Winterhawks Practice in Advance of Game 3

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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Practice in Advance of Game 3

March 31, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


After two hard-fought games at the CN Centre in Prince George, Portland traveled west to the Winterhawks Ice Center in Beaverton for practice before the next three games of the best-of-seven series are played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

In total, nine players made their WHL postseason debut over the weekend and did so in a hostile environment.

"It was a great atmosphere up there," 19-year-old forward Joel Plante said. "Earning a split up there, I think we're pretty happy with that."

Plante's debut featured his first goal in the playoffs and forced overtime after the Cougars came back from a 5-2 deficit.

There is no denying it, the Game 1 result stung, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the 7-6 overtime loss, including the ability to respond to adversity.

"When you think about Friday's game, we put together maybe 50 of the best minutes of hockey we played all year," Winterhawks head coach Kyle Gustafson said. "I thought when Saturday came along, that was one area we wanted to address: how quickly can you grab momentum back? We did everything we could to minimize some of their looks. I thought for all of our young guys, they were in the moment, and Game 1 was so important for us. It wasn't the outcome we wanted, but it was the experience that we went through and how we responded."

Alex Weiermair, like Plante, scored in his first postseason game in the WHL. While disappointed the team did not emerge victorious on Friday, the Los Angeles, California, native displayed a calm demeanor. "I think we did a lot of great things in that game, but that's what playoffs are, right? It is best of seven, now, best of five, so you've got to move on to the next game and have a goldfish memory. We did a great job moving on and getting the win in the second game."

One of Plante's favorite memories was hearing how quiet the building got after Diego Buttazzoni scored with 2:58 remaining, putting the Hawks up by two. He then commented how the noise level dropped even more after Tyson Jugnauth's empty netter, and fourth point of the night, sealed the victory.

"That was one heck of a goal by Diego," he said. "That was just an unreal win. I'm glad those two goals were scored when they were because what a way to seal it."

Gustafson credited Buttazzoni's play away from the puck before the goal as the reason for the Langley, British Columbia, product to find himself in a position to display his offensive skills.

"Diego is a player that has really, really grown in the defensive department. You look at this year, and he's playing center. In his Western Hockey League career, he's played more on the wing. When you're a centerman, especially in the way we play, you've got to be really responsible away from the puck. On that particular (play), I think poise is the right word for it. He was just able to sit back and wait for an opportunity to maybe strip a puck or intercept a pass. That's exactly what he did," Gustafson said.

Now, with Game 3 presented by Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks getting underway on Tuesday at 7:00 P.M., the Hawks hold the home-ice advantage.

Fans should arrive early to participate in the Toyota Fan Fest starting at 5:45 P.M. on the VMC concourse. If unable to attend, watch for free on Victory+ by downloading the app at victoryplus.com/download.

"I think our guys are really excited about being in front of our fans, being in our arena, and controlling some situations. PG had a hostile environment, but now it's good to be back home," Gustafson concluded.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2025


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