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News / Clark County News

Notebook: Bjorkstrand leaves his mark on Winterhawks

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: November 14, 2014, 12:00am

This week: at Everett, 7:35 p.m. Friday; host Everett, 5 p.m. Sunday (Memorial Coliseum); at Kamloops, 7 p.m. Wednesday; at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. Nov. 21.

Last week: Lost 5-4 to Red Deer; beat Kamloops in overtime, 4-3.

Where they stand: At 8-11-0-2, the Winterhawks are last in the U.S. Division with 18 points from 21 games. They trail Spokane and Seattle by one point.

Bjorkstrand sets mark: Oliver Bjorkstrand is now the highest scoring import player in Winterhawks history. The native of Denmark has 192 points and with a goal and two assists on Saturday passed Joe Balej for the top spot. Balej (1999-2002) produced 190 points in 176 regular-season games. Bjorkstrand has 92 goals and 100 assists in 250 regular-season games, plus 24 goals and 28 assists in 48 playoff games. He also is plus-90 in regular-season plus-minus.

Lineup notes: Forward Paul Bittner is listed as day-to-day. Bittner missed both games last weekend with a lower-body injury. … Goalie Michael Bullion, 17, has returned to Wenatchee of the North American Hockey League after filling in when both Brendan Burke and Adin Hill were injured. Bullion was 2-1 with the Hawks. Burke, who was hurt in an Oct. 18 game at Brandon, returned to stop 34 of 37 shots in Saturday’s win over Kamloops. Hill is expected to be available this weekend.

Taking on Russia: Forward Nic Petan played for Team WHL on Monday and Tuesday in the annual Subway Super Series, which features a team of top Russian juniors taking on all-star teams from the WHL, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Petan, who scored the OT winner for Portland last Saturday, did not score in the Super Series as the WHL won an 11-round shootout on Monday in Saskatoon, then lost 3-2 on Tuesday in Brandon.

Diverse attack: Eight different players scored goals last weekend as Portland split a pair of home games. A total of 13 Winterhawks have scored at least two goals this season. Chase De Leo (11 goals, 12 assists) and Bjorkstrand (11 goals, 9 assists) continue to lead the team in scoring. Layne Viveros leads defensemen in scoring with four goals and 12 assists (which is tied with De Leo for second most on the team).

Everett test: The two games against the U.S. Division leading Silvertips will provide a good test for the Winterhawks. Everett (12-2-2-1) is ranked No, 8 in the current CHL top 10, which includes four WHL teams. Everett plays three games in as many days this weekend, while Portland has Saturday off. Everett is unbeaten in regulation on the road (7-0-0-1).

Booster club food drive: At Sunday’s game against Everett, the Winterhawks Booster Club will be collecting nonperishable food for the Portland police Sunshine Division. Fans who bring at least three items can register at the booster club table for a drawing to win a team-signed hockey stick.

Saturday appearance: Winterhawks Tyson Predinchuk, Jack Flaman and Layne Viveiros will be at Vancouver Toyota, 10455 N.E. 53rd St., from 3-4 p.m. Saturday to meet fans. Winterhawks players will be at Toyota dealerships around the metro area at that time as part of Toyota Family Hockey Day, a promotion that includes the search for this year’s Toyota Hockey Family of the Year for this region. For contest details, visit winterhawks.com/Toyota.

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter