This week: Host Red Deer, 7 p.m. Friday (Moda Center): host Kamloops, 7 p.m. Saturday (Moda Center); at Everett, 7:35 p.m. Nov. 14.
Last week: Beat Kelowna 3-2 in overtime; beat Edmonton 3-1.
Where they stand: At 7-10-0-2, the Winterhawks’ 16 points is last in the U.S. Division. Their 19 games played is the most in the division.
Stepping up, heating up: The Winterhawks have won four of their last five games to double their point total on the season. Last weekend’s home wins over top-ranked Kelowna and Edmonton were especially encouraging. They were the first home wins of the season.
“The big thing for us is that our leaders stepped up and did the right thing and played the right way,” coach Jamie Kompon said.
Lines shuffled: Between the Oct. 30 5-0 loss to Kelowna and last Saturday’s win over the Rockets, Kompon shook up his lines. The new partnerships, which he plans to stick with for now, are: Paul Bittner, Nic Petan, Evan Wenger; Keegan Iverson, Dominic Turgeon and Oliver Bjorkstrand; Miles Koules, Chase De Leo and Ethan Price; the fourth line players will rotate.
“That made three solid lines that I’m comfortable to play against anybody,” Kompon said. It also makes it more difficult for opponents to match up defensively, the coach added.
Goalie shuffle: Goalie Michael Bullion earned his first two wins as a Winterhawk as he stopped 63 of 66 shots in wins over Kelowna and Edmonton. The 17-year-old from Anchorage was recalled from Wenatchee of the North American Hockey League when injuries sidelined both Brendan Burke and Adin Hill. Burke returns this weekend and Hill will return next weekend, so goalie Bolton Pouliot has been released.
Shop with a Hawk: On Tuesday, Winterhawks players shopped for toys and clothes with 25 students from Portland’s Lincoln Park Elementary School. In conjunction with the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division, each student had $100 to spend courtesy of the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club.
Try hockey for free: Saturday is a Try Hockey for Free Day across the United States. A session for kids ages 5-9 will be held 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. on Saturday at Mountain View Ice Arena in Vancouver. To sign up, visit Tryhockeyforfree.com.
Trevor Cheek scores
Vancouver native Trevor Cheek scored his first goal of the season on Oct. 31 for the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. Cheek, 21, has played in eight games and has two assists. This is his second season with the Cleveland team, an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.
