Portland Winterhawks

Portland Winterhawks
City	Portland, Oregon
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Western
Division	U.S.
Founded	1976 (1976)–77
Home arena	Memorial Coliseum Rose Garden
Colors	red, black and white
General manager	Mike Johnston
Head coach	Mike Johnston
Website www.winterhawks.com
Franchise history
1951–1976	Edmonton Oil Kings
1976–2009	Portland Winter Hawks
2009–present	Portland Winterhawks

The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League, the highest level of non-professional hockey in the world. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the neighboring Rose Garden.

The Winterhawks have won the President's Cup twice, and the Memorial Cup twice in four appearances. The team has been in Portland since 1976–77 when the team moved from Edmonton, Alberta. While known as the Edmonton Oil Kings, the team won the Memorial Cup twice and was runner-up seven times.

History

Previous-Owner Brian Shaw was a pioneer in many aspects of Junior Hockey, not only moving a team to the United States for the first time, but also is credited with designing the current CHL championship format of the champion from each of the three leagues (WHL, OHL, and QMJHL) as well as a host-city team competing for the Memorial Cup. Portland won the Memorial Cup in 1983 and 1998.

The Winterhawks were also pioneers of promotion and are credited with the invention of the "Dash for Cash" where contestants are picked to run onto the ice and try to scoop up as many silver dollars in 2 minutes as they could. This popular promotion has been running for many years. Also, in late November/early December, they hold their annual teddy bear toss, which fans throw teddy bears on the ice at the first Portland goal, which are then donated to local children's charities. On December 6, 2008, fans threw out 22,392 teddy bears after Luke Walker scored Portland's first goal against Seattle.

The Winterhawks wear jerseys similar to those of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, causing some to erroneously assume that the Winterhawks are a minor league farm team of the Blackhawks. In actuality, the jerseys originally worn by the first Winterhawks team were a used set of Chicago jerseys obtained through connections between the owners of the two teams. In early photos, the old Chicago jerseys are identifiable by the letter C with crossed tomahawks on the shoulder crest. The Winterhawks eventually changed the C to a P.

In recent seasons, the Winterhawks have worn a unique alternate jersey, which is black with a red and white Portland skyline and the word PORTLAND around the bottom hem. Currently, they wear a white alternate jersey loosely based on a Montreal Canadiens jersey. Instead of the Canadiens' 'CH' logo, the jersey has the word PORTLAND in outlined letters across the front stripe, and is black where the Canadiens jersey is blue.

The Portland-Chicago connection runs even deeper, as the Blackhawks were founded in 1926 by Frederic McLaughlin, who simply bought the contracts of most of the members of the Portland Rosebuds and brought them to Chicago.

Mascot

The team mascot of the Winterhawks is a white bird with multicolored tail and wing feathers, named Tom-A-Hawk. Tom-A-Hawk was introduced in 1999–2000. He wears jersey number 00. Tom-A-Hawk's main rival is Cool Bird of the Seattle Thunderbirds.'

The team would announce that it was changing its logo to a non-indigenous one and would release a new logo on July 14, 2021.

Name change

The team was known as the Winter Hawks until May 2009, when it issued a press release that "the space...announced its retirement" and that the team was renaming itself the Winterhawks.

