March 2014 - Booster Club

Booster Club
A 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization
HAWKEY TALK NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2014
Presidents Message
Editor’s Notes
Welcome to the last print edition of the HawkeyTalk
Newsletter for the 2013-14 season. Our next issue
will be electronic on the website and will come out
following the playoffs - which we hope won't be for a
couple of months!
On Saturday, March 15, 2014 we will hold our last
Membership Meeting in the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum
- US Plywood Room @ 4:30 pm. This is our Annual
Elections Meeting and we hope that you will be able to
attend to help shape the future of your Booster Club.
It's amazing how quickly the season goes. It starts
slowly, then a road trip of some length, a few more
games another trip etc. Then the Christmas break just
feels entirely too long and when the road trips
happen, it seems like it is forever before the next
home game. Now we've approached the end of the
regular season and it’s time to begin to gear up for the
“second season” also known as the playoffs. The
Hawks being second overall in the Western
Conference will enjoy weekend home games through
the first two rounds and depending how well
Kelowna does, will only give way to them in the third
round. It should bring even fuller buildings, louder
crowds and of course “magic in the air.”
The Booster Club will continue to keep the Booster
Club tables open on game nights during the playoffs.
The game night contests will go on, plus on every
home game night, there will be a new stick raffle. We
will also have a jersey raffle running through the
playoffs which is WHL Linesman Jarrod Boman's
game worn and signed “Zebra” jersey. Tickets will be
3 for $5 throughout the playoff run.
As the President of the Booster Club, I want to take
this opportunity to thank everyone who has joined our
nearly 600 person ranks! Also, everyone who has
bought a souvenir or raffle ticket, joined our fan trips
or bought a program.
Continued on Page 4
Your Booster Club has attained a major achievement
among the tens-of-thousands of Non-Profits nationwide.
You will find the “GuideStar Exchange Gold Seal” on
page two of this newsletter. It means that your Booster
Club ranks within the top 3,000 of all non-profits
nationwide for “Non-Profit Transparency.” This is an
incredible achievement for any non-profit to attain and
your Booster Club has made it a reality.
You may go to www.pwhbc.com and “click” on the box at
the top of the page for a detailed report on your Portland
Winterhawks Booster Club.
People have asked and now it is available online … THE
OFFICIAL 2013-14 WHL HOCKEY RULE BOOK (from
the NHL). Type the following into your web browser to
access:
“http://www.whl.ca/uploads/assets/
WHL_EN_SITE/2013_14_WHL_Season/
WHL_Documents/2013_14_WHL_Official_Rule_Book.pd
f”
This month you will find a list of birthdays for April, May
and June. We like to be able to include the off-season
birthdays up through the end of June in our last official
print edition. The July, August , September and October
birthday list will start the new season. So, Happy
Birthday in advance to all those “off-season” members!
In this issue you will also find the 2013-14 DONALD D.
ICKES MEMORIAL TROPHY AWARD - MOST
POPULAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Can you guess
before turning to page four who is the winner of this
achievement?
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
http://www.pwhbc.com
Page 1
Booster Club Events
(PLEASE CALENDAR THESE DATES)
March Events:
Monday, March 17th – Hawkey Talk at Nicoli’s (6-7 pm)
Dates, Times, Players and
Venues Subject to Change,
please check at the Booster Club
Table for updates!
Booster Club General Membership Meetings
2013-14 Hockey Season
Saturday, October 12 - MC - Courtside Club - 5 pm
Saturday, November 9 - MC - Courtside Club - 5 pm
Saturday, December 14 - VMC - US Plywood - 4:30 pm
Saturday, January 4 - VMC - US Plywood - 4:30 pm
Saturday, February 8 - VMC - US Plywood - 4:30 pm
(Nominations Meeting) (Rescheduled for SATURDAY,
FEB 22, 2014 due to snow and ice storm)
Saturday, March 15 - VMC - US Plywood - 4:30 pm
(Elections Meeting)
ALL TIMES AND VENUES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
2012-13
DONALD D. ICKES
MOST POPULAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
HAWKEY TALK NEWSLETTER
John Fisher, Editor
Caroline Thurston, Co-Editor
2013 - 14 Board of Directors
President - Stuart Kemp
Vice President - Holly Thorpe
Corporate Secretary - John Fisher
Treasurer - MaryEllen Brown
Corresponding Secretary - Cathy Kemp
Sgt at Arms - Ron Spencer
Council Member - Jim Majorowicz
Council Member - Gina Acosta
Council Member - Megan Waletich
Council Member - Richard Thomas
Council Member - Elke Thomas
Council Member - Pat Thorpe
#25 - TAYLOR PETERS
CONTACT INFORMATION
Portland Winterhawks Booster Club (PWHBC)
Post Office Box 6768
Portland, Oregon 97228-6768
Website: www.pwhbc.com
Email: “[email protected]”
Twitter.com - “PWHBC”
Facebook.com: - “Portland Winterhawks Booster Club” and at
“PortlandWinterhawks BoosterClub”
At All Home Games Staff Are Available at the Booster Club Table
HAWKEY TALK NEWSLETTER
Email: [email protected]
FM RADIO ASSIGNMENTS IN VENUES: VMC 87.9 / MC (RG) 98.1
Your Portland Winterhawks Booster Club has won the
top award for “Non-Profit Transparency” and ranks
within the top 3,000 of the tens-of-thousands of NonProfits Nationwide.
