Rihards Bukarts has scored 73 regular-season goals in the Western Hockey League. Now in his third season in the league, the Latvian recorded his first hat trick on Wednesday.
That it happened in a game where the Portland Winterhawks rallied from three goals down to win 7-5 at Everett made it extra special.
“It’s pretty exciting. But I’m excited more to get a hat trick to help the team win,” Bukarts said, noting that getting a hat trick in a blowout win or a loss would not have been as special.
All three of his goals came on the power play on a night the Winterhawks went 4 for 6 with the advantage and also scored a short-handed goal. Bukarts scored the first goal in a five-goal rally that erased a 5-2 lead Everett built early in the third period.
Taking advantage of three Everett penalties was key to the comeback.
“Special teams is something we work on every day,” Bukarts said, noting that nights like Wednesday provide a positive memory the team will carry the remainder of the season.
Bukarts, who turns 20 on
Dec. 31 and thus is in his last junior hockey season, has seven goals and nine assists since coming to Portland in a trade with Brandon. He played the previous two seasons with the Wheat Kings, helping them reach the 2015 WHL Finals where they lost to Kelowna.
He said the transition to Portland was smooth, and that he enjoys playing in front of larger crowds than the 3,000 or so in Brandon. He is also happy to be in a major city with an NBA team, he said.
“When you start scoring and getting assists, that helps,” Bukarts said.
Team captain Dominic Turgeon said the comeback will give the team confidence going forward. But he said the bigger lesson is to be ready from the start of every game to avoid digging holes.
“It starts the day before the game. And when you get up in the morning thinking about the game and making sure you eat right,” Turgeon said. “It’s paying attention to all those little details to be sure you are ready to play.”
Winterhawks
This week: Host Prince George, 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday (VMC). Saturday’s game televised live on WB 32 (Comcast cable Channel 3).
Last week: Beat Kamloops. 3-2; lost 4-2 at Kelowna; beat Everett 7-5.
Where they stand: At 14-14-0-0 (28 points), the Winterhawks are in fourth place in the U.S. Division, four points behind third-place Everett, and have the eighth most points in the Western Conference.
Gustafson promoted: Assistant coach Kyle Gustafson is now associate coach Kyle Gustafson. In his 11th year with the Winterhawks, Gustafson has served in a variety of assistant coach capacities.
“Kyle exemplifies what a Portland Winterhawk is,” head coach and general manager Jamie Kompon said. Gustafson has helped hundreds of Winterhawks become better hockey players, and also better people, Kompon said.
World juniors camp: Forward Paul Bittner is one of 29 players selected to the preliminary roster for USA Hockey for the upcoming World Juniors tournament in Finland. The training camp begins Dec. 14 and the final 23-man roster is expected to be named on Dec. 24.
Big weekend: Two popular promotions are on tap for the games Friday and Saturday against Prince George. Friday is the KPTV Les Schwab Toy Drive, with fans encouraged to bring toys for kids in need. The first 500 fans will receive a $5 gift card from Burgerville. Toys can also be purchased on site and donated. Also Friday, women 18 and older can shoot for a free ham after the game. Saturday (6 p.m.) is the popular Teddy Bear Toss game, where fans throw stuffed animals onto the ice when the Winterhawks score their first goal of the game.
Security reminder: With new security measures in place at the Rose Quarter, the Winterhawks are encouraging fans to arrive early — especially on Saturday when the game starts at 6 p.m. and the Trail Blazers are at the Moda Center at 7 p.m.
Vancouver Rangers
This week: At Southern Oregon (Medford) 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. At WSHL Las Vegas Showcase: vs. Springfield, 6 p.m. Tuesday; vs. Wichita, 10 a.m. Wednesday; vs. Casper, 10 a.m. Thursday; vs. Salt Lake City, 2:45 p.m. Dec. 18.
Last week: Lost three games at Idaho. Scores were 7-7 in overtime, 8-1 and 6-3.
Where they stand: At 17-4-2 (36 points), the Rangers trail the Idaho Junior Steelheads by five points and the Missoula Maulers by four points in the Northwest Division of the Western States Hockey League.
Idaho trip recap: The Rangers outscored the Junior Steelheads in the first two periods, but were outscored 14-1 after the second period. Playing at 5,000 feet elevation was probably a factor for the Rangers, according to coach Dave Daniello, who said Idaho deserved credit for playing well late in each game.
Forward acquired: The Rangers have acquired forward Martin Cierny of Finland for cash considerations from San Diego.
Western States Shootout: All 29 WSHL teams will be in Las Vegas Dec. 25-19 to play teams from other divisions. All games count in the standings. The event is staged to showcase WSHL players in one place for college hockey scouts.
