This week: at Moose Jaw, 6 p.m. Friday; at Brandon, 5:30 p.m. Saturday; at Regina, 6 p.m. Tuesday; at Swift Current, 6 p.m. Wednesday; at Prince Albert, 6 p.m. on Oct. 24.
Last week: Lost 6-2 at Everett, lost 3-2 to Seattle in a shootout.
Where they stand: At 1-7-0-2 Portland is last in the U.S. Division with four points, two points behind fourth-place Spokane (which has played only six games).
Goalie added: On Thursday, the Winterhawks announced the acquisition of 20-year-old goalie Bolton Pouliot. In his fifth season in the WHL, Pouliot has played 91 games for Red Deer and Kamloops. He was 4-2 for Kamloops this season with a .899 save percentage. A cousin of former Winterhawk Derrick Pouliot, Kamloops sent the netminder to Portland in order to get down to the maximum three overage players. The Winterhawks now have three 20-year-olds, and three goalies, on the roster.
The long road: Friday’s game at Moose Jaw is the beginning of a six-game, nine-day swing through the Eastern Division. The longest trip of the season comes at a good time, according to coach Jamie Kompon. He called it a good chance for players to re-introduce themselves to each other now that players have returned from NHL training camps. It also offers bonding time beyond the rink as the team traverses more than 3,000 miles.
For Kompon, who spent the past 17 seasons as an assistant coach in the NHL, it will be his first extended WHL bus trip. He said he is excited about the trip, including the opportunity to see some parts of Canada he hasn’t seen.
After the road trip, the Hawks play consecutive home games (Oct. 30 and Nov. 1) against Kelowna, which enters this weekend at 8-0 as the top-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League. The CHL includes the WHL, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Petan selected: Forward Nic Petan will play for Team WHL in the Subway Super Series. Team WHL will face Team Russia on Nov. 10 in Saskatoon and on Nov. 11 in Brandon.
Injury report: Petan, who suffered an upper body injury against Seattle on Saturday, traveled with the team to Moose Jaw, but his status for this weekend has not been announced. The same is true for defenseman Blake Heinrich, who is working his way back from a preseason concussion.
Bjorkstrand streak: Oliver Bjorkstrand has a goal or assist in all five games he has played since returning from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bjorkstrand’s seven points (four goals, three assists) is third on the team in scoring, two points behind Chase De Leo (four goals, five assists in eight games).
Struggling on D: The Winterhawks have allowed more goals than any team in the WHL (47), seven more than the second most goals against (Prince George). Spokane (16 goals against in six games) statistically has the second most porous defense in the U.S. Division.
