PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS
Where they stand: At 13-7-1-1 (28 points), the Winterhawks are second in the U.S. Division behind Tri-City (15-5, 30 points).
This week: The Winterhawks play at Everett on Friday and at Seattle on Saturday. They host Regina at the Rose Garden at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, then visit Tri-City on Wednesday. Portland is then home over the following two weekends.
Last week: Won two close games at home over Spokane, 6-5 in a shootout (4-3) and 4-3.
Player of the week: Ty Rattie. Rattie had four goals and three assists in the two games against Spokane last week. His spinning assist set up Sven Bartschi’s overtime winner on Saturday. Rattie has 19 goals and 18 assists on the season.
Super at Subway Super Series: Portland’s trio of Rattie, Brad Ross and Joe Morrow led the way as Team WHL defeated Team Russia 5-2 on Wednesday in Regina. In the fifth of six games between Canadian junior hockey teams and a Russian team, Ross and Rattie each had one goal and one assists and Morrow had two assists. Morrow was an assistant captain for Team WHL. The win gave the CHL a 3-2 lead in the series. The Ontario Hockey League beat the Russians twice, and Russia won twice against teams from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“Any time you can represent your league and your country in something like this, it’s a special opportunity,” Winterhawks coach and general manager Mike Johnston said.
Johnston emphasized that playing well in Wednesday’s game might help the players get selected to play for Team Canada in the Junior Hockey World Championships. That tournament begins Dec. 26 and will be played in Calgary and Edmonton.
• The National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Bureau has released rankings of the top 25 skaters by league for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Among WHL players, Portland’s Derrick Pouliot is ranked fourth and Brendan Leipsic was ranked 19th.
• Several Winterhawks players will serve dinner Monday evening at Union Gospel Mission in downtown Portland. Union Gospel Mission provides a chapel service and hot dinner every weeknight to the homeless and people in need.
VANCOUVER VICTORY
Where they stand: At 9-7, the Victory are third in the eight-team NORPAC behind 13-5 Southern Oregon and 10-2-1 Seattle.
This week: The Victory are home at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday against West Sound of Bremerton. They visit Eugene on Nov. 25 and host Eugene on Nov. 26. Home games are at Mountain View Ice Arena, 14313 S.E. Mill Plain in Vancouver.
Last week: After making a coaching change, Vancouver went 2-2, with one-goal wins over the Yellowstone Quake followed by losses to Yellowstone and at Eugene.
