2017-2018: The Winterhawks entered the season with high expectations and those expectations only increased when Kieffer Bellows, New York Islanders 1st Round selection in 2016, signed his entry-level contract resulting in him joining the Winterhawks from Boston University.
As the season progressed the Winterhawks experienced a number of winning and losing streaks. They started the season winning nine of their first ten games outscoring their opponents 55-24. However, the World Junior Championships approached and the Winterhawks lost a significant number of key players who went on to represent their country in Buffalo.
Cody Glass (2017 Las Vegas 1st Round) was one of the last cuts from Team Canada, Bellows represented Team USA, Henri Jokiharju (2017 Chicago 1st Round) played significant minutes on Finland’s blue line, and Joachim Blichfeld (2016 San Jose 7th Round) anchored Denmark’s top line for the second year in a row.
With players away, and Ryan Hughes returning from a scary leg injury earlier in the season, the Winterhawks struggled during the middle portion of the season. The Winterhawks made a strong push to the playoffs at the trade deadline as they acquired Dennis Cholowski (2016 Detroit 1st Round) from Prince George and Lukus MacKenzie via Red Deer.
The Winterhawks were able to secure a second-place finish in the US Division behind Everett, as well as earn the second most points in the Western Conference. The relatively new WHL playoff format set up a US Division matchup with Spokane. The Chiefs gave Portland all they could handle as Portland eventually used their home ice advantage to win Game 7. The Winterhawks carried their momentum into the second round stealing game 1 in Everett. The Silvertips would go on to win the series in five games, sweeping the next four games.
Offseason Departures:
- Alex Overhardt (C) – aged out
- Keoni Texeira (D) – second most games played in franchise history – aged out
- Cole Kehler (G) – aged out
- Kieffer Bellows (LW) – signed by the New York Islanders and is AHL eligible as a 20-year-old
- Dennis Cholowski (D) – signed by the Detroit Red Wings and is AHL eligible as a 20-year-old
- Joachim Blichfeld (LW) – signed by the San Jose Sharks and is AHL eligible as a 20-year-old. Very small chance he returns to Portland
- Skyler McKenzie (RW) – signed by the Winnipeg Jets and is AHL eligible as a 20-year-old. Very small chance he returns to Portland
- Assistant General Manager Matt Bardsley accepted the General Manager position with the Kamloops Blazers
- Assistant Coach Danny Flynn was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets as their Eastern Amateur Scout
Newcomers:
Cross Hanas, Portland’s 4th round pick in the 2017 Bantam Draft, highlights this year’s newcomers. Cross really generated hype with his performance over the summer as he played for Team USA at the U17 Five Nations Tournament in Slovakia. In four games Cross contributed three goals and three assists. During the Neely Cup; Portland’s training camp scrimmages. Cross was one of the better players at camp and also had a strong preseason.
Perhaps the most notable name Winterhawks fans are anticipating is 2017 1st Round Bantam pick Seth Jarvis. Jarvis played 11 games as a 15-year-old last season while players were away at the World Junior Championship. Expect him to make an immediate impact in Portland’s top six forwards.
Haydn Delorme and Robbie Fromm-Delorme, both still listed on Portland’s preseason roster, will be looking to make the team after signing with Portland over the summer. Jaydon Dureau, 2016 8th Round Bantam Draft, is expected to make the team this year after playing in six games last season.
Jared Freadrich was acquired from Victoria earlier in the summer to help provide veteran leadership on what expects to be a young Portland blueline. Last season Jared captained Victoria’s second power play unit and contributed 32 points including 12 goals.
One of the biggest surprises of the off-season came once the Winterhawks hired Don Hay to fill their vacated assistant coach position. When Danny Flynn left for an NHL scouting job a point could be made upgrading this position was impossible; however, bringing in the WHL’s all-time winningest coach may have accomplished this feat.
Overage Situation:
Kieffer Bellows and Dennis Cholowski will not return as they will either make their NHL team or play in the AHL. Joachim Blichfeld would take up both an overage and import spot, so with San Jose signing him, expect to see Blichfeld in the AHL this winter. Skyler McKenzie signed his entry-level contract with Winnipeg and is expected to make the transition to pro hockey, although there is a tiny chance he could return for his overage season.
