Portland’s Alberta natives relishing opportunity to play in their home province
For the first time since October 2019, the Portland Winterhawks are set to play games in Alberta.
It’s an unusual gap between trips to Wild Rose Country, as the Winterhawks typically travel to the play in the Central Division every other year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawks were unable to cross the border for two seasons, thus pushing back their return to Alberta to the 2023-24 season.
The anticipation only makes this road trip more special, especially for the Alberta natives on this year’s team – forwards Josh Davies (Airdrie), Nick Johnson (Calgary), Kyle McDonough (Langdon), Ryan Miller (Medicine Hat), and Marcus Nguyen (Calgary).
“First three-in-three of the year. It’s going to be a challenge,” Marcus Nguyen said. “I think there’s a lot of excitement from the fellas and it should be fun embracing it all.”
Nguyen, a third-year Winterhawk who grew up going to Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen games with his parents, is simply soaking in the fact that he will finally play Western Hockey League games in his home province.
“I’m going to have lots of family at all three of the games this weekend because it’s not too far (from home). I grew up in Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton, like my grandparents lived in Edmonton so I was always up there in the summers. I’m really excited to get started and play those teams for the first time in my WHL career.”
He won’t have to look far up the stands to see his loved ones. Nguyen said his support group will include his mom, dad, grandparents, uncles, friends, and even his parents’ customers from their restaurant. “I have a lot of people coming,” Nguyen added. “I think my mom bought out a whole section so she got a lot of tickets.”
Newcomer Kyle McDonough echoed the excitement from his older teammate. The Langdon, Alta. product made his season debut last Saturday in Everett and got healthy in time for the team’s longest trip of the year.
“I just think it’s keeping the energy levels up high and going into all the games with the same energy and mentality and focus,” McDonough said.
Fitting words from the rookie seeing that Alberta is known as “The Energy Province.” Like Nguyen, McDonough will have plenty of support during this trip, especially in Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome.
“(On Sunday), I’m pretty sure my mom booked a whole section, so I’ll have a lot of support which is really cool,” the 16-year-old forward said. “Playing in the home barn that I grew up watching the (Calgary) Flames and (Calgary) Hitmen play will be really cool. A dream come true.”
The Winterhawks left Portland before sunrise on Tuesday morning and traveled over 700 miles across two days to their first destination of the trip – Canmore, Alta. The Hawks arrived early for some team bonding before playing six games in nine nights. They held two practices at the Canmore Recreation Centre, skated and ran drills with local under-11 hockey players and signed autographs, and even enjoyed a mountainous hike on the snowy Grassi Lake Trails.
“I come (to Canmore) all the time with my friends in the summer,” Nguyen said. “This town is awesome and even that gives me the goosebumps a bit. I’m going to play in the arenas that I grew up sitting in the stands.”
“That will be real fun.”
Now, it’s time for business. The Winterhawks drop the puck tonight at 6:00 p.m. PT in Red Deer. Fans can watch the Winterhawks for free on WHL Live on CHL TV because it was named the CHL Game of the Week.
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