Sure, Paul Bittner was tired. Four games in four nights, a cross-continent flight and six hours on a bus will do that — even to 18-year-old hockey players. Not that a casual observer could have noticed.
Last weekend, the Portland Winterhawks forward produced two goals and three assists and played plus-5 hockey to help his surging team to three wins in three nights. Bittner did all that after scoring a goal in the NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game on Thursday in St. Catharines, Ontario.
He landed in Portland after 2 last Friday afternoon and went straight to the Moda Center. Coach Jamie Kompon did not give Bittner the option of a night off.
“It’s a bit of a grind, but you have to play the games,” Bittner said. “It was mentally and physically demanding. You’ve just got to drink a lot of water and get a lot of rest.”
It helps to play alongside two of the most dynamic forwards in the Western Hockey League. On the Winterhawks top line with Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan, Bittner has 21 goals and 18 assists in 45 games this season. In his third season with Portland, the Crookston, Minn., native is the 19th rated North American skater in the NHL Central Scouting mid-season rankings.
“Physically you might be fatigued, but mentally you’ve got to stay sharp,” Kompon said. “For him to overcome (fatigue) and have the weekend that he did, I was proud of him.”
Bittner said he enjoyed the Top Prospects Game, which included fitness testing on and off the ice. He capped off a 6-0 win for Team Orr when he wristed home a shot from a tough angle.
“You look up there and you see 280 scouts up there, and think: Geez. But you try to approach it like any other game as much as possible. Just try to play the way you’ve been playing here. That’s what got you to the prospects game,” Bittner said.
Around the rink
This week: Host Kamloops, 7 p.m. Friday (Moda Center); host Everett 7 p.m. Saturday (Moda Center); at Seattle, 7:35 p.m. on Feb. 6.
Last week: beat Spokane 4-1, won at Seattle 4-3 (OT), beat Tri-City 7-5, beat Victoria 4-3.
Where they stand: At 29-19-0-3, the Winterhawks are second in the U.S. Division with 61 points from 51 games. They are three points behind division-leading Everett, though the Silvertips have played three fewer games. With Wednesday’s win over Victoria, the Winterhawks are five points up on the Royals for the third best record in the Western Conference.
Fast starts fuel streak: Kompon said starting “on time” has been critical to his team’s current six-game win streak, though he described Wednesday’s first period as sluggish in the win over Victoria.
“When we start on time it gives us confidence and everyone is into the game right away,” Kompon said. “It allows us to play our lines and to get into a rhythm.”
All-Star stars: Former Winterhawks thrived in hockey all-star games last weekend. Ryan Johansen was voted NHL All-Star Game MVP by the fans after posting two goals and two assists on his home sheet of ice.
In Monday’s American Hockey League all-star game, Brendan Leipsic was one of three players with a hat trick, and Ty Rattie registered a goal and three assists.
Henry solid: On Wednesday, defenseman Adam Henry scored his second goal since joining the Winterhawks. Henry was acquired on Jan. 6 to add some mobility and experience to the blueline. He supplied 34 assists for Seattle last season and had 18 assists for Saskatoon this season. Henry was thrilled to land with Portland for the conclusion of his WHL career.
“It’s fun playing with some of these (NHL) signed players and drafted players,” Henry said. “Being a puck-moving defenseman, it’s fun to have those forwards in front of you. For me it’s important to get the puck in their hands as fast as possible and as clean as possible.”
Kompon said Henry has made a positive impact on and off the ice.
“He talks a lot on the bench. He’s engaged in the game,” the coach said. “He’s got a great set of wheels on him. He moves the puck well.”
Hawks on TV: The Feb. 6 game against Seattle in Kent will be shown live on Root Sports, Comcast cable channel 34.