Check out www.pwhbc.com and “click” on the
GuideStar Box at the top of the page for details.
Page 2
By Todd Vrooman, Radio Announcer and Broadcast Communications
Manager for the Hawks. Catch him with Andy Kemper bringing you the best
of Portland Winterhawks hockey on the radio…
Hello Boosters! Thanks as always for taking the time to read what I have to
say. It’s a privilege to write to you each month about our favorite hockey team.
Before I get into the bulk of this post, I’d like to say thank you for putting
together the get well cards for Tim Bozon and his family so quickly last
weekend. News of his illness certainly has been shocking and sad, and we
hope that there’s a happy ending to all of this. I know Bozon was a key cog in
each of the last two playoff series between the Hawks and Kamloops. He
showed himself to be someone unwilling to give up a fight - playing through
injury last season. I’m hopeful he fights off this illness and is out sniping goals
again soon.
Turning now to the season that the Hawks have had thus far - what an incredible ride it’s been! For the
3rd time in 4 years, and second year in a row, the Hawks have 50 wins and a U.S. Division crown. It’s an
incredible testament to the quality of the program built by Mike Johnston and the entire hockey
operations team. And, just think - if the Calgary Flames hadn’t had a rash of injuries two years ago and
snagged our Swiss superstar Sven Baertschi for a couple weeks, we may be talking about four straight!
In the Hawks’ history there have been seven 50-win seasons, including the three in the last four years. In
the first six seasons when they won fifty, the Hawks made the league championship series four times,
winning twice. This is only the second time the team has recorded back-to-back 50 win seasons the first
was in 1980-81. The Hawks had three 50-win seasons out of four from 1980-83, winning one league
championship and a Memorial Cup in that four year stretch. We are truly watching some historic hockey
in the City of Roses, and this is the perfect season to accomplish it, as we celebrate 100 years of hockey
history in Portland.
Now the Hawks head into the playoffs beginning on March 21st against the Vancouver Giants (Not yet
mathematically clinched while I write this, but likely clinched by the time you read it). It’ll be the third time
these franchises have faced off in the playoffs, and the first time it’s been a first round matchup. It’s also
the first time the Hawks have been the higher seed of the series, as each of the first two meetings saw
Vancouver win their second round matchups as the favorite.
Keep an eye on winterhawks.com for updates on playoff coverage both from the team as well as local
media outlets. I know Molly Blue of the Oregonian will be providing us with detailed coverage throughout
the postseason, and there should also be excellent articles coming from the Columbian and the Portland
Tribune as well. We’ll be bringing you the playoff action live on the radio, with flagship station KPAM 860
broadcasting the majority of the contests, with the occasional game being
broadcast on sister station KKOV 1550. Myself, Andy Kemper, Dean “Scooter”
Vrooman and John Kirby will be providing you with detail on the radio as well
as bonus coverage only available through winterhawks.com. I can’t wait until
the second season begins and we can watch the Hawks pursue a fourth
straight Conference Title, a second straight League Championship, and a third
Memorial Cup in franchise history! See you at the rink!
Page 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (Continued from Page 1)
Everything you buy through us helps to keep funding
local charities and other great hockey functions. I'm
especially thrilled with your support of the First
Annual “Shop-With-A-Hawk” event! We hope to
make this a yearly function. We will continue
accepting donations through the playoffs and into
training camp for next season in order to keep a bit
ahead. We have been able to donate a substantial
amount of money to various groups throughout this
season because of your generosity and we hope to be
able to keep it going.
I am also extremely pleased with the outpouring of
support for the Get Well Card for Tim Bozon. Tim
was recently admitted to Royal Saskatoon Hospital
with Meningitis and at last report, was in a medically
induced coma but improving. Over 16 pages of well
wishes came from Winterhawks fans at two weekend
games which have been sent to the family.
2013-14
DONALD D. ICKES MEMORIAL TROPHY
MOST POPULAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CONGRATULATIONS
#28 - BRENDAN LEIPSIC
As this issue gets ready to be released, the Booster
Club will be holding elections for the next season's
board. The current board members in the President,
Treasurer and Sargent at Arms are unopposed
positions and will remain, but two or three new
members will join the board. While the departing
members will be missed, it will be exciting to add
new people to help shape the next year. One thing
many people forget is that this is a volunteer
position, no one gets paid and often we sacrifice a
great deal of the game and other free time to ensure a
functioning club. I can safely say our booster club is
much more solid than any other in the WHL and our
club is often visited by other clubs - looking for
ideas and suggestions to either start a club or make
their existing club even better. We gladly assist other
clubs in start-up and ideas.
