Winterhawks Weekly: Game 7 Win and Start of the Western Conference Championship

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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Weekly: Game 7 Win and Start of the Western Conference Championship

April 28, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The last week for the Portland Winterhawks has been filled with a range of emotions, but started with a bang.

Trailing the Scotty Munro Champion Everett Silvertips 2-1 in the third period on the road in Game 7, two goals in 30 seconds by Hudson Darby and Kyle McDonough helped the No. 5 seed Winterhawks complete a massive upset in Round 2 of the 2025 WHL Playoffs, presented by Nutrien.

Diego Buttazzoni hit the empty net with 21 seconds remaining to secure the series, and goaltender Ondřej Štěbeták made 40 saves in Game 7.

Following a couple of days off, the Winterhawks made their way to Spokane to face the No. 2 seed Chiefs in the Western Conference Championship.

Game 1 was all Spokane as it won 10-4 on Friday evening. The Winterhawks responded with a great effort on Sunday in Game 2, scoring twice in the third period to force overtime, but ultimately fell in the extra session.

Hot Hawks:

Diego Buttazzoni is the highest scorer through the first two games with three goals and three assists. Two of the Langley, British Columbia, native's goals came via the power play.

Winterhawks captain Kyle Chyzowski has one goal and three helpers, including the goal that forced overtime in Game 2.

Three Portland skaters have three points: Josh Zakreski (2G, 1A), Alex Weiermair (3A), and Tyson Jugnauth (1G, 2A).

Winterhawks 2023 first-round WHL Prospects Draft selection Griffin Darby made his first career playoff appearance in Game 2.

40th-ranked North American skater for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Max Pšenička, started the comeback in Game 2 with his first playoff goal during his rookie season.

Plays of the Week:

It is not possible to choose just one goal from this week's action, so both the two goals by Darby and McDonough, 30 seconds apart in Game 7, get recognized.

"Hudson was sitting beside me on the bench before our next shift, and he goes, 'Why not us? I don't want to go home right now. Let's get it done, you and me. I said, 'Let's do it!' He goes out there, scores, and says, 'Let's keep it going.' Then he gets that burst of speed and sets me up for my goal. It was an unreal moment," McDonough said following the club's series-clinching win.

Spehar signed on the bottom line

The Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club was proud to announce the signing of forward Finn Spehar to a WHL Scholarship & Development Agreement.

Humanitarian of the Year

Second-year Winterhawks forward Kyle McDonough was named the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy winner as the WHL's Humanitarian of the Year for the 2024-2025 season.

Victory+ is the new streaming partner of the Western Hockey League:

The WHL Playoffs are available on Victory+ without geo-restrictions, giving fans the opportunity to follow their favorite teams and players on the road to the championship. With Victory+ offering a free, ad-supported streaming service, this ensures that the game is accessible to everyone, no matter where they are or what devices they use, including Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, and web browser.

Learn more at victoryplus.com/download

If you have any questions or need technical support, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions.

For Games 3, 4, and 5 (if necessary) in Portland, be sure to click on the Home Feed to hear Winterhawks broadcaster Nick Marek's call of the action.

Game 3 Home Feed Link

The Week Ahead: Get your tickets to Games 3 and 4

We have two guaranteed home games this week, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. If the Winterhawks win either night, Game 5 will be Saturday in Portland at 6:00 p.m.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 28, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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