The Portland Winterhawks defeated the Everett Silvertips 3-2 in their 2026-27 season debut. The Everett Silvertips were celebrating their first ever WHL championship, by dropping a banner in the rafters of Angel of the Winds Arena. Portland was also 3-3 against the Silvertips last season and was eliminated by Everett in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
After an energetic first period ended scoreless, it was Portland who shocked the Silvertips early in the second period. After a shot from the point by Cole Slobodian went wide of the net, new Winterhawks defenseman Avery Laliberte would pinch down in the zone to corral the rebound. As Laliberte approached the corner, he would sense pressure and shield the puck with his back. The shift allowed Laliberte to gain a step down low and around the encroaching defenseman. From just below goal line extended, Laliberte would cut to the front of the net. As Laliberte reached the crease, he would be flattened by Jaxsin Vaughan, but not before getting a wrist shot off. Laliberte’s shot would race past the right side of Everett goaltender Jayden Kraus, and give the Winterhawks a 1-0 lead just 39 seconds into period two.
Everett then answered back in the final minute of the second period. Reid Nicol blocked a pass by Portland’s rookie Liam Reed at center ice. Chasing the puck down, Nicol skated into the offensive zone, with Reed draped behind him. With no real angle at the net, Reed would throw a backhand pass across the crease. There at the far side to find Nicol’s pass was Henri Ament. Ament wasted no time firing a shot past the sliding Portland goaltender, Ondřej Štěbeták, to tie the game at 1-1 with 44 seconds left in the period.
The third period was back and forth and saw the Winterhawks strike early again. This time, Portland’s power-play went to work after Henri Ament took a double minor penalty for high sticking. With under three minutes left of power play time, Everett would force the puck off the boards to rookie defenseman Bode Laylin. Laylin then passed the puck to the middle of the zone for Jaxsin Vaughan. However, the pass would hit Vaughan in the skates. The scramble to possess the pass allowed Nathan Brown to block Vaughan’s eventual clearing attempt. With the puck now loose in the slot, Luke Wilfley would bat the puck around Vaughan’s body and pick up possession. From the right side of the slot, Wilfley would fire a wrist shot five-hole on Kraus. Wilfley’s goal would put the Winterhawks up 2-1 just 3:14 into the third period.
Now with the clock working against them, Everett’s offense went to work. With 12:15 left in regulation, the Silvertips found themselves with a two man advantage power-play. Off an offensive zone faceoff, the puck would find its way to Logan Lepinski at the point. Lepinski would fade to his right, then pass the puck over to his left for Mirco Dufour. Dufour then skipped a pass across the zone to Rhys Jamieson low in the right hand faceoff circle. Jamieson then ripped a one-timer past the glove of Štěbeták, to tie the game at 2-2.
Overtime would be required to find a winner in this season opener, and a mixture of rookies and veterans would get the job done for Portland in extra time. Just under two minutes into the period, Štěbeták would make a save down low for the Winterhawks. With all six skaters lingering around the net, Jordan Duguay would find the rebound and skate out to his left. Spotting the last man back for Everett closing in quickly, Duguay would slide the puck past his skates and out towards center ice. There to race after the loose puck was Portland’s Stevie Grumley. Grumley would catch up to the puck and skate along the right side of the offensive zone. As Grumley closed in on the net, he would pass across the top of the crease back to Jordan Duguay. Duguay snapped his shot past the outstreched pads of Kraus, and the Winterhawks would win 3-2 in overtime.
The Winterhawks host Kamloops next Saturday at 6 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 