The sky is the limit for your Booster Club and as
always, we'd love to hear your ideas. Feel free to
drop us an email, a letter or drop by the table. We'll
see you at the upcoming games and once again Thank You for your involvement! GO HAWKS!
Stuart Kemp, President
Page 4
PICK UP 8X10 PHOTOS OF SPECIFIC WINTERHAWK PLAYERS
LIMITED OFFER
You can own an 8x10 photograph
of your favorite players for $15.00
each … while supplies last.
Stop by the Portland Winterhawks
Booster Club table, Entrance A-11
(Moda Center (MC)) or BB
(Veterans Memorial Coliseum
(VMC)), and pick one or more up!
You will be glad you did! We also
have 4x6 action photos of most all
the players too!
LIMITED OFFER
NEW PHOTO BUTTONS
Just a Sampling of New Photo Buttons
$3.00 Each
Note: The Photo Flash is not on the actual buttons.
Page 5
By Samantha Meese
On the regular season: well played, sirs
By the time you read this, the Winterhawks will be playing their
final weekend of regular season hockey. I have no doubt it will be a spectacular finish to a
spectacular season. In the meantime, I took a moment to reflect on all that the team has achieved
this year. The list is long and distinguished, but these are a few of my favorite things:
Hello, I’m Adin Hill. Pleased to meet you. As the team’s up and coming netminder, Adin made
a splash at this year’s training camp, prompting more than a few of my fellow fans, including my
mom, to ask “who is that? He’s good.” Today, his WHL career record stands at 3-0 and counting,
after he stepped up to fill in when Corbin Boes was injured in the Seattle game on Mar. 7. See the
rookie profile in this issue for more insight into the young man I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more
of in the playoffs and the 2014-2015 season.
Oh Captain, My Captain. As if you couldn’t tell by now, Taylor Leier is my favorite player. So
I’m especially thrilled to see him go out with a bang. As a signed NHL prospect about to enter
his overage year, it’s unlikely we’ll see Taylor in a Winterhawks uniform after this season, but
you never know. I for one wouldn’t mind if the Flyers sent him back for his overage year, but I
doubt they will. It’s simply time for him to move up to the next level of his career. This season
alone is proof he’s truly done it all in his junior career. He started the season by leading Team
Morrow to a comeback victory in the Neely Cup, scoring two goals along the way. He started the
regular season by signing with the Flyers in September and was named Captain soon thereafter.
While the rest of us enjoyed a little break at the holidays, Taylor trekked to Sweden with
teammates Derrick Pouliot and Nic Petan for the World Juniors. None of this is a surprise coming
from a player who won the U-18 Ball Hockey Gold Medal and got drafted by the Flyers on the
same June day in 2012. The only question now is how is he going to outdo himself? I have a few
ideas, and one of them involves a hat trick. The other involves the Memorial Cup and if he wants
to score said hat trick at said tournament, I’m pretty sure no one around here will mind.
Rocket Power. Ok, so the New Year’s loss to the Rockets wasn’t exactly one of my favorite
Winterhawks games. But the lesson the boys learned from it and what they did in response is. As
hard as it was to watch the team go down the hard way over the holidays to the Kelowna
Rockets, I’d much prefer they learn the lesson early and move on. True, they weren’t at full
strength, but the players who weren’t at World Juniors had a chance to step up. Instead, in those
games where they lost by big margins to the Rockets, they looked more like they gave up. I know
Continued on Page 7
Page 6
THE FACE-OFF SPOT (Continued from Page 6)
Knock, knock. Who’s there? History: On Saturday, March 1, the team knocked on the door of
history, but alas, the 21-game streak fell just short of the league record. The Winterhawks now hold
the record for second best streak in league history, which is still pretty darn good. Of course it had
to be snapped by the Seattle Thunderbirds, but all I have to say about that is what goes around,
comes around. We’ll see ya’ this weekend. Hope they enjoyed the moment, because it’s over,
whereas ours lasted 47 days, plus a lifetime of memories.
Hello first round, nice to see you. The only thing more exciting than the Mathew Dumba
acquisition was the trade that sent Adam Tambellini to Calgary. It turned out to be a good move
both for the player and the Winterhawks. Tambellini is thriving with the Hitmen and the
Winterhawks received a first round pick in the 2014 Bantam Draft in trade. Plus, it’s probably time
I just came right out and said it: I do so love it when the team sticks it to the league. Last year, it
was pretty much the entire season, playoffs and the Memorial Cup. This year it was the Tambellini
trade. The only “to do” item to check off the Winterhawks’ list now that some order has been
restored to the hockey universe is:
London or Bust. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Look out London, here comes Portland !
