Portland Winterhawks building on momentum of first WHL Championship Series berth in a decade
Portland Winterhawks building on momentum of first WHL Championship Series berth in a decade
It's May and the Winterhawks are still playing hockey, which means a balancing act between managing the present with drafting the future.
PORTLAND — In four years of junior hockey before a trade to Portland, Josh Davies had never stepped foot in the postseason. The 20-year-old from Calgary began his career with the Swift Current Broncos, maturing from a 16-year-old who appeared in just three games as a rookie to a veteran pickup for the Winterhawks when Portland traded for the forward last August.
So yes, this postseason has seen a series of firsts for Davies. He played in his first playoff game, experienced his first playoff sweep, experienced his second playoff sweep and then got to do what a lot of kids on ponds grow up dreaming of: He scored the game-winner in double-overtime in Game 6 of the Western Conference Championships to send top-seed Prince George to the golf course.
“It’s pretty unreal to win a Western Trophy and to do it with these guys has been special,” Davies said. “And especially to do it on the road in Prince George, that’s a hostile arena to play in.”
The rewards came in waves: The Winterhawks’ win secured a place in the WHL Championship Series against Moose Jaw, Portland’s first appearance in the championship since 2014. More importantly, the win secured the Winterhawks seats on a plane — not a bus — as they traveled back home to Portland Tuesday night.
“It was definitely nice just to get a good sleep there and not have to do the 15 hours on the bus,” said forward Nate Danielson. “It was definitely a little treat.”
The thing is, not everyone was on that flight, and it’s at the heart of why the Winterhawks are on the verge of their fourth Chnyoweth Cup in franchise history.
Kyle Gustafson didn’t get to sleep in.
The Winterhawks associate head coach, along with head coach Mike Johnston, were up early the morning after reaching the finals to catch the first flight they could back to Portland. There was a lot of work to be done.
Of course, the team is beginning to scout Moose Jaw. The Warriors are searching for their first league title after gritting out a seven-game series with Saskatoon, with Lynden Lakovic netting overtime winners in Games 6 and 7. But this is also one of the most important weeks of the year for organization building, with the U.S. Priority Draft taking place on Wednesday, followed by the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft on Thursday.