Updated at the conclusion of Winterhawks games
U.S. Division standings through February 4
1. Everett Silvertips, 72 points
2. Seattle Thunderbirds, 67
3. Tri-City Americans, 65
4. Portland Winterhawks, 61
5. Spokane, 50
NHL ALL-STAR GAME
Fill-in coach Wayne Gretzky led the Metropolitan Division to a 4-3 victory over the Pacific Division on Sunday, January 29 in the final match of the revamped NHL All-Star Game.
The Metropolitans scored three goals in 19 seconds during their 10-6 semifinal win over the Atlantic Division, including goals by former Winterhawk Seth Jones and Taylor Hall five seconds apart. Jones also scored in the final, tying it at one 1:25 into the game.
CHL/NHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME
Portland Winterhawks defenseman Henri Jokiharju earned player of the game honors for Team Cherry, recording three assists in the 7-5 win over Winterhawks teammate Cody Glass and Team Orr in front of 9,707 in Quebec City on Monday, January 30. Glass had an assist and finished tied for the team-high with four shots on goal for Team Orr.
Portland has had sixteen players skate in this event since 2010, including former first-round NHL draft selections Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter, Derrick Pouliot and Seth Jones.
SIGNING
The Winterhawks have signed defenseman Kade Nolan. Nolan was the Winterhawks’ fourth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft.
“Kade has shown the intelligence and skillset required to be a Portland Winterhawks defenseman” said Portland Winterhawks Vice President, General Manager and Head Coach Mike Johnston. “We feel he adds the right mix to an exciting group of 2001 born players we’ve signed this season.”
Nolan has six points in 33 games this season for the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. The blueliner joins Connor Bowie, Jaydon Dureau, Reece Newkirk and Evan Fradette on the list of fifteen-year-old Winterhawks’ signees.
WHL STANDINGS
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WHL STATS
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MORE HOCKEY/NHL
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THIS WEEK
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Portland at Spokane: The Winterhawks, coming off a three-day layoff, face off with Spokane in the first of a home-and-home. The teams last split a pair of games January 13-14 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Portland enters the week 11 points clear of Spokane for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Friday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., Moda Center
Spokane at Portland: The Winterhawks host Spokane in the second game of a home-and-home two nights after a midweek clash in Spokane. Right wing Kailer Yamamoto leads Spokane with 30 goals and 34 assists for 64 points in 45 games.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., ShoWare Center, TV on KRCW
Portland at Seattle: In another game televised by Portland’s CW, the Winterhawks take on the rival Thunderbirds for the second Saturday in a row. Second-place Seattle leads Portland by six points and has two games in hand on the Winterhawks.
LAST WEEK
Saturday, Feb. 4
Portland 4, Seattle 3 (SO): Alex Overhardt scored early in the third period to knot it at three and had the lone goal in the shootout as the Winterhawks (29-21-1-2) beat the Thunderbirds (31-15-3-2) in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,947 at Moda Center. The seven-round shootout win was Portland’s seventh consecutive victory.
Overhardt also had an assist and goalie Cole Kehler stopped all seven Seattle shootout attempts. Kehler made 51 saves to improve to 21-14-0-2. Joachim Blichfeld also had a goal and an assist as the Winterhawks pulled within 11 points of division-leading Everett.
Friday, Feb. 3
Portland 6, Everett 5: The Winterhawks (28-21-1-2) defeated the division-leading Silvertips (30-11-8-2) in front of 4,432 at Xfinity Arena in Everett to earn their season-high sixth consecutive victory.
Skyler McKenzie and Cody Glass had four points apiece to lead Portland, which scored four times in the second to take a 6-4 lead into the third period.
McKenzie potted two goals, including his team-leading 34th of the season, and added two assists. Glass, whose 47 assists and 71 points lead Portland and rank the center at seventh in WHL scoring, had a goal and three assists to extend his point streak to five games.
Defenseman Caleb Jones extended his point streak to seven games with an assist and Keoni Texeira earned his 100th career point when he assisted on Glass’ 24 of the season that broke a 2-2 tie thirty seconds into the second period.
Cole Kehler (20-14-0-2) stopped 34 shots in the win.
Wednesday, Feb. 1
Portland 4, Kamloops 2: The Winterhawks (27-21-1-2) overcame a 2-1 deficit against the B.C. second-place Blazers (31-18-2-2) to win their fifth in a row before 5,101 at Moda Center.
Right wing Evan Weinger broke a 2-2 tie late in the second, and Jake Gricius and Caleb Jones also scored for host Portland. Left wing Skyler McKenzie had a goal and an assist, and Cody Glass added two assists to stretch his team-leading point total to 68 (23 goals, 45 assists).
Shane Farkas stopped 25 shots to improve to 3-2-0-0 with the Winterhawks.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
Portland 4, Everett 3 (OT): Joachim Blichfeld scored his second consecutive game-winning goal as the Winterhawks (26-21-1-2) edged the first-place Silvertips (30-9-8-2) for their fourth win in a row in front of 3,406 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Colton Veloso and Evan Weinger scored to extend their point streaks to four games apiece. Defenseman Caleb Jones finished with two assists, and Cody Glass and Henri Jokiharju each added a helper after returning from Monday’s CHL/NHL Top Prospects game in Quebec City.
Blichfeld, a Danish rookie, added an assist in his second multipoint game in a row and has ten points in the last seven games.
Goalie Cole Kehler (19-14-0-2) made 31 saves in the rescheduled game from January 7.
Saturday, Jan. 28
Portland 5, Kelowna 4: Joachim Blichfeld scored with three seconds remaining, helping the Winterhawks (25-21-1-2) overcome a 4-1 deficit against the fourth-place Rockets (27-19-4-0) at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C.
Blichfeld deflected a shot from Brendan De Jong for his 16th goal of the season to complete the comeback win. The Winterhawks, playing without Cody Glass, Henri Jokiharju and Keegan Iverson, stormed back to earn their third consecutive victory.
Forward Skyler McKenzie finished with three points, netting his team-leading 31st goal and picking up his 100th career point with an assist on Blichfeld’s game-winner. Ryan Hughes scored for the third game in a row and Colton Veloso reached his career-high with his 12th goal that tied it 1-1 four minutes into the game.
Goalie Shane Farkas made 31 saves to improve to 2-2-0-0.
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