Portland Winterhawks

In a season filled with highlight reel goals, sensational comebacks, draft hype and showcase events, JP Hurlbert's first WHL game is still the moment he holds closest to his heart. A season-opening hat trick set the tone for the Allen, Texas product's monster campaign- and even saw him earn a new nickname. "On the third goal, he (the announcer) just goes over the broadcast and calls it the Texas Tornado in front of the whole building, and it just kind of stuck," Hurlbert smiled. As he prepares to take the next step at the NHL Draft, the Texas Tornado looks back on his WHL whirlwind fondly. The 6-foot, 190-pound forward piled up 42 goals (including four game-winners, three hat tricks and nine multi-goal games) and 55 assists for 97 points in 68 games, ranking fourth among all WHL skaters in points and goals. The Blazers alternate captain was crowned the winner of the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL Rookie of the Year and was also named a finalist for Player of the Year, whil

Standing six-foot-four, the Portland Winterhawks forward hopes his 200-foot game and admiration for a veteran star will convince Winnipeg to call his name on draft day.

Calgary, Alta. – The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine concluded this past weekend, with 90 draft-eligible players from North America and Europe participating. Vancouver Giants forward Mathis Preston found his way into the top 10 across a number of different categories, including isokinetic squat (second), anaerobic fitness – peak power output (T-2nd), 10m sprint (T-3rd), pro agility right (T-3rd), bench press (fourth), pull-ups (T-6th), and pro agility left (T-8th). Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Ethan MacKenzie also enjoyed a quality showing at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine, including impressive efforts in anaerobic fitness – peak power output (T-2nd), bench press (third), pro agility right (T-3rd), pro agility left (T-4th), right-hand grip (T-6th), pull-ups (T-6th), and force plate – vertical jump (eighth). Results below reflect the top 25 finishers in each respective combine test. The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine allowed NHL teams an opportunity to cond

Swift Current, Sask. – The Swift Current Broncos have acquired 2007-born defenceman Kayd Ruedig from the Everett Silvertips in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft. Ruedig joins the Broncos after a strong 2025-26 season that saw him suit up for three WHL clubs. The 6-foot defenceman began the campaign with the Portland Winterhawks before being traded to the Kamloops Blazers and later the Everett Silvertips, where he finished the season. Across 66 regular season games this past season, Ruedig recorded 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points. He added two goals and four assists in 17 playoff games, helping Everett capture the WHL Championship. Ruedig also contributed one goal and two assists in five games at the Memorial Cup. The Humboldt, Sask., product is no stranger to Swift Current, having previously played for the Swift Current Legionnaires AAA program during the

Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club has announced the signing of 2008-born forward Dayne Beuker to a Western Hockey League Scholarship and Development Agreement. “Dayne is a talented player who has competed successfully on the international level, and we are pleased that he has chosen to continue his development with our organization,” said Hurricanes Interim General Manager Barclay Parneta. “We are also grateful that Dayne and his family have trusted us with the next steps in his development. He brings a strong skill set and character to our group, and we believe he will be an important part of our future.” Beuker, 18, was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the first-round (14th overall) in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. The product of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, holds a dual citizenship and has spent the last two seasons with US National Development Program. In 2025-2026, he recorded 61 points (20g-41a) along with 18 penalty minutes in

The Portland Winterhawks have signed 2026 WHL Prospects Draft 10th overall pick Cullen Stephenson to a Scholarship and Development Agreement.

Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club has announced the signing of 2008-born forward Dayne Beuker to a Western Hockey League Scholarship and Development Agreement. “Dayne is a talented player who has competed successfully on the international level, and we are pleased that he has chosen to continue his development with our organization,” said Hurricanes Interim General Manager Barclay Parneta. “We are also grateful that Dayne and his family have trusted us with the next steps in his development. He brings a strong skill set and character to our group, and we believe he will be an important part of our future.” Beuker, 18, was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the first-round (14th overall) in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. The product of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, holds a dual citizenship and has spent the last two seasons with US National Development Program. In 2025-2026, he recorded 61 points (20g-41a) along with 18 pen