Assuming those four don’t return to Portland, the Winterhawks have three 20-year-olds on their roster: Defensemen Brendan De Jong (2017 Carolina 6th Round) was returned from the Hurricanes camp and Jared Freadrich who is Portland’s only right-handed defenseman, Forward Connor MacEachern who converted from defense last season. Connor Barley was released after the preseason He joined the Winterhawks during the playoffs last season.
Import Situation:
The Henri Jokiharju situation is by far the most intriguing, confusing, and possibly the biggest storyline facing the Winterhawks. The question is if he doesn’t make the Blackhawks main roster is he eligible to play in the AHL or does he have to be returned to Portland?
Throughout the summer there have been numerous sources on both sides of the argument claiming where Henri is allowed to play. At one point during the summer even the Blackhawks General Manager suggested this was up for discussion. What is causing all the confusion is related to the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement which determines when a player is eligible to play in the AHL. If a player is drafted from a European League or the NCAA, the player may play in the AHL as soon as 18 years old; however, if a player is drafted from the CHL, he cannot play until he is 20.
Henri is considered a 19-year-old player and appears to have been drafted from Portland. Blackhawks fans and media believe he was actually on loan to Portland from his Finnish team making him drafted from Europe and thus eligible to play AHL this season. At this point, I’m not sure if anyone outside of Henri, the Blackhawks’ Management Team, and possibly the Winterhawks know where he can play. All said, if Henri makes the Blackhawks roster, all of this discussion goes away.
In the 2018 Import Draft the Winterhawks selected two forwards. Dean Schwenninger from Switzerland and Michal Kvasnica out of Czech Republic. Kvasnica is a power forward at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds who has excellent hands while Schwenninger is a playmaking, speedy winger standing 5-foot-8, 146 pounds. If Jokiharju returns, the Winterhawks would either have to trade Jokiharju or release either Schwenninger or Kvasnica. Per WHL rules, an import cannot be traded in his first season after being drafted. These rules were apparently adjusted a bit this year, with the possibility of trading a first-year import being allowed after December 1st.
Returning Scorers:
| Pts Rank | Player | GP | G | A | PTS |
| 7 | Cody Glass | 64 | 37 | 65 | 102 |
| 131 | Ryan Hughes | 46 | 17 | 24 | 41 |
| 224 | Brendan De Jong | 68 | 6 | 19 | 25 |
| 228 | Jake Gricius | 69 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| 243 | Mason Mannek | 58 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
Returning Goalies:
| Player | GP | GAA | Sv% | Record |
| Shane Farkas | 24 | 2.79 | 0.913 | 14-6-0-1 |
Forwards:
Another key storyline to keep an eye on for Portland is what happens with Cody Glass. He is expected to be given a chance to make Vegas’ roster, but given the Knights’ depth at the center position, Cody is facing an uphill battle. The fear of him being included in a trade to Ottawa for Erik Karlsson has disappeared with Karlsson now in San Jose, but look for Glass to get nine games with Vegas and then be returned back to Portland. Glass figures to be one of the leaders for WHL scoring champion despite missing time at the beginning of the year along with the middle of the season when he should be a lock for Canada’s World Junior Team.
19-year-olds Jake Gricius, Lane Gillis, Lukus MacKenzie and Ryan Hughes will be expected to take on a bigger role this season as each should have elevated minutes. I believe each were slightly disappointed with their 2017-2018 seasons and will be primed for a big year. Jake Gricius spent some time in San Jose’s training camp as an invite.
Rookies should figure into a large portion of the Winterhawks goals this season especially Cross Hanas, Seth Jarvis, and Jaydon Dureau. Hanas and Jarvis figure to be staples on the power play with their ability to both shoot and distribute the puck.
Depending on what happens with Jokiharju, both Schwenninger and Kvasnica could make immediate impacts as forwards. Kvasnica had an impressive preseason along with training camp developing some quick chemistry teammates.
Depth forwards are still to-be-determined as there are 16 still on roster. However, look for Haydn Delorme to provide secondary scoring if he makes the team. He has proven to have a WHL caliber shot. Conor MacEachern should fill a checking line and penalty killer role. Mason Mannek rotated between the first and fourth line last season and could be a wildcard for a breakout season as an 18-year-old. Reece Newkirk and Ty Kolle both appeared to put on some muscle over the summer and will look to make an impact in the bottom six forwards.