_______________________________________________________________________
ROOKIE PROFILE:
ADIN HILL
By Samantha Meese
Age: 17 Position: Goalie Birthday: 5/11/96 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Stats: After making a splash at training camp, Adin reappeared on the radar on
January 8, when he stopped 28 of 29 shots in the game at Everett. In back-to-back
games on March 7 and 8, he ran his record up to 3-0. Fun fact: In the March 8 home
game against Vancouver, he stopped 28 out of 29 shots.
The scoop: Up close and in person, Adin Hill is a tall young man of few words and he has the most perfect
skin I’ve ever seen in my life. When he’s not pulling off his signature move of stopping 28 out of 29 shots, he
does a lot of the same things other boys his age do: listen to Taylor Swift, play basketball and watch movies.
In fact, in addition to his considerable netminding skills, Adin has now helped the team set the new franchise
record for most popular embarrassing song on their iPods: Taylor Swift, “Our Song.” And finally, he wins
the blue ribbon for best post-hockey career interests.
What do you think of Portland so far?
It’s pretty nice. It’s a little rainy, but that’s better than snow.
Do you go to high school?
I attend my high school online.
What are your favorite things to do in your free time when not attending school, practicing, etc?
I like to play basketball and watch movies on Netflix.
Continued on Page 8
Page 7
ROOKIE PROFILE (Continued from Page 7)
What are your goals for next season?
Just to have a good year and make the team. I want to work my
way up and be someone that the team can trust.
Do you go back home in the off season? And if so, what
types of things do you do when you are there (workout,
train, play golf, etc)?
Yes. I go home and I train every day for three hours off-ice in
addition to on ice practice.
What was your favorite cartoon or TV show growing up?
Scooby Doo.
What is the most embarrassing song or artist on your iPod?
Taylor Swift, “Our Song.”
What was the last movie you saw and how would you rate
it?
50 First Dates. I’d give it four stars.
After your playing days are over, would you rather coach
or become a ref or something else?
I’m not sure; maybe an architect or orthodontist.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
Marc-André Fleury.
NEWS FROM KURTIS MUCHA
By Lee-Ann Mucha
March 6, 2014
The Edmonton Oilers announced that University of Alberta
Golden Bears netminder Kurtis Mucha will dress as the backup goaltender for the Oilers tonight, as they take on the
Ottawa Senators at Rexall Place.
The Sherwood Park, Alberta native is doing his second tour of
duty with an NHL team, after he filled in for the Boston
Bruins during their practice in Edmonton earlier this season.
The 2013 CIS Goaltender of the Year has had another strong
season between the pipes for the No.1 ranked team in the
nation. He was named a Canada West Second Team All-Star
on Tuesday after a regular season in which he recorded a 141-1 record, as well as the second-best goals against average
(1.87) in the country. He also recorded three shutouts and
a .909 save percentage this season.
Last season was a memorable one for Mucha, as he was
awarded the CIS Goaltender of the Year award; became the
first goaltender in Canada West history to be credited with a
goal, and set a CIS record for consecutive shutouts with five.
Mucha’s shutout streak (335.06 minutes) is the longest in
modern-day play for the CIS, the WHL, and the NHL,
including the modern-day NHL record of 332:01 set in 200304 by Brian Boucher of Phoenix, but it falls short of the NCAA
record of 375:01.
Mucha and the Golden Bears are in the hunt for the Canada
West conference title this weekend when they host the Calgary
Dinos in a best-of-three series beginning Friday night at 7:00
p.m. in Clare Drake Arena. The Canada West championship
team will advance to the CIS National Championship
tournament, which begins March 20th in Saskatoon.
What’s the one thing you would tell kids playing hockey on
what it takes to get to the WHL?
It takes a lot of practice and hard work.
What is the best part of being a Portland Winterhawk?
The history of the team; that they’ve won two Memorial Cups
and how this town loves hockey.
Page 8
THE OREGONIAN - OREGONLIVE.com
By Samantha Meese, Community Blogger
March 9, 2014
The math: Portland Winterhawks 4, Vancouver Giants 1. The Winterhawks have officially hit the 50
-win mark.
We'll see ya' later: Based on current standings, the Winterhawks will probably play the Giants
again in the first round of the playoffs.
The future is now: Adin Hill earned the well-deserved first star of the night, after stopping 28 of the
29 shots he faced. His WHL career record is now 3-0.
Welcome back: To Brendan Burke, who returned to the lineup as Adin's backup.
The lines, they are a' changin': Brendan Leipsic and Nic Petan played on different lines last night
(Leier-Petan-Bittner), (Leipsic, De Leo, Bjorkstrand). Wondering what's up with that? I know I did.
