The Portland Winterhawks have completed all their scheduled November games this season. The Winterhawks went 7-5-0 this month, with a goal differential of +9. Portland is also currently 15-11-0 on the year, which places them as the number three seed in the Western Conference. Here are three storylines to follow as Portland prepares for a December gauntlet.
First, Sam Spehar is on a roll this season. The rookie from Chaska, Minnesota, has 21 points so far this year. That puts Spehar at fifth in total points on the team, and first among Winterhawks rookies. Fourteen of those points for Spehar also came in the month of November. Spehar’s best game of the month was back on November 14th. After giving up an early goal to the Wenatchee Wild, Spehar responded with back-to-back goals for Portland. Then in the third period, Spehar’s deke and pass around Wenatchee goaltender Cal Conway help set up the insurance goal for Jordan Duguay. Spehar ended the night with three points, perfect shooting accuracy, and a plus/minus of +2. If Spehar can continue to deliver points at this pace for Portland, the Winterhawks offense will be in good shape.
Secondly, Nathan Brown’s impact can be felt in waves for Portland. In the 12 games the Winterhawks played this month, Brown had three goals and ten assists for a total of 13 points. Brown also had six games with at least one assist, and five multi-point games over the course of November. However, Brown is guilty of leading the Winterhawks in total penalty minutes. Part of that has been answering the bell, but Portland is fourth in total penalty minutes in the league. If Brown and the rest of the Hawks can cut down on the minor penalties, that would take away a great weapon for the opposition.
Lastly, Tyson Yaremko is back in the lineup for Portland. The matchup between the Winterhawks and the Kamloops Blazers on November 21st, was Yaremko’s first game with Portland since December 31st, 2024. In that game against Kamloops, Yaremko would go on to score the eventual game winning goal. Before his injury, Yaremko was set to show massive improvements. In his first year with Portland, Yaremko put up 14 points in 58 games. Then the following year, Yaremko had 30 points in just 35 games! What’s even better for Portland, is that Yaremko has already made an impact this year. In three of his four games, Yaremko has at least 3 shots on goal. This means the veteran from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is finding scoring opportunites. Now the question is, can Yaremko get back to his scoring ways from years prior?
The Winterhawks now look forward to their December schedule that starts with a triple game weekend. Their first game is on Friday, Dec. 5, against the Vancouver Giants. Puck drop at the Langley Events Centre is at 7:00 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 