Defense:
This group could be one of the top defensive cores in the league if Jokiharju returns. Or they could be middle of the pack should they need to fill his role. Jared Freadrich is an underrated player especially with what he can contribute on the power play. He has the ability to get his shot through quickly, fire a slapshot with power, or distribute the puck to the wingers. Freadrich and Jokiharju actually had the same number of goals last season.
Brendan De Jong is expected to be one of the leaders on defense this season especially as an overage player. De Jong has NHL size and skating ability, but will need to improve his defensive zone awareness and coverage as he looks to sign his entry-level contract. Mike Johnston’s style is known to have offensive defensemen who love to jump into the rush. With Texeira graduating and Jokiharju possibly playing pro, De Jong could fill this role.
One player expected to make a significant jump is John Ludvig who made the team as a 17-year-old camp invite last season after playing Junior B the year before. He rotated through the 6th defenseman position last season with Clay Hanus until the post-season when he received the advantage in playing time due to Hanus suffering an injury. The Boston Bruins certainly noticed his progression as he received an invitation to their training camp this season. Ludivg should expect to see top four, possibly even top two minutes this season on the blue line.
Matthew Quigley returns as a 19-year-old and is one of those defensemen you may not notice that often, but is a positive. He is by far Portland’s best defensive defenseman on roster and doesn’t make many mistakes. Quigley is most responsible in his own end and has the ability to lead the breakout by either skating or distributing to an open forward.
Clay Hanus played in 56 games last season as a 16-year-old rookie. Coming off an injury his previous season, Hanus proved to be a reliable player on Portland’s third defensive pair. Prior to joining the Winterhawks he had committed to play for the University of Minnesota in the NCAA and is known for being an offensive contributor. While the points weren’t there last season for Hanus, he played a key role controlling the play. He was another player who looked to add significant weight and muscle during the offseason.
There are a few open positions on Portland’s blue line, especially if Jokiharju isn’t returned. The Winterhawks currently have four players on roster fighting for these spots. Kurtis Smythe was acquired in May and played well in the preseason; however, he was returned to his previous team, Delta Hockey Academy. Nick Cicek played seven games for the Winterhawks last season and is one of the larger defenseman Portland has on roster. Kade Nolan, Ryan Miley, and Nick Perna are also potential fits for a depth role. Perna was hurt during training camp and didn’t play in the preseason.
Goalies:
With Cole Kehler graduating Shane Farkas is expected to take over the number one goalie spot. Kehler was one of the top goalies in the WHL last season not named Carter Hart, so a potential decrease in production could be expected. Farkas impressed down the stretch run for the Winterhawks earning the majority of playing time up until the playoffs. The Calgary Flames brought Farkas into their training camp for a short period of time,. Look for this to add to Farkas’ confidence.
Portland’s backup goalie will be 2002-born Dante Giannuzzi as he used his strong preseason to win the position battle. Evan Fradette, 2001 birth year, was reassigned to his midget AAA team earlier this week. Giannuzzi and Fradette both had strong moments during the preseason, but both also struggled at times. Giannuzzi’s numbers were better posting a 2.63 GAA and stopping 46 of 50 shots compared to Fradette’s 4.50 GAA and 31 saves on 40 shots.
Outlook:
The majority of the scoring from the 2017-2018 team is now playing in the pros, so Portland is going to have to find scoring from an unexpected source and someone not named Cody Glass. There are a significant number of uncertainties with Portland right now which makes predicting their season a slight challenge. What happens with Jokiharju? How long will Glass stay with Vegas? Does the minuscule chance McKenzie returns for his overage season happen? How does Mike Johnston’s offensive style and Don Hay’s defensive approach gel?
I expect Portland to be competitive with the other US Division teams with the exception of Spokane, who is favored to win the division. Portland’s success depends on how big of a leap their 19-year-old forward group can take. Can rookies Hanas and Jarvis provide an offensive spark and how does the blue line step up after losing their captain Texeira? Farkas has the ability to steal a few games, but if he is relied upon to bail out the Winterhawks as often as Cole Kehler was, it could be a long season in Portland. Ultimately, I see the Winterhawks fighting for 3rd in the division or the top wild card spot in the Western Conference.
