7, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release
The Portland Winterhawks have made the WHL Playoffs for 14 straight seasons and appeared in back-to-back Western Conference Championship series. Only Portland and the Kitchener Rangers in the CHL can boast that they have made the second round of the playoffs for four straight years.
Eight active WHL players have appeared in 50 career playoff games, and the Winterhawks boast three. The other five have played with multiple organizations to reach the personal milestone. Kyle Chyzowski and Ryder Thompson are tied for most playoff games with Winnipeg Jets 2023 first-round pick Brayden Yager, with 56 appearances. However, 16 of Yager's came with Lethbridge and 40 with Moose Jaw.
Josh Zakreski hit the 50 mark in Game 4 against Spokane. The winger from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, appeared in five playoff games as a then 16 year old during the 2022 WHL Playoffs and he ranked third on this year's team with 11 postseason goals.
"Playoffs are the best time of the year," Zakreski said during his exit interview. "Growing up, I'd watch the Saskatoon Blades and I saw them when they made the Memorial Cup that one year. That's a big memory I bring in (to Portland). Fifty games is a huge honor for me and Mike (Johnston) making that a high honor so I took a lot of pride of getting to 50 games. I think playoffs is a time where it's most important to show up and I feel I really did that this year."
The other players in the top eight include: Jonas Woo (40 with Winnipeg/Wenatchee and 13 with Medicine Hat), Tanner Molendyk (39 with Saskatoon and 13 with Medicine Hat), Sawyer Mynio (40 with Seattle and 11 with Calgary), and Brandon Lisowsky (39 with Saskatoon and 11 with Victoria).
The top ten of playoff game appearances rounds out with Sam Oremba and Portland forward Diego Buttazzoni. Oremba's 47 are split amongst Spokane (15), Regina (7), and Seattle (25), meanwhile, Buttazzoni's 45 games are all with the Winterhawks.
When speaking of playoff accomplishment, on the bench, Kyle Gustafson became the first, first-year head coach to lead his team to a Conference Championship since Brad Lauer did so with the Edmonton Oil Kings during the 2019 WHL Playoffs. Gustafson was behind the bench for nearly two full decades worth of playoff runs as an assistant coach.
Playoff experience goes a long way, and the Winterhawks were a prime example during their run in this year's postseason.
"I'm so proud of the guys and the leaders, and it shows you know how much playoff experience does for a team. We had three guys who played in 50 playoff games, and we have others who played a lot as well. We've gone through it, and everyone relies on them. It helps everyone get through the toughest moments," Chyzowski said during the playoffs.
Western Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2025
- Broncos Draft Cohenn Rotar in Round One of the WHL Prospects Draft - Swift Current Broncos
- Pats Make Trio of Selections in First Round of 2025 WHL Prospects Draft - Regina Pats
- Warriors Trade Two Players, Draft Pick to the Victoria Royals - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Royals Acquire Max Finley, Ryder Ellis, and a 2025 Fourth Round Pick in Exchange for Mathieu Lajoie and Two Draft Picks - Victoria Royals
- Rockets Make Splash With Trio Of Trades And First-Round Selection Of Will Kelts - Kelowna Rockets
- Western Hockey League Completes First Round of 2025 WHL Prospects Draft - WHL
- Warriors Select Lanigan's Elke 18th Overall - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Giants Select Local Goal Scorer & Two-Way D-Man in First Round of WHL Prospects Draft - Vancouver Giants
- T-Birds Recap, 2025 Expansion Draft and WHL 1st Round Prospects Draft - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Victoria Royals Select Roan Greschuk 19th Overall in 2025 WHL Prospects Draft - Victoria Royals
- Cougars Select Cohen Baker 17th Overall in WHL Prospects Draft - Prince George Cougars
- Oil Kings Add Wouters and Kokkoris in Round One of WHL Prospects Draft - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Wenatchee Wild Select Northern Alberta Xtreme Forward Kalen Miles 10th Overall in WHL Prospects Draft - Wenatchee Wild
- Wheat Kings Acquire Mistelbacher and Burzynski from Swift - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Broncos Acquire 2025 1st Round Pick in Draft Day Deal with Wheat Kings - Swift Current Broncos
- Rebels Select Defenceman Nolan Wolitski with First Pick at 2025 WHL Prospects Draft - Red Deer Rebels
- Americans select forward Ben Oliverio ninth overall in 2025 WHL Prospects Draft - Tri-City Americans
- Silvertips Select Forward Reid Nicol with Fifth-Overall WHL Draft Pick - Everett Silvertips
- Pats Acquire Third Overall Pick from Kelowna, Select Liam Pue - Regina Pats
- Winterhawks Cap off Season with Improbable Playoff Run - Portland Winterhawks
- Pats Select Regina's Maddox Schultz with First Overall Pick - Regina Pats
- Hitmen Acquire Ben MacBeath and Three Draft Picks in Exchange for Carson Wetsch - Calgary Hitmen
- Blades Fill Gap in Picks Through Deal with Vees - Saskatoon Blades
- Rockets Acquire Sharks Prospect Carson Wetsch From Hitmen - Kelowna Rockets
- Royals Sign Henry Peterson to WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement - Victoria Royals
- Winterhawks Postseason Success - Portland Winterhawks
- Hitmen Trade Valliant and LaPlante to Penticton Vees - Calgary Hitmen
- Broncos Acquire 2027 1st Round Pick in Trade with Penticton, Vees Make Their Selection for the WHL Expansion Draft - Swift Current Broncos
- Marek Schlenker Selected by Penticton Vees in 2025 WHL Expansion Draft - Portland Winterhawks
- Silvertips Trade Jesse Sanche to Penticton for 31st-Overall Pick - Everett Silvertips
- Norrie Selected in Expansion Draft - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Rockets Trade Draft Pick to Vees in Lieu of Player in WHL Expansion Draft - Kelowna Rockets
- Kaenan Smith Selected by Penticton Vees in WHL Expansion Draft - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Blades Acquire First Pick of the Second Round in Deal with Vees - Saskatoon Blades
- Giants Don't Lose a Player in Expansion Draft - Vancouver Giants
- Penticton Vees Acquire 22 Players in 2025 WHL Expansion Draft Proceedings - WHL
- Daneault Named CJHL Rookie of the Year - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Swift Current Broncos to Select Three Times at the 2025 CHL Import Draft - Swift Current Broncos
- Gavin McKenna Wins Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year for 2024-25 - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Tigers Alternate Captain McKenna Wins Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year for 2024-25 - WHL
- Kelowna Rockets 2025 Draft Preview - Kelowna Rockets
- Moose Jaw Warriors to Select First at 2025 CHL Import Draft - WHL
- Blades Enter 2025 WHL Prospects Draft with 22nd Overall Pick - Saskatoon Blades
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