The Sarnia Sting have acquired forward Parker Holmes from the Brantford Bulldogs in exchange for a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick in the 2028 OHL Priority Selection. A South Mountain, Ontario native, Holmes was originally selected by the Bulldogs in the seventh round, 129th overall, of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. The 6-foot-4, 227-pound winger spent parts of two seasons in Brantford, appearing in 70 regular season games while recording six goals and 11 assists. Following his rookie OHL season, Holmes was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fourth round, 107th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft. During the 2025-26 campaign, the 2007-born forward produced 17 points in 49 games before adding a goal in 11 playoff contests. Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Holmes developed with the Kemptville 73's program, helping lead the club to an HEO U18 Championship before advancing to the CCHL. "We would like to thank Parker Holmes for everything he contributed to the Bulldogs organi

Portland Winterhawks forward Jake Gustafson is set to participate in the 2026 NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo in advance of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Kelowna, B.C. – Western Hockey League Commissioner Dan Near announced today, on behalf of the WHL Board of Governors, that Carrie Brown – Executive Assistant for the Kelowna Rockets – has been named the latest recipient of the WHL Distinguished Service Award for the 2025-26 WHL season. The WHL Distinguished Service Award, which was introduced by the WHL in 2004, is presented annually to the individuals who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes on behalf of WHL franchises and in doing so have made an extraordinary contribution at the Club and League levels over an extended period. The WHL will present Distinguished Service Awards annually to an individual from both the WHL Western and Eastern Conferences. Brown was honoured by Commissioner Near and Bruce Hamilton, WHL Chairman of the Board and President / General Manager of the Kelowna Rockets, during Game 6 of the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota. “Since 1995, the Rockets inaugural seaso

The Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club is proud to recognize Jake Gustafson for attending the 2026 NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo.The 2008-born forwar... - WHL Portland Winterhawks

Kelowna, B.C.- Landon DuPont is a guy built for the spotlight. The beams fuelled by his hockey peers, fans, pundits and NHL brass will burn brighter than ever as the freshly-turned 17-year-old hits the ice in the Memorial Cup Final with the Everett Silvertips on Sunday. "No butterflies, just excitement," DuPont said of the opportunity ahead. "It's cool playing at such a stage like this in such a big tournament like this. I remember being five up until last year, just watching the Memorial Cup, wishing I could play there one day. Being here, it's truly surreal." The WHL's first exceptional-status defender will need to bring his 'A' game against the OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers, who are competing in their CHL-record seventh Memorial Cup title match. The Blueshirts dished the Silvertips a 6-2 loss in round-robin play, with DuPont picking up a lone assist on a powerplay goal. For a team that tallied 57 regular-season victories and went 16-1-1 in the WHL Playoffs, Ev

Kelowna, B.C.- The 2025-26 season is, undoubtedly, the greatest in Everett Silvertips history. And that's no small feat coming from one of the league's most consistent franchises. While the 'Tips bask in the glow of WHL Championship glory and gear up for their Memorial Cup debut, we're looking back on five key moments that helped make it all possible. A 'Tip' of the hat The Silvertips entered 2025-26 as the reigning regular-season champions, but had designs on winning it all from the get-go. Everett was hot out of the gates with three hat tricks in the first two weeks. After falling behind 3-0 in the second period to the Wenatchee Wild in the season opener, Zackary Shantz bagged his first career hat trick to force a shootout where Shantz, NHL Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen and Nolan Chastko all lit the lamp to earn a 4-3 comeback win. On October 3, 2025, Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen picked up a hat trick of his own in a 7-1 drubbing

The Portland Winterhawks have signed 2026 WHL Prospects Draft 10th overall pick Cullen Stephenson to a Scholarship and Development Agreement.