"Nic and I have played together for a long time, but weren't getting any scoring chances last night. It
[changing lines] was just to try something new. Change is never a bad thing." Indeed it did turn out
to be a good thing, as evidenced by Chase De Leo's first goal, scored with help from Oliver and
Brendan. Although my personal choice for goal of the game goes to:
Let me help you with that: Brendan scored at 7:36 of the second period, with some really crafty
help from Alex Schoenborn and Derrick Pouliot. For my money, it gets honorable mention
alongside his ESPN highlight reel goal. Absolutely brilliant move by all players, especially Alex.
Don't we know you?: I asked Brendan to critique his bobblehead and although "it doesn't look
anything like me," he gave it praise: "it was a good effort." To give it a little more authenticity he
suggested that "it should be missing a few teeth."
Wish you were here: If you follow the players on Twitter, you'll notice that they frequently change
their profile descriptions. My personal favorite Twitter profile du jour belongs to Shane McColgan:
"Laugh, love, be weird. Because honestly, who gives a ---t." It's too bad his stint with the
Winterhawks didn't work out, because that is so totally Portland.
Change is never a bad thing: This weekend, the Winterhawks changed a few lines and put a new
goaltender in net, and they walked away with two consecutive victories. In addition, on Saturday
they wore special jerseys honoring the team's 100 years of hockey in Portland. Brendan is right:
changing things up this weekend infused new life into the team as they head into the final week of
the season. The more things changed throughout this entire season, the more one thing remained
the same: the Winterhawks' ability to continue winning. Recent games have been a glimpse of the
future to come and whatever changes Mike Johnson does or doesn't make, one thing is clear: the
future is bright.
Page 9
CONTEST WINNERS
JANUARY 17 through FEBRUARY 28, 2014
DATE
1ST GOAL
01/17/14
01/19/14
01/20/14
01/24/14
01/29/14
01/31/14
Brian Howson
Kathie Freund
Susan Orling
Brendan Howson
Susan Orling
Susan Orling
02/01/14
02/08/14
02/18/14
02/21/14
Frances Camp
02/22/14
Not Offered
Olivia Garza
Ray Taber
Bradley Clark
1ST PENALTY
GAME-WINNING
GOAL
Brian Howson
Nancy Vrooman
Leslie Chapman
Rich Alberts
Chip Not Sold
Chip Not Sold
Olivia Garza
Lisa Larson
Anne Gillette
MaryEllen Brown
Jason Barton
Casey Brewer
Brian Vranizan
Marybeth Salyers
Chip Not Sold
Chip Not Sold
Chip Not Sold
Chip Not Claimed
Jeff Larson
Not Offered
Melissa Melcher
Chris Settell
Larry Harrah
Casey Brewer
Not Offered
Olivia Garza
Chip Not Sold
Bradley Clark
Melissa Melcher
Not Offered
Marybeth Salyers
Ray Taber
Neree
Lowenstein
1ST ASSIST
___________________________________________________________________________________
Portland Winterhawks’ 20-win run a ‘blur’ for Mike Johnston (Continued from Page 14)
In the offseason, it would have been crazy to suggest the
Winterhawks would be stronger this year than last season
because they lost Nashville Predators top pick Seth Jones, St.
Louis Blues prospect Ty Rattie and Chicago Blackhawks goalie
prospect Mac Carruth to the pros. Yet with the additions of
Dumba, Boes and blueliner Garrett Haar, as well as several
players such as Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oliver
Bjorkstrand and 18-year-old Chase De Leo taking the next step
forward in their games, it’s not out of the question to debate it. But
it goes without saying that Portland will need to win their second
consecutive championship to show that they’re even better this
year. Moreover, that won’t be easy with the red-hot Rockets in
their way and the Edmonton Oil Kings and Calgary Hitmen licking
their chops in the Eastern Conference.
Regardless of whether Portland heads to London, Ont., for the
PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS
MasterCard Memorial Cup, it’s extremely impressive that Johnston
COACH and GENBERAL MANAGER
has pieced together a contender four years in row. It’s hard to
MIKE JOHNSTON
believe that the Winterhawks architect has found a way to put
together one of the league’s top teams year after year despite
losing Jones, Rattie, Columbus Blue Jackets star Ryan Johnasen, Minnesota Wild sniper Nino Niedereiter, Calgary
Flames first-rounder Sven Baertschi and many other stars to the pros in the past three off-seasons.
