Things to watch for during Neely Cup 2023
The temperature’s dropping around the city, especially within the glass walls of Veterans Memorial Coliseum – it’s hockey season in Portland!
The Portland Winterhawks’ annual Neely Cup Training Camp kicks off this week, with games beginning this Thursday. Seventy-seven players born between 2003 and 2008 will participate in fitness testing and on-ice sessions at the VMC, some for the very first time as members of the Winterhawks family.
Exciting young prospects like 2023 picks Griffin Darby and Jordan Duguay – who each signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Hawks this summer – will mingle with NHL-drafted veterans like Luca Cagnoni (SJ 2023) and Marek Alscher (FLA 2022) to form four teams competing for this year’s trophy.
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Here are some storylines to help you stay up to speed while attending camp.
2023 DRAFT CLASS MAKES ITS DEBUT
After welcoming 13 new players to the organization during the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority and Prospects Drafts in May, Hawks fans will get their first glimpse of many members of that class this week. Headlined by new signings like defenseman Griffin Darby (Rd.1, #17) and forward Jordan Duguay (Rd. 2, #39), the 2008-born class features a good balance of skill up front and strength on the blue line.
Keep an eye on the new guys as they take their first steps into the WHL this week!
When you get drafted to the same team as your older brother 🥹
What a moment for Griffin and Hudson Darby! pic.twitter.com/1a3c1dwKxV
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) May 11, 2023
* 2023 U.S. Priority Draft pick Landon Amrhein will not attend camp as he recovers from injury.
* 2023 WHL Prospects Draft pick Morgan Stickney is currently preparing for the season at Shattuck St. Mary’s School. Due to the school’s rules regarding players leaving campus after arrival for the year, she will not be able to participate in camp.
FRESH FACES IN FAMILIAR PLACES
Speaking of new guys, three players with regular-season WHL games already under their belts will be skating in their first Neely Cup action as forwards Josh Davies and Tyson Yaremko and goaltender Justen Maric come to town.
Davies and Yaremko were acquired in a deal for 20-year-old defenseman Ryan McCleary, bringing Portland’s roster under the three-player limit on 20-year-olds while adding an NHL-drafted forward in Davies and a solid up-and-comer in Yaremko.
Maric, on the other hand, joins the Hawks’ organization after Portland dealt a 2026 draft pick for his services. The Edmonton, Alta. native joins Jan Špunar and Luke Brunen in the goaltending group, providing added depth at a key position for the Hawks.
Which new acquisition are you most excited to see?
New guy bringing the juice 🔋 @davejd11 pic.twitter.com/a3KLQbvzaX
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) August 11, 2023
PRO-CALIBER TALENT
Davies isn’t the only NHL prospect hitting the VMC ice this week, as he joins fellow Florida Panthers draft pick Marek Alscher, San Jose Sharks pick Luca Cagnoni and Philadelphia Flyers pick Carter Sotheran. Alscher and Davies actually spent time as teammates with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last spring and have shared the ice at Panthers development and training camps over the past two summers, while Cagnoni and Sotheran enter their first WHL campaigns with official NHL ties.
Current NHLers like Cody Glass, Seth Jarvis, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Henri Jokiharju each captured the training camp trophy before advancing to the NHL ranks – who’s the next future pro star to start with their name on the Neely Cup?
Step 1: Get drafted with your defense partner 🤝
Step 2: Celebrate with your defense partner 🥳After sharing the blue line in Portland for much of the year, Luca and Carter got to relish their #NHLDraft moment(s) after their names were called! pic.twitter.com/b0dEHe67Yo
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) June 29, 2023
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