WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Weekly: 14,787 Teddy Bears Fly as Hawks Win Three Straight

Published on December 13, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Three straight wins, a sell-out crowd and 14,787 teddy bears highlighted a thrilling week of Winterhawks hockey on home ice. Portland topped Prince George, Seattle and Everett to keep pace atop the U.S. Division.

Heading into the final week of action before the holiday break, the Hawks face a home-and-home with the Vancouver Giants, starting this Friday in Langley before returning home on Saturday for Holiday Sweater Night at the VMC.

Hot Hawks:

Defenseman Luca Cagnoni led all Winterhawks skaters with five points (1G, 4A) last week, including the game-tying goal in the final minute against Seattle on Saturday. On Monday, Cagnoni was named to the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects game roster, as chosen via survey by all 32 NHL clubs ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft next summer.

Forward Jack O'Brien put his playmaking on display with four assists last week, pushing his point streak to six games (2G, 6A). The Hawks' alternate captain is up to a team-high 22 helpers on the year.

Forward Gabe Klassen found the scoresheet in all three games last week, including two multi-point games with a goal and an assist on both Wednesday and Sunday. Portland's leading goalscorer is now tied for eighth in the WHL with 18 tucks on the year.

Forward James Stefan set up Cagnoni's game-tying tally on Saturday, then snapped a scoring skid with a bullet wrister for the game-winner on Sunday. Stefan has tallied 25 points on the year, good for fifth in team scoring.

Goaltender Dante Giannuzzi backstopped two wins last week with 56 total saves on 61 shots. The 20-year-old netminder has won 13 of 18 starts this season, including eight of his last 11 outings.

Play of the Week:

Could there possibly be any other choice? Marcus Nguyen's first-period breakaway goal electrified a sold-out VMC and sent nearly 15,000 teddy bears to the ice on Saturday night. Safe to say it's worth another watch or seven.

Weekly Rewind:

Portland 4 vs Prince George 2 (Wednesday):

Rookie defenseman Rhett Ravndahl scored his first WHL goal 5:05 into the third period to break a 2-2 deadlock and help push the Winterhawks (19-4-2-1) to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars (14-13-0-0) on Wednesday. Dante Giannuzzi stopped 18 of 20 shots to pick up his 12th win of the campaign.

Portland 4 vs Seattle 3 SO (Saturday):

Marcus Nguyen tallied the Teddy Bear Toss goal and the shootout winner as the Portland Winterhawks (20-4-2-1) picked up 4-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds (19-4-1-1) in front of a sell-out crowd of 9,863 at the VMC on Saturday night.

A total of 14,787 teddy bears were collected during the battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

Portland 4 vs Everett 2 (Sunday):

Three first-period goals and 32 saves from Jan Špunar helped the Winterhawks (21-4-2-1) knock off the Everett Silvertips (15-12-1-0) by a 4-2 final on Sunday for their third straight win.

In addition to its three-game winning streak, Portland has also recorded points in five consecutive outings (4-0-1-0).

The Week Ahead:

Two more games before the holiday break!

First up, the Hawks are back in B.C. for a Friday night tilt against the Vancouver Giants. Puck drops at 7:30 P.M. for that contest.

Then, both teams return to the Rose City for a rematch on Saturday at 6:00 P.M. The Hawks will don special holiday sweaters for the occasion, as seen during warmups on Teddy Bear Toss Night!

Replica versions of the jerseys will be sold in the team store on game night so you can rep the Hawks during the holidays!

Let's close out the first half of the season on a high note - see ya Saturday, Hawks fans!

Upcoming Promo Nights:

Saturday, December 17 - Holiday Sweater Night - BUY TICKETS

Saturday, December 31 - New Year's Eve - BUY TICKETS

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Single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2022-23 season!

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 13, 2022


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