Page 10
From the Dub: Must be 21 and over to play
By Samantha Meese
March 3, 2014
Saturday night in Seattle reached playoff-like levels, as the Portland Winterhawks had the chance to extend their already
ridiculous winning streak to 22, tying the record for most consecutive wins in a single season (previously set by the
Estevan Bruins in 1967-1968) and clinching the U.S. Division title. For fans in the Rose City, it held the promise of an
epic, history-making night that would go down in the record books. The Seattle Thunderbirds and their goaltender,
however, had other ideas. And just like that, on a sold out Saturday night, the glorious winning streak that began nearly
two months ago came to an end with a 4-1 loss to the T-Birds. Enter Winterhawks Captain and Flyers prospect Taylor
Leier, who Tweeted how proud he is of the team for racking up the second best winning streak in WHL history. Leave it
to a natural-born leader like Taylor to remind us all of how much the team has accomplished and more importantly,
where will they go from here? They missed tying the league record by a hair, but the Winterhawks far surpassed their
own franchise record of 15 consecutive wins, a record held since the 1997-1998 Memorial Cup season. What can one
take away from such a glorious run? For me it means admitting that after a lifetime of living by the motto “it’s how you
play the game that matters” there might actually be some truth to the expression” winning isn’t everything; it’s the only
thing.”
Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. As the WHL heads down the stretch, every point counts as teams vie for
playoff spots, home ice advantage and division titles. The Winterhawks have already clinched a playoff spot and
secured home ice advantage in the first round. The Kelowna Rockets are closing in on Scotty Munro trophy for best
season record; they will likely succeed the Winterhawks, who won it last year. Once the Winterhawks passed the 15game franchise record that had stood since 1998, it became a question of how many more can they win? Can they
break the WHL record? Will they lose again this season? With it came the selective memory loss of what it feels like to
lose. The team had previously posted an impressive 12-game streak last fall, when talk of breaking the franchise record
surfaced for the first time. In the midst of both glorious runs, I realized it was time to face facts: when your team is that
deep into a streak, winning is the only thing. As in life, a winning streak is a rare thing of great and staggering beauty
that doesn’t happen very often. Watching a team rack up a record-breaking winning streak is a lot like being in love; it
causes a very similar, euphoric high that cause you to do stupid, crazy things and forget everything and everyone else
around you. It becomes the center of the universe and you don’t want it to end, because we all know what it feels like
when it does. In sports, even though the streak ends, the love goes on. Ask any player their favorite thing about being a
Portland Winterhawk, and the answer is the same: the fans. Largely because “they love us even when we’re
losing.” Love them though we may, that doesn't really change this:
Losing sucks. There’s really no denying it. Whether a team fights to the very end for the win or they go down without a
whimper like Team USA did to Finland, biting it on the ice totally bites for fans too. The hardest part of losing even one
game is that it can’t be undone, even if it’s just one game from which the team will quickly rebound. The players can’t go
back to opening face-off and start again. Team USA will have to wait four years to redeem what happened in Sochi this
year. The Winterhawks will only have to wait two nights before they travel to Kennewick on Wednesday for game
against the Tri-City Americans. I hate to admit it, but after a rare night on the losing end of a game, I finally began to truly
understand why opponents and their fans hate our team. The numbers help tell the story:
Total goals scored this season to date: 302, marking the fourth straight season in which the Winterhawks have crossed
the 300 goal barrier.
Points gained in the standings during the streak: 42
Current standings: First in the U.S. Division, 15 points ahead of Seattle. Second in the Western Conference, nine points
behind the Kelowna Rockets.
WHL leaders: Nic Petan is second in the league with 106 points. Not to be outdone, linemates Taylor Leier, Oliver
Bjorkstrand and Chase De Leo also racked up some fun stats. Oliver Bjorkstrand is third in the league with 97 points.
He’s also the third-leading goal scorer, with 43 goals in 62 games played. #9 Chase De Leo is ninth in the league in
goals scored, with 36. #20 Taylor Leier is 20th in the league, with 32 goals scored.
Page 11
ABOVE THE GLASS (Continued from Page
11)
Shutouts: Four.
APRIL 2014
Acosta Jordyn
Aronson Christine
Breithaupt Kat
Buehner Jodi
Cone David
Cop David
Cutts Kim
Dibble Elaine
Hall Michael
Ham Marc
Howard Susan
Hughes Amy
Johns John
Joseph Grant
LaGrow Daniel
Lanxon Mary
Lasseter Jim
Love Jeremy
May Hayden
McAleer Annabelle
Moore Kenneth
Murakami LuLu
Nitti Rick
Norris Bill
Olsen Steve
Olsen Teri
Ott Elaina
Poland Katie
Sims Joshua
Stevens Stacey
Tierney Joan
Waletich Mat
Biggest goal differentials: Portland 8, Moose Jaw 2
(Jan. 17). Portland 8, Everett 1 (Jan. 29). Portland 10, TriCities 3 (Feb. 7).
