Portland Winterhawks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Portland Winterhawks
City	Portland, Oregon
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Western
Division	U.S.
Founded	1950
Home arena	Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Colors	Biscuit black, buzzer red, squall gray, celly gold, ice white
General manager	Mike Johnston
Head coach	Kyle Gustafson
Franchise history
1950–1976	Edmonton Oil Kings
1976–2009	Portland Winter Hawks
2009–present	Portland Winterhawks
Championships
Regular season titles	4 (1979–80, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2019–20)
Playoff championships	Ed Chynoweth Cup 3 (1982, 1998, 2013) Memorial Cup 2 (1983, 1998) Conference Championships 5 (2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2023–24)
Current uniform

The Portland Winterhawks are a junior ice hockey team from Portland, Oregon. They started in 1950 