PREVIEW: Giants Host Winterhawks on Friday
Langley, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants (11-14-1-1) go for their third consecutive win tonight when they take on the Portland Winterhawks (15-11-0-0) at Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m.
The Giants beat the Penticton Vees 3-2 last Friday in a shootout, where goaltender Kelton Pyne made a career-high 46 saves. Burke Hood followed that up with a highlight performance of his own on Saturday, tying a Giants franchise record with 55 saves in a 4-3 win over the top team in the WHL in Everett.
The Winterhawks are in the midst of a strong stretch: they enter action with a 6-1-0 record in their last seven games, including back-to-back 7-2 wins at home last weekend against Regina and Swift Current.
The Giants and Winterhawks played one another six weeks ago, when Portland escaped with a 6-5 regulation win. These teams will face off twice this weekend, as the Giants visit Portland on Sunday.
HOW TO TUNE IN
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TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight is the second of five head-to-head meetings between Vancouver and Portland this season.
| 2025-26 SEASON SERIES vs. POR (0-1-0-0) | ||
| DATE | LOCATION | RESULT |
| Oct. 24, 2025 | LEC | 6-5 L |
| Dec. 5, 2025 | LEC | 7:00 PM PST |
| Dec. 7, 2025 | Veteran Memorial Coliseum | 4:00 PM PST |
| Jan. 3, 2026 | Veteran Memorial Coliseum | 6:00 PM PST |
| Feb. 21, 2026 | LEC | 7:00 PM PST |
LAST 5 GAMES (2-2-1-0) | 20 GF, 21 GA
| DATE | VAN RESULT | SCORE | VAN SCORERS | IN GOAL | GWG |
| Nov. 29 | WIN | VAN 4 vs. EVT 3 | Domenichelli, Halaburda, Schmidt, Marrelli | Hood (55/58) | Marrelli (VAN) |
| Nov. 28 | SO WIN | VAN 3 at PEN 2 (SO) | Schmidt, Sparks, Titlbach (SO Winner) | Pyne (46/48) | Titlbach (VAN) |
| Nov. 26 | LOSS | VAN 2 at WEN 5 | Sparks (2) | Pyne (29/34) | Caffey (WEN) |
| Nov. 22 | OT LOSS | VAN 3 vs. TC 4 (OT) | Olson, Sparks, Lin | Hood (37/41) | Virk (TC) |
| Nov. 21 | LOSS | VAN 2 at PEN 4 | Lin, Halaburda | Hood (0/2) + Pyne (29/31) | Kvasnicka (PEN) |
TALE OF THE TAPE (2025-26 REG SEASON)
| PORTLAND | VANCOUVER | |
| 15-11-0-0 — 30 points | Team Record | 11-14-1-1 — 24 points |
| 3rd/6th | Conf./WHL Ranking | 11th/18th |
| 6-4-0-0 | Past 10 Games | 3-6-1-0 |
| 2-0-0-0 | Streak | 2-0-0-0 |
| 7-2 W vs. SC (Nov. 29) | Last Game | 4-3 W vs. EVT (Nov. 29) |
| 7-4-0-0 | Home Record | 7-5-1-0 |
| 8-7-0-0 | Away Record | 4-9-0-1 |
| 106 (4.08 – 7th) | GF | 88 (3.26 – 17th) |
| 98 (3.77 – 15th) | GA | 114 (4.22 – 19th) |
| +8 (T-6th) | Goal Differential | -26 (21st) |
| (30/119) 25.2% | PP (Overall) | (23/89) 25.8% |
| (30/104) 71.2% | PK (Overall) | (32/96) 66.7% |
| (2/4) 50% | PP vs. Opp. | (3/4) 75% |
| (3/4) 25% | PK vs. Opp. | (2/4) 50% |
| Spehar (7-14-21) | Leading Rookie | Tomik (4-5-9) |
| Miller (9-24-33) | Top Scorer | Schmidt (17-20-37) |
WHAT ARE WE WEARING
The Giants will be wearing their red primary jerseys tonight.
UPCOMING
The Giants play a 3-in-3 this weekend.
| Date | Opponent | Time | Location |
| Friday, December 5 | Portland | Langley Events Centre | 7:00 PM |
| Saturday, December 6 | Everett | Angel of the Winds Arena | 6:05 PM |
| Sunday, December 7 | Portland | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 4:00 PM |