The moral of the story: My parents raised me to believe
that how you play the game and sportsmanship were the
two most important aspects of playing or watching sports;
winning was nice, but it wasn't the only reason you should
be an athlete or a fan. For most of my adult life, I believed
them. However, after two months of non-stop winning on
the homefront, I’ve realized that sometimes in life, winning
is the only thing and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It's
all about perspective - I was raised not to expect every
game to be a winner, but the streak make me realize; if I
didn't at least believe in the possiblity that my team could
win, why would I even bother going to the rink? Fans
have turned out at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in
droves these past two months to watch the Winterhawks
win and push the streak to record-breaking levels. Even if
the streak had been snapped before Saturday, we kept
going for the same reason we keep getting up and living
live every day, even when it sucks; because we believe in
the possiblity of victory. It’s like the Winterhawks are
always telling me; think like a champion, you’ll be a
champion. It’s true of hockey and it’s true of life. For the
Portland Winterhawks, it's now one championship down,
three to go:
What goes around, comes around: On Sunday -- one
night after snatching history out from under the
Winterhawks -- Seattle lost to the Everett Silvertips,
meaning that the Portland Winterhawks have clinched
their second straight U.S. Division title. It's also their third
U.S. Division title in four years.
______________________________________
Note: If we miss someone, please let us know by
contacting us at the Membership Desk at any home
game or Email us at [email protected] …
Thank you.
Page 12
MAY 2014
BIRTHDAYS
Breithaupt Anne
Brown Kelcy
Brown Kevin
Brown Marian
Burks Zoe
Caldwell Lily
Cauthers Tom
DeLetts Brock
Espinosa Sylvia
Forester Shawn
Freund Kathie
Guerra Avalon
Hedberg Joseph
Jelleff Cami
Johnson Judy
Johnson Mike
Journey Jamet
King Denise
King Jason
Kingsborough Don
Koberstein Daniel
Majorowicz Jim
Maras-Lindeman Hera
McFerrin Terry
Miller Rhianna
Nguyen Hung
Patrick Carol
Petersen Trevor
Pfenning Ellie
Privette Julie
Rider Rod
Rolfe Robert
Roush Janice
Rout Carol
Schneider Deirdre
Smith Maleah
Spencer Ronald
Steiger Steve
Welch Caitie
Whalen Noah
JUNE 2014
BIRTHDAYS
Allee Maggie
Anerson Debbie
Aronson Daniel
Binder Marlin
Boggs Stacey
Boll Steve
Breithaupt Kahlil
Cantin Susan
Cantrell Janet
Carini Donald
Dale Peggy
Davis Spencer
Dotson Eric
Durst Erin
Elsenbach Ian
Forester Devin
Freund Malcolm
Hander Ruth
Harding Debbie
Harris Jeremy
Herdman PJ
Hoffman Nichole
Hughes Matt
Jackson Scott
Kammerer Drayson
Kemp Cathy
Kemp Stuart
Kerwin Kevin
LaGrow T.J.
Larson Dawn
Littlejohn Brent
Lynch Keith
Lynch Samantha
Maddux-Robinson Michelle
Majorowicz Lomoar
McDowell Cheryl
Osadchuk Lisa
Schneider Zhanna
Scott Drew
Spence Brian
Trevino Carol
Trimmer Mandy
Valiton Jen
Vrooman Peg
Wagner Jack
Waletich Margaret
Whiteside Leroy
Wiese Marilly
Page 13
Portland Winterhawks’ 20-win run a ‘blur’ for Mike Johnston
By Kelly Friesen
Buzzing The Net
February 27, 2014
Winning is a way of life for the Portland Winterhawks. They have won 20 games in a row with their last loss happening
on Jan. 10 in a 3-2 overtime affair against the Victoria Royals.
Ultimately, the Winterhawks’ uncanny success isn’t surprising at all. It was clear that they would have enough pieces
coming back from their 2012-13 championship squad to be a powerhouse club. In addition, they brought in two veteran
stars, Minnesota Wild first-round pick Matt Dumba and overage goalie Corbin Boes, at the trade deadline that have
solidified them as arguably the top contender for the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Winterhawks GM-head coach Mike Johnston views the win streak as “a blur.” He feels it has come together because
the team has had all of their pieces in play during the 20-game stretch with the likes of Dumba and Winnipeg Jets
prospect Nicolas Petan returning from the world junior championship.
“It has kind of been a blur,” says Johnston. “It has happened so fast that I haven’t been able to really think about how
it’s all happened. I think the main reason why it has come together is because we got everyone back after Christmas
and that really helped us. We had some guys at the world juniors and (Nashville Predators prospect) Brendan Leipsic
was suspended for some games, so when we got them back, it really helped us get on the roll we are on. And we’ve
just took one game at a time and looked to the next game after winning one.”
Dumba, who was acquired from the Red Deer Rebels, undoubtedly deserves some of the credit for propelling the
Winterhawks to go on this tear. They, after all, haven’t lost a game with him in their lineup.
“Dumba brought a lot of energy to our blueline,” says Johnston. “He’s really strengthened our defence and we brought
him in because we felt that was our weak point. And he has a lot of experience in the world juniors and NHL that will be
valuable for us down the stretch.”
