The Portland Winterhawks are about to embark on their first trip to the WHL Championship Series since 2014, a full decade ago. They’ll take on the Moose Jaw Warriors after Moose Jaw took down Saskatoon 3-2 in overtime in game seven of the Eastern Conference Final Tuesday night. Carter Sotheran and his teammates know what it’ll take to reach where they want to get.
“Just be physical out there,” Sotheran said. “Playoff hockey’s a lot different than the regular season. So be physical and just play what’s given to you. When you’re out there, do your best and just focus on what you need to do to win. I think just sticking with it. Don’t get down if something doesn’t go your way and just remember what you’re here for, and what type of team we have here is so special. So just taking advantage of that and kind of going all in.”
While the Prince George Cougars were a tough matchup for Portland pushing them to six games, it was Everett that Sotheran had a key goal in. He knows how talented that Silvertips team is and how they’ve been a challenge for Portland. The third game of that second round series with Everett went to overtime with Sotheran netting the winner for his second of the game. It was also his third point of the night as he finished with two goals and an assist. His three points earned him first star of the game honors.
“I think they came on hard, I have to give a lot of credit to them,” Sotheran said. “They gave us a challenge at first, tried honestly just to stick to our game and didn’t get down and had some resilience and kept pushing through and just chipped away at the score and then got a lucky bounce at the end and it was a pretty special moment.”
Portland has had a winning culture for years now and when the chemistry is as good as it is right now, it can only breed more success.
“Just winning,” Sotheran said on what the most exciting thing about this postseason has been. “All the guys have had a blast so far in the postseason. So I say just winning every game and continuing to push forward.”
According to Sotheran, it’s been a simple message from the coaching staff.
“Just play our game,” Sotheran said. “We know what we have in the dressing room and play for the guys next to us.”
Carter Sotheran has been a big part of the team’s success this season as he’s put up 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 66 regular season games played. In the postseason so far he’s put up four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 14 games.
“I think just guys around me,” Sotheran said. “Have to give them a lot of credit. My teammates have set me up and you know the chemistry we have in this team is pretty special. So it all goes to them.”
Sotheran attributes the chemistry to the length of time that players have been together on the team and the growth they’ve been able to have over the past few seasons.
“It’s just guys that have been together for three or four years now,” Sotheran said. “Growing up together through the WHL and through the team and going through adversity together and really really growing with each other. And then we just picked up some key guys in Danielson and Jugnauth. It’s all coming together. Have a lot of great guys on this team and everyone wants to do it for each other.”
Sotheran and his teammates have enjoyed some fun moments together throughout the season and it’s evident from him that they enjoy being around each other and have a clear bond.
“I’d say teddy bear toss was pretty sweet just having like the barn packed and so many fans showing up watch and win that game and I’d say that was pretty cool. I think just coming to the rink every day. It’s pretty fun just seeing the guys all over again. Have a lot of good guys on the team, good friends so it’s enjoyable coming to the rink every day.”
While he and his teammates enjoy spending time together at the rink, especially with the success that they’ve had this season, they also enjoy their time away from the rink.
“Just getting together doing whatever,” Sotheran said. “Honestly, when it comes down to it, a lot of guys are golfers so maybe maybe that but I’m just hanging out and having a blast.
Sotheran was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fifth round in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 135th overall. He didn’t go to Nashville for the draft as he was home with his friends and family.
“I kind of stayed back at home but the whole draft experience was super special,” Sotheran said. “Just being with my family and friends and them coming to support me and my hometown and my rink and just spending that day with them was super special. All my friends and family were all together and we kind of had the draft on a big TV. We all brought food and we’re all kind of enjoying it and sitting back and seeing how it was going and then we’re all sitting there, it was kind of the time where I thought I’d be going. I got a call from my agent who was at the draft and said I got drafted and super special and then obviously my name popped up on the screen with Philadelphia and all my friends and family were super excited and stuff like that.”
When it comes to having been drafted by the Flyers and his game on the ice, Sotheran has received a little bit of feedback from the team.
“Just grow overall get bigger, get stronger, be more physical and stuff like that,” Sotheran said. “Just little things within my game.”
Sotheran has a few current and former NHL players that he watches and tries to model his game after.
“Growing up I used to love like Erik Karlsson and even a little bit Dustin Byfuglien but over time I’ve been watching a lot of Shea Theodore and Travis Sanheim,” Sotheran said.
Northwest Sports Desk 