Current ownership

Bill Gallacher, a Calgary businessman, purchased the team in October 2008.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	Pts	Finish	Playoffs
1976–77	72	36	29	7	-	359	294	79	3rd West	Lost semi-final
1977–78	72	41	20	11	-	361	296	93	1st West	Eliminated in West Division round robin
1978–79	72	49	10	13	-	432	265	111	1st West	Lost final
1979–80	72	53	18	1	-	398	293	107	1st West	Eliminated in West Division round robin
1980–81	72	56	15	1	-	443	266	113	2nd West	Lost West Division final
1981–82	72	46	24	2	-	380	323	94	1st West	Won championship
1982–83	72	50	22	0	-	495	387	100	1st West	Lost final; Won Memorial Cup
1983–84	72	33	39	0	-	430	449	66	3rd West	Lost West Division final
1984–85	72	27	44	1	-	365	442	55	4th West	Lost West Division semi-final
1985–86	72	47	24	1	-	438	348	95	2nd West	Lost West Division final; Memorial Cup host
1986–87	72	47	23	2	-	439	355	96	2nd West	Lost final
1987–88	72	24	45	3	-	328	449	51	6th West	Out of playoffs
1988–89	72	40	28	4	-	408	395	84	1st West	Lost final
1989–90	72	24	45	3	-	322	426	51	5th West	Out of playoffs
1990–91	72	17	53	2	-	298	450	36	5th West	Out of playoffs
1991–92	72	31	37	4	-	314	342	66	5th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1992–93	72	45	24	3	-	343	275	93	1st West	Lost final
1993–94	72	49	22	1	-	392	260	99	2nd West	Lost West Division final
1994–95	72	23	43	6	-	240	308	52	6th West	Lost West Division semi-final
1995–96	72	30	39	3	-	283	301	63	6th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1996–97	72	46	21	5	-	300	196	97	1st West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1997–98	72	53	14	5	-	342	203	111	1st West	Won championship and Memorial Cup
1998–99	72	23	36	13	-	215	278	59	5th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1999–00	72	16	49	7	0	173	296	39	7th West	Out of playoffs
2000–01	72	37	27	5	3	254	237	82	2nd West	Lost final
2001–02	72	36	25	5	6	269	243	83	1st U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2002–03	72	19	40	8	5	192	243	51	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2003–04	72	34	29	6	3	199	206	77	2nd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2004–05	72	35	27	5	5	204	198	80	2nd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2005–06	72	32	32	3	5	204	258	72	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference semi-final
2006–07	72	17	52	1	2	146	316	37	5th U.S.	Out of playoffs
2007–08	72	11	58	2	1	132	318	25	5th U.S.	Out of playoffs
2008–09	72	19	48	3	2	176	288	43	5th U.S.	Out of playoffs
Season	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	Pts	Finish	Playoffs
2009–10	72	44	25	2	1	266	241	91	4th U.S.	Lost Western Conference semi-final
2010–11	72	50	19	0	3	303	227	103	1st U.S.	Lost final
2011–12	72	49	19	3	1	328	229	102	2nd U.S.	Lost final
2012–13	72	57	12	1	2	334	169	117	1st U.S.	Won championship; Lost Memorial Cup final
2013–14	72	54	13	2	3	338	207	113	1st U.S.	Lost final
2014–15	72	43	23	2	4	287	237	92	2nd U.S.	Lost Western Conference final
2015–16	72	34	31	6	1	228	227	75	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2016–17	72	40	28	1	3	278	256	84	4th, U.S.	Lost Western Conference semi-final
2017-18	72	44	22	1	5	274	214	94	2nd, U.S.	Lost U.S. Division Final
2018–19	68	40	22	3	3	258	210	86	3rd U.S.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2019–20	63	45	11	3	4	270	164	97	1st U.S.	Playoffs cancelled
2020-21	24	13	8	3	0	96	72	29	2nd U.S.	Playoffs cancelled
2021–22	68	47	16	3	2	298	192	99	2nd U.S.	Lost Western Conference semifinal
2022–23	68	40	20	5	3	244	218	88	2nd U.S.	Lost Western Conference semifinal
2023–24	68	48	15	4	1	330	204	101	1st U.S.	Lost final

Championships

• Memorial Cup (2): 1982–83, 1997–98
• President's Cup (2): 1981–82, 1997–98
• Conference Playoff Champions (2): 1997–98, 2000–01
• Division Playoff Champions (5): 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1992–93
• Regular Season Division Champions (11): 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02

Team records

Team records for a single season
Statistic	Total	Season
Most points	113	1980–81
Most wins	56	1980–81
Most goals for	495	1982–83
Least goals for	146	2006–07
Least goals against	196	1996–97
Most goals against	450	1990–91

Individual player records for a single season
Statistic	Player	Total	Season
Most goals	Randy Heath; Dennis Holland	82	1982–83; 1988–89
Most assists	Jim Benning	111	1980–81
Most points	Dennis Holland	167	1988–89
Most points, rookie	Cam Neely	120	1982–83
Most points, defenceman	Jim Benning	139	1980–81
Best GAA (Goalie)	Blake Grenier	2.06	2004–05
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

NHL alumni

List of Portland Winterhawks alumni who have graduated to play in the National Hockey League.

Jim Agnew Dave Archibald Dave Babych Wayne Babych Jozef Balej Jeff Bandura Dave Barr Ryan Bast Brian Benning Jim Benning James Black Lonny Bohonos Keith Brown Braydon Coburn Ed Cooper Brian Curran Tony Currie Byron Dafoe Matt Davidson Adam Deadmarsh Jim Dobson Brandon Dubinsky Brent Fedyk Andrew Ference Ray Ferraro

Jeff Finley Colin Forbes Michael Funk Joaquin Gage Paul Gaustad Bob Geale Josh Green Jannik Hansen Randy Heath Marcel Hossa Marian Hossa Dave Hoyda Cale Hulse Jamie Huscroft Randy Ireland Brad Isbister Jakub Klepis Steve Konowalchuk John Kordic Richard Kromm Jason LaBarbera Scott Langkow James Latos Derek Laxdal Doug Lecuyer

Jamie Linden David Mackey Clint Malarchuk Darrell May Jason McBain Cody McLeod Mark Messier Roy Mitchell Brenden Morrow Paul Mulvey Brantt Myhres Cam Neely Scott Nichol Gary Nylund Josh Olson Perry Pelensky Brent Peterson Jim Playfair Larry Playfair Andrej Podkonicky Ray Podloski Nolan Pratt Richie Regehr Florent Robidoux Jeff Rohlicek

Grant Sasser Dave Scatchard Jeff Sharples Brandon Smith Ryan Stewart Garret Stroshein Joey Tetarenko Mike Toal Tim Tookey Alfie Turcotte Perry Turnbull Randy Turnbull Nick Vachon Mike Vernon Terry Virtue Gord Walker Matt Walker Blake Wesley Glen Wesley Jason Wiemer Dan Woodley Gary Yaremchuk Ken Yaremchuk Brad Zavisha Richard Zednik

External links

• Portland Winterhawks official homepage