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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Weekly: Playoff Time in Portland

March 25, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Your Winterhawks picked up five of six points in the final week of the regular season, including back-to-back wins over Seattle, and enter the postseason with points in 11 straight contests. The Playoffs begin with Games 1 and 2 of Portland's first-round series against Victoria this Friday and Saturday at the VMC!

Hot Hawks:

Defenseman Luca Cagnoni logged two goals an an assist in two games last week to become the first WHL defenseman since 1993-94 to hit 90 points in a season. The San Jose Sharks prospect led all WHL blueliners in points this season.

Forward Diego Buttazzoni led all Portland skaters with six points in three games, scoring in each contest to push his total to 29 tucks on the year. The 2024 NHL Draft prospect finished the campaign with 29 goals, 26 assists and 55 points in 67 games this year.

Forward Josh Zakreski wrapped up the regular season on a three-game point streak, and found the scoresheet in nine of his last 11 games. Zakreski posted 21 goals, 28 assists and 49 points in his first NHL Draft-eligible campaign.

Forward James Stefan reached 50 goals and 100 points on the strength of goals on Saturday and Sunday. Just days after signing an NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers, Stefan became the first Winterhawk since 2018-19 to record 50 goals and 100 points in the same season.

Forward Nate Danielson posted five total assists last week and concluded the regular season on a five-game point streak - including four multi-point showings. The Detroit Red Wings first-rounder bagged 41 points in 28 games with the Hawks, the highest points-per-game output of his career.

Defenseman Marek Alscher scored his 22nd career goal on Saturday to become Portland's all-time leading goalscorer among import defensemen, surpassing Henri Jokiharju. The Florida Panthers prospect finished the season with career bests in goals (7), assists (19) and points (26).

Weekly Rewind:

Portland 3 at Tri-City 4 OT (Friday):

Josh Zakreski (1G, 1A), Diego Buttazzoni (1G, 1A) and Nate Danielson (2A) each tallied two points as the Winterhawks stretched their team point streak to nine games (7-0-2-0), but a Jordan Gavin breakaway bid in overtime helped the Americans take the extra point on Friday.

Portland 7 vs. Seattle 4 (Saturday):

Led by a five-goal first period, the Winterhawks routed the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-3 in front of a crowd of 8,474 at the VMC on Saturday.

Portland 4 at Seattle 3 SO (Sunday):

The Winterhawks became the third WHL team to cross the 100-point threshold this season thanks to Kyle Chyzowski's shootout heroics and Justen Maric's 29 saves in a 4-3 SO win over the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Week Ahead:

This is where the fun begins! The 2024 WHL Playoffs kick off this weekend at the VMC, with Game 1 against Victoria set for Friday at 7:00 P.M. and Game 2 on Saturday at 6:00 P.M. Stay tuned to Winterhawks socials this week for a full breakdown of the first-round matchup with the Royals.

Be sure to arrive early for Saturday's tilt and enjoy the Toyota Fan Fest! Starting at 3:00 P.M., fans can welcome players to the arena for the game, enjoy family-friendly activities on the VMC commons and grab delicious local bites and brews from food trucks and our beer garden! See you there!

Upcoming Playoff Games:

Round 1, Game 1 - Friday, March 29 - BUY TICKETS

Round 1, Game 2 - Saturday, March 30 - BUY TICKETS

Single-game playoff tickets are on sale now! Click the links above to shop seats for our first two confirmed home games in the postseason.

Catch every minute of playoff action with the "Chase The Dream" Playoff Pass! For just $175, you get a lower-bowl seat to every single potential home game at the VMC in the 2024 WHL Playoffs. Availability is limited - act fast to secure your seat on the bandwagon!

[CLICK HERE FOR PLAYOFF TICKETS]

- Tickets for the 2023-24 season are on sale NOW! With single-game seats, season tickets, flex packs, group tickets and more, there's an option for every fan.

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The Winterhawks trust Riverside Payments for all of their credit card processing as the team's official credit card processors.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2024


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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