Winterhawks Weekly: Hawks wrap a grueling week, gear up for Eastern Swing
The Portland Winterhawks concluded a challenging six-in-nine stretch with a four-game week, including a three-in-three over the weekend. Facing U.S. Division opponents Everett, Spokane, Tri-City, and Wenatchee, the Hawks battled to a 1-2-1 record. The team now turns its attention to the Eastern Swing, a two-week road trip featuring six games against Eastern Conference foes.
Hot Hawks:
- Captain Kyle Chyzowski led the way with 10 points (1G, 9A) across the week, earning points in three of four games and taking over the WHL scoring lead with 62 points (27G, 35A).
- Forward Diego Buttazzoni notched a six-point effort (4G, 2A) across the week, including a three-point performance (2G, 1A) in Friday’s shootout loss to Tri-City.
- Defenseman Tyson Jugnauth totaled six points (2G, 4A), including his first goal since November 22, and overtook the league lead in assists (41).
- Forward Josh Zakreski averaged a point per game this week, finishing with four total (2G, 2A).
- Forward Joel Plante tallied his first career WHL goal, the game-winner in Spokane, and added another goal and assist for a three-point week.
- Forward Jordan Duguay recorded his first multi-goal game and a three-point night (2G, 1A) in Thursday’s win over Spokane.
Play of the Week:
Newcomer Joel Plante made his mark with his first WHL goal, a game-winning tally in Spokane. After a slick setup from Kayd Ruedig, Plante buried a wrist shot from the left circle, making his New Year’s resolution of scoring in the Dub a reality!
Joel Plante's New Year's resolution was to score his first WHL goal. He can check that one off the list! ✅ pic.twitter.com/H8noZgGA1d
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) January 3, 2025
Weekly Rewind:
Portland 3, Everett 7 (Tuesday):
The Winterhawks faced a challenging start to the week, falling 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips. Despite Kyle McDonough’s shorthanded goal in the first period, which briefly tied the game, Everett responded with three unanswered goals to take control early. The Winterhawks found moments of offensive success later in the game, with Josh Zakreski converting on the power play and Diego Buttazzoni scoring a gritty third-period goal to bring the Hawks within striking distance. However, Everett pulled away with another power-play marker and an empty-net goal to seal the result, handing Portland a loss.
Portland 5, Spokane 2 (Thursday):
The Winterhawks opened 2025 with a commanding 5-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs, fueled by rookie Jordan Duguay’s two-goal, three-point performance and Joel Plante’s first career WHL goal. After a back-and-forth start, Portland surged ahead with three second-period goals, including Duguay’s dazzling deke and Plante’s milestone marker. Captain Kyle Chyzowski and Diego Buttazzoni added third-period insurance, while goaltender Ondřej Štěbeták made 35 saves to seal the win.
Portland 6, Tri-City 7 SO (Friday):
The Winterhawks staged a thrilling comeback against Tri-City, overcoming a three-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime, but ultimately fell 7-6 in a shootout. Portland opened the scoring with two power-play goals from Diego Buttazzoni and added another from Kayd Ruedig for a 3-1 lead. However, the Americans stormed back with a four-goal second period to go up 6-3. Tyson Jugnauth’s late goal in the middle frame provided a spark for Portland, and the momentum carried into the third as Ryan Miller and Ryder Thompson scored just over a minute apart to tie the game. A scoreless overtime saw the Americans claim the victory with the only goal in the shootout.
Portland 3, Wenatchee (Saturday):
Portland dropped a 6-3 decision to Wenatchee on Saturday. Wenatchee struck twice in the first, including a power-play goal, before Tyson Jugnauth got Portland on the board with a point shot late in the frame. Joel Plante tied the game early in the second period, but the Wild capitalized on a penalty shot and two more power-play chances to pull away. Kyle McDonough added a late shorthanded goal for Portland, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.
The Week Ahead:
The Hawks head east for the first leg of their Eastern Swing, taking on the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday, January 10, at 5:00 PM PT, followed by a matchup with the Regina Pats on Saturday, January 11, at 4:00 PM PT. Tune in on WHL Live!
Upcoming Promotional Games:
Friday, January 24 – Pride Night – BUY TICKETS
Saturday, February 1 – Hawks Fight Cancer – BUY TICKETS
Saturday, February 8 – Hawkey For All – BUY TICKETS
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