Boes, the Winterhawks’ other notable trade deadline acquisition, has stood tall in the blue paint since joining the team.
He’s posted a 11-0-0-1 record and allowed three goals or fewer in eight of his showings in a Portland sweater. But
despite his strong play, he remains the No. 2 goalie behind Phoenix Coyotes prospect Brendan Burke according to
Johnston.
“We brought in Boes because we didn’t feel we had a backup capable of playing qualities minutes and pushing Burke,”
says the Portland bench boss. “Boes has come in and played well for us and pushed Burke. And we were familiar with
him because we originally drafted him before he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings. But as well as Boes has played,
Burke is our No. 1 goaltender. He’s just been sick lately.”
Portland’s strong depth has been a crutch to their success. Their third line of Dominic Turgeon, Adam de Champlain
and Keegan Iverson is a testament to that. The trio has combined for 36 goals and 73 points this year, including 20
genos and 14 apples from Iverson.
“They've been very valuable to us and have given us scoring depth,” says Johnston. “You need that with the possibility
of injuries. They are all more comfortable in the league this year in their second seasons and earlier in the year it was
important to have them during the world juniors and injuries.”
Portland’s win streak doesn’t seem to put them ahead of the Kelowna Rockets, who sit first in the WHL standings with a
50-9-0-4 record, in terms of the who has the edge on whom in the Western Conference. They only played two top-four
teams, the Royals and Seattle Thunderbirds, during the steak. Therefore, the Winterhawks haven’t been knocking off
contenders during the string of victories. The win streak mainly makes a statement to the league that when Portland is
hot, it’s practically impossible to beat them. Not to mention, they have shown they are light years ahead of some of their
conference rivals, outscoring their opponents 113-42 during the 20-game stretch.
Continued on Page 10
Page 14
YOU CAN HELP YOUR
PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS BOOSTER CLUB
EARN DONATIONS TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY GIVING
JUST BY SHOPPING WITH YOUR FRED MEYER REWARDS CARD!
Fred Meyer is donating $2.5 million per year to non-profits in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington,
based on where their customers tell them to give. Here’s how the program works:
Sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to your
PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS BOOSTER CLUB at www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. You can
search for us by our name or by our non-profit number (NPO) 81503.
Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you are helping the PORTLAND
WINTERHAWKS BOOSTER CLUB earn a donation from Fred Meyer.
By supporting your Charitable Club you will allow them to do more community outreach with no out-ofpocket-expense. A Win-Win!
You still earn your Rewards Points, Fuel Points, and Rebates, just as you do today. Your Rewards don’t
change. But, Fred Meyer’s Gives based on your use of the Rewards Card. However, first you have to go
“online” and “link” your card to the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club.
If you do not have a Rewards Card, they are available at the Customer Service desk of any Fred Meyer
store.
For more information, please visit www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards.
Thank you
Page 15
For Immediate Release
Monday, March 3, 2014
The PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS BOOSTER CLUB Has Reached the
GuideStar Exchange Gold Participation Level as a
Demonstration of Its Commitment to Transparency
PORTLAND, OREGON – The PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS BOOSTER CLUB has received the GuideStar Exchange
Gold participation level, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability provided by GuideStar USA, Inc., the
premier source of nonprofit information. This level, the highest level attainable demonstrates the Portland Winterhawks
Booster Club’s deep commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability to the public.
"We have worked hard to showcase our progress toward our mission, and our long-held belief in being transparent
about our work, to our members, fans and constituents," said John Fisher, the Corporate Secretary and Charitable
Giving Coordinator. "As a GuideStar Exchange participant, we use their platform to share a wealth of up-to-date
information about our work to our supporters and GuideStar's immense online audience of nonprofits, grantmakers,
individual donors, and the media."
In order to be awarded the GuideStar Exchange logo, the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club had to fill out every
required field of our nonprofit report page on www.guidestar.org for the Gold level of participation. The Portland
Winterhawks Booster Club has attained what only about 3,000 other non-profits nationwide have attained … out of tensof-thousands of non-profits across this great nation.
"I encourage you to check out our profile on GuideStar to see what we're all about," added John Fisher. "We are
engaged in exciting initiatives, and we are thrilled to have another platform for communicating our advancement and
progress."
About the GuideStar Exchange
The GuideStar Exchange is an initiative designed to connect nonprofits with current and potential supporters. With
millions of people coming to GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations, the GuideStar Exchange allows
nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with GuideStar's many audiences. Becoming a GuideStar
Exchange participant is free of charge. To join, organizations need to update their report pages, completing all required
fields for participation. The GuideStar Exchange level logos, acknowledged as symbols of transparency in the nonprofit
sector, are displayed on all Exchange participants' nonprofit reports.
###
News Contact: John Fisher
Portland Winterhawks Booster Club
Post Office Box 6768
Portland, Oregon 97228-6768
Email: [email protected]
Page 16