The Portland Winterhawks will face the Everett Silvertips in the opening round of the 2026 WHL playoffs. The teams met six times this season, three of which were all in the last month of the regular season. Portland’s record this year against Everett is 3-3. The Winterhawks won the first three meetings against the Silvertips, and two of those wins came in either overtime or the shootout. Here are three keys to watch as the series between Portland and Everett kicks off Friday.
Portland’s defense will be tested this series. Everett’s offense scored the third-most goals in the league this year, and the most of any team in the Western Conference. Part of what makes Everett’s offense so dangerous is its shot totals. In the regular season, the Silvertips put up over 40 shots on goal against the Winterhawks four times and over 50 shots on goal three times. Only one time this season did Portland outshoot Everett, and the Winterhawks won that game 5-2 on December 31st, 2025.
For Portland, there are two defensemen in particular who must be ready for Everett’s offensive pressure. The first is Max Pšenička, who had three points in five games against Everett. In Portland’s wins over the Silvertips, Pšenička contributed an assist and earned a plus/minus of +2. The Utah Mammoth prospect missed one game against Everett while playing for Team Czechia in the 2026 World Junior Championship. Frequently paired with Pšenička is defenseman number two, Will McLaughlin. McLaughlin only had two points against the Silvertips this season. However, McLaughlin’s ninth goal of the season came against Everett on March 7th, and it was highlight reel material.
In the six games against Portland, Everett’s top performer has been Jesse Heslop. The Nanaimo, BC native tallied two goals and eight assists against the Winterhawks this season. Heslop is also seventh on the Silvertips in total points with 56 this regular season. There have been stretches of games where Heslop has been held off the scoresheet recently. However, Heslop just had his best performance of the season. On March 21st, Heslop had three assists in Everett’s 6-5 win over the Wenatchee Wild. Those three points are the most for Heslop in a single game this season.
Lastly, one x-factor for Portland’s offense is Nathan Free. Free finished the regular season fourth on the team in total points. Against Everett, Free had the third most points on the team, behind Alex Weiermair and Ryan Miller. However, Free’s impact is most noticeable on the power play. Of Free’s 52 points this season, 25 of them came on the man advantage. On top of that, half of Free’s 28 goals this season were also scored on the power play. Portland has been able to draw penalties against Everett in their matchups. The key will be capitalizing on those chances, as Portland went 7/21 against the Silvertips’ penalty kill this regular season.
Game one of this best-of-seven series starts at 7:05 p.m. on Friday at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.
Northwest Sports Desk 