Portland Winterhawks heading to second-straight Western Conference Championship

Everett, Wash.- For a second consecutive season, the Portland Winterhawks are advancing to the Western Conference Championship.

The underdog Winterhawks pulled off an incredible 4-2 comeback win on Tuesday night to eliminate the regular season champion Everett Silvertips in a Game 7 thriller on the road.

Portland has eliminated Everett from the playoffs for a third straight season.

Captain Kyle Chyzowski tied the game at 1-1 late in the second period, while Hudson Darby and Kyle McDonough struck 30 seconds apart in the final frame to seal the series win.

Diego Buttazzoni capped off the night with an empty netter and his ninth goal of the postseason.

2025 NHL Draft-eligible netminder Ondrej Stebetak was the star of the series for the Winterhawks and stopped 40 shots in the victory.

The rookie goaltender averaged more than 35 saves per game in Round Two, highlighted by a 43-save overtime win in Game 4.

Chyzowski paced his team with seven goals and four assists for 11 points in seven games.

The veteran scored in five of seven matches and even bagged a hat trick in Game 4.

The Winterhawks await the winner of the Spokane Chiefs/Victoria Royals series.