Game Day Hub: November 3 at Swift Current
Portland Winterhawks at Swift Current Broncos
Fresh off a big win in Medicine Hat, the Winterhawks cross the provincial border to battle the Broncos in Swift Current.
Puck Drop: 6:00 p.m. PT
Venue: InnovationPlex – Swift Current, Sask.
Uniforms: Black
2022-23 Season Series: Portland went 1-0-0-0 against Swift Current
Swift Current 3 @ Portland 6 (Jan 27 2023)
Listen Live: Winterhawks Radio Network and on the Winterhawks App
Watch Live: WHL Live on CHL TV
Game Notes: Winterhawks Game Notes
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Upcoming Promo Games:
Friday, November 17 – Hometown Heroes Night – BUY TICKETS
Sunday, November 19 – Hawks Fight Hunger Night – BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 2 – Fox12/KPTV Toy Drive – BUY TICKETS
Sunday, December 3 – Women of the Rose City Night – BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 9 – Teddy Bear Toss – BUY TICKETS
Saturday, December 16 – Holiday Sweater Night – BUY TICKETS
FOLLOW ALONG: Box Score
Back In The Saddle
Led by two-goal showings from Josh Davies and Diego Buttazzoni, the Winterhawks returned to winning ways with a 6-3 comeback victory in Medicine Hat on Wednesday. Portland posted four unanswered goals in the third period to earn their first win in four games to start the Central Division swing.
Now, the focus shifts to replicating that third-period performance for a full 60 minutes against another dangerous opponent. The blueprint is there – look for a carryover effort from the boys in black tonight.
Post-win vibes 📈 pic.twitter.com/FxovkIrkay
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) November 2, 2023
Homecoming
One of the best parts of this trip is seeing players get the opportunity to skate in front of friends and family, either in their hometown or nearby. Tonight’s contest is no different, with Swift Current native Hudson Darby headlining the Hawks’ seven Saskatchewan products. Should he be named in the lineup, Darby will get to play a WHL game in the same building he starred in for the Swift Current Legionnaires as a minor hockey player.
There’s one more homecoming of sorts to expect tonight as Josh Davies – acquired via trade on August 9 – returns to the team with which he spent four seasons before the current campaign. A sixth-round selection of the Florida Panthers in the 2022 NHL Draft, Davies has hit the ground running with Portland with seven goals, six assists and 13 points in just nine games. He scored twice on Wednesday to help the Hawks knock off the Tigers, and boasts points in eight of nine games played this season.
On the flipside, it’s also a chance for the Hawks to say hello to an old friend in Ryan McCleary, who was sent to his hometown of Swift Current in the deal that brought Davies and rookie forward Tyson Yaremko to the Rose City. McCleary, 20, has one goal in six outings for the Broncos in his final junior season.
Scouting Swift
Swift Current sits at 7-7-1 through 15 games thus far, good for eighth in the Eastern Conference. Despite that mark, though, the Broncos enter tonight’s tilt with wins in three of their last four games – including a 6-4 victory over Seattle last week.
Six WHL first-rounders (Birnie, Caswell, Fluker, Kettles, Pickering and Ward) and five NHL-drafted players (Dyck, Filmon, Hvidston, McCleary and Pickering) headline Swift Current’s roster, with only one skater qualifying for both categories. With that kind of talent dispersed throughout the lineup, the Broncos can thrive no matter which line is on the ice, and Portland’s depth is sure to face a strong test in tonight’s clash at the InnovationPlex.
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