Winterhawks Weekly: Hawks finish four-in-five as focus shifts to Teddy Bear Toss

The Portland Winterhawks faced a grueling four-games-in-five-days stretch this past week, securing one win while continuing to showcase standout individual performances and determination. As they look ahead to a two-game home series against the Vancouver Giants and the highly anticipated Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday, the Hawks are ready to turn the page and build momentum.

Hot Hawks:

• Forward Josh Zakreski delivered a five-goal week, including two power-play tallies on Wednesday, his 100th career WHL point, and his first WHL career hat trick in the Hawks’ 6-4 win over Kelowna.
• Captain Kyle Chyzowski added five points (3G, 2A) over the four games, continuing his stellar play as the team’s leader in goals (17) and points (37).
• Goaltender Marek Schlenker posted a career-high 43 saves for a .911 save percentage against the Rockets.
• Forward Diego Buttazzoni contributed five assists this past week, including a three-helper outing on Friday.
• Defenseman Tyson Jugnauth posted four assists, scoring on a point-per-game pace and adding to his team-leading assist count (22).
• Defenseman Griffin Darby showed out with his first career multi-point game (2A) on Friday against Kelowna.

Play of the Week:

No goal carried more weight than Josh Zakreski’s empty-net tally on Friday, sealing the Hawks’ win and completing his first career hat trick. After a sharp rebound off the post by Buttazzoni, Zakreski tapped the puck home, securing a memorable milestone.

Josh Zakreski with his first career WHL hat-trick 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8cs7NvJfga

— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) November 29, 2024

Big Z with THREE!@pdxwinterhawks | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/DHezhKn00z

— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 30, 2024

Weekly Rewind:

Portland 2 vs. Kelowna 4 (Wednesday)
Despite a dominant 44-shot effort, the Portland Winterhawks fell 4-2 to the Kelowna Rockets, with Josh Zakreski providing both goals on the power play. Zakreski’s pair of one-timers kept the Hawks in the game, but Kelowna capitalized on key opportunities, scoring twice in the second period and sealing the win with an early third-period goal.

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Portland 6 vs. Kelowna 4 (Friday)
Josh Zakreski’s first WHL career hat trick powered the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets, highlighted by his milestone 100th career WHL point. Zakreski scored three goals, including a power-play blast and an empty-net clincher, while Marek Schlenker made a career-high 41 saves to backstop the win. Portland overcame a 3-2 deficit with a dominant final minute of the second period, where Zakreski and Hudson Darby struck twice in 45 seconds to take the lead for good. Diego Buttazzoni extended his point streak to nine games, and Griffin Darby notched his first career multi-point game in the Hawks’ strong team effort.

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Portland 1 at Spokane 5 (Saturday)
The Winterhawks faced a tough road challenge in Spokane, falling 5-1 to the Chiefs despite Ryder Thompson’s power-play goal and a 43-save effort from Ondřej Štêbeták. Portland fought to gain momentum after a challenging start, with Thompson’s rocket from the blue line late in the second period offering hope. However, the Chiefs capitalized on their opportunities, adding two late goals to put the game out of reach.

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Portland 4 at Spokane 7 (Sunday)
The Winterhawks got off to a strong start in Spokane, taking a 2-0 lead early in the first period, but the Chiefs responded quickly to erase the advantage and eventually skated to a 7-4 victory. Kyle Chyzowski scored twice, including a power-play goal, while Carsyn Dyck also found the back of the net. Spokane capitalized on several opportunities, including a penalty shot and two quick goals in the second period. Portland continued to battle, with McDonough pulling the Hawks within one early in the third, but the Chiefs sealed the win with a two-goal cushion and an empty-netter.

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The Week Ahead:

The Winterhawks return to Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a two-game series against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday, December 7, at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 8, at 4:00 p.m. Saturday’s contest highlights The Winterhawks Foundation, as well as Delta Hotels by Marriott, and Sunday’s game marks the eagerly anticipated Teddy Bear Toss, where fans are encouraged to bring stuffed animals to throw onto the ice after the Hawks’ first goal. All stuffed animals will be donated to local charities. Join us at the VMC or tune in on WHL Live as the Hawks aim to soar into December with big wins and a storm of teddy bears!