Portland, Ore. - The Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club announced today the signing of forward Cullen Stephenson to a WHL Scholarship and Development Ag... - WHL Portland Winterhawks

Status: Confirmed Transaction Date: 05/22/2026 Player: Cullen Stephenson (F) From: Warman Wildcats U15 AA To: Portland Winterhawks Information: Junior contract Source: You need a free account to view Transfer URL Sign In/Up

For Kitchener Rangers forward Jack Pridham, this year’s Memorial Cup is more than just another stop on a championship run. It is a return to the city where his junior hockey journey began. Before helping the Rangers to an Ontario Hockey League championship and earning OHL Overage Player of the Year honours, Pridham was a fresh-faced 18-year-old leaving home for the first time to continue his hockey career in Kelowna, British Columbia, with the West Kelowna Warriors. Now, less than two years later, he is back in Kelowna preparing to compete for junior hockey’s ultimate prize. “Right when this got announced, like the Memorial Cup in Kelowna, it was like, wow, wouldn’t it be so special to come back here,” said Pridham. “To actually be here, it’s awesome.” Pridham spent parts of two seasons with the Warriors organization from 2023-24 onward, recording 36 goa

Episode 2 of Hawkeytown shifts into high gear as the Winterhawks load up at the trade deadline, lean on their veteran leadership, and set their sights on a deep postseason run.

Prince Albert, Sask. – For the first time in franchise history, the Everett Silvertips are WHL Champions. The Silvertips clinched the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a 7-2 win over the Eastern Conference Champion Prince Albert Raiders in Game 5 of the 2026 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien. A three-goal performance from Florida Panthers prospect Shea Busch propelled the Silvertips to victory in Game 5. The Silvertips run to the WHL Championship was a dominant one, beginning with a four-game sweep of the Portland Winterhawks to open the 2026 WHL Playoffs. The second round featured another five-game triumph – this one over the 2026 Memorial Cup-host Kelowna Rockets – and led into a four-game sweep of the expansion Penticton Vees in the WHL’s Western Conference Championship. Through 18 games, the Silvertips went 16-2, including an even 8-1 at home and 8-1 on the road. The impressive postseason came on the heels of a second consecutive Scotty M

Prince Albert, Sask. – Everett Silvertips forward Julius Miettinen has been named the 2026 WHL Playoff MVP. The WHL Playoff MVP award is presented to a player deemed to have made the strongest contribution to his Club throughout the WHL Playoffs, as voted by members of the media. The prospect of the Seattle Kraken is the first Finnish-born player to earn WHL Playoff MVP honours, and only the second import player to accomplish the feat, following former Kelowna Rockets star Leon Draisaitl, who made history in 2014. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound centre helped Everett claim the franchise’s first Ed Chynoweth Cup. The Silvertips had previously appeared in two WHL Championships, including during the team’s expansion season (2003-04) and most recently in 2017-18. Selected by the Kraken in the second round (40th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Miettinen tallied 27 points to finish tied for the scoring lead in the 2026 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien, Original

After capturing the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the Ontario Hockey League’s regular-season champions and advancing to the Eastern Conference Final, the Brantford Bulldogs put together the most successful season in franchise history since relocating. A veteran-heavy lineup played a major role in the club’s success throughout both the regular season and playoffs, helping establish Brantford as one of the league’s top contenders. Now, the Bulldogs prepare to say goodbye to key members of their graduating class as Charlie Paquette and Zackary Sandhu move on from the OHL.    Charlie Paquette (Brantford Bulldogs, Guelph Storm – 2021-26) Acquired from the Guelph Storm at the January trade deadline, Charlie Paquette joined Brantford after serving as captain in Guelph. Originally selected in the second round (31st overall) of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, the

Montreal Canadiens news and notes The Canadiens management could write a great book about how to rebuild an NHL team. [Montreal Gazette] David Savard reminded everyone that there was no need to panic with a series tied at two. [La Presse] Arpon Basu noted before game 5 that even-strength production from the top line appeared “imminent.” [The Athletic] Welcome to the Ivan Demidov show. [Daily Faceoff] Martin St-Louis wanted to see his t

The Portland Winterhawks have signed defenseman Stevie Grumley to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.

The series premiere of Hawkeytown: Portland to the Pros sets the stage for the 2023-24 season, highlighting the culture, community, and coaching that define the Winterhawks franchise.

Status: Confirmed Transaction Date: 05/14/2026 Player: Stevie Grumley (D) From: Sherwood Park Crusaders To: Portland Winterhawks Source: You need a free account to view Transfer URL Sign In/Up

Portland, Ore. - The Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club today announced the signing of defenseman Stevie Grumley to a WHL Scholarship and Development Ag... - WHL Portland Winterhawks