Winterhawks Weekly: Portland Prepares for Game 7 in Everett

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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Weekly: Portland Prepares for Game 7 in Everett

April 21, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The No. 5 seed Portland Winterhawks and Scotty Sunro Champion Everett Silvertips' second-round series of the 2025 WHL Playoffs, presented by Nutrien, is going the distance.

On Tuesday, the two U.S. Division rivals will play Game 7 to determine who will advance to the Western Conference Championship. The Winterhawks are looking to be one of the final two teams standing out west for back-to-back playoffs for the first time since 2013-2014.

Everett won the first two games of the series in overtime before the games shifted back to the Rose City. The Winterhawks then rattled off three straight wins, including Game 4 in overtime and a Hudson Darby tally with 60 seconds remaining in regulation in Game 5. The Silvertips then forced a decisive Game 7 with an 8-4 victory on Saturday.

Hot Hawks:

Through six games, Kyle Chyzowski, Portland's captain, leads the team with ten points (6G, 4A) and a +6 rating.

Diego Buttazzoni and Josh Zakreski each have three goals in the second-round series.

Defenseman of the Year finalist Tyson Jugnauth is the Winterhawks' top producer from the blue line with one goal and eight assists.

Kyle McDonough, a finalist for WHL Hummanitarian of the Year, scored his first career playoff goal in Game 6 after a dynamic rush by rookie rear guard Kayd Ruedig.

2005-born forward Alex Weiermair's five assists are the most helpers amongst Portland forwards in the series.

First-year Czechia netminder Ondřej Štěbeták has a 0.908 save percentage in the second round.

Playoff Milestone

Winterhawks Captain Kyle Chyzowski and Alternate Captain Ryder Thompson played in their 50th WHL Playoff game on Friday evening in Everett.

Portland highlights 50 games in the postseason as a career milestone. They are the 20th and 21st players to do so in our 49-year franchise history.

Plays of the Week:

After playing four games in five nights, there is no way to choose just one play of the week.

Diego Buttazzoni lofted a puck high in the air, the bounce got through the last Silvertips defender, and Josh Zakreski's highlight-reel overtime goal in Game 4 brought the 4,162 Winterhawks fans to their feet for a T.N.T. goal and victory chant.

Game 5 at the Angel of the Winds Arena appeared to be the fourth contest headed to overtime. However, Tyson Jugnauth and Hudson Darby had other plans. The Seattle Kraken prospect put a shot towards the front of the net, and the Swift Current, Saskatchewan, native deflected home his second goal of the playoffs with exactly one minute left.

An eye on the NHL Draft

NHL Central Scouting recognized four active Portland Winterhawks on its final rankings. Rookie defenseman Max Pšenička headlined the list of North American skaters, ranking 40th on the list. Forward Ryan Miller climbed nearly 60 spots to No. 60 on the final rankings, and Diego Buttazzoni earned a 50-spot boost to No. 141 among North American skaters. Ondřej Štěbeták's name was eighth on the list of North American goaltenders.

Read more here!

Alumni competing for the Stanley Cup

We are proud of eight Winterhawks alumni who have begun their quest to lift the Stanley Cup.

The 'Portland to the Pros' connection remains strong, as 136 former players have appeared in at least one NHL game.

Read more here!

Victory+ is the new streaming partner of the Western Hockey League:

The WHL Playoffs are available on Victory+ without geo-restrictions, giving fans the opportunity to follow their favorite teams and players on the road to the championship. With Victory+ offering a free, ad-supported streaming service, this ensures that the game is accessible to everyone, no matter where they are or what devices they use, including Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and web browser.

Learn more at victoryplus.com/download

If you have any questions or need technical support, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions.

For Game 7 in Everett, be sure to click on the Away Feed to hear Winterhawks broadcaster Nick Marek's call of the action.

The Week Ahead: Watch Game 7

Game Seven: two of the best words in sports.

The Hawks present two great options to enjoy the action if you do not make the drive to Everett.

Watch the game live on Victory+, or you can join your fellow fans, along with the Rosebuds, at our official watch party. Grains of Wrath will host, so be sure to arrive at 230 NE 5th Avenue, Camas, WA 98607, early, as seats will fill up FAST!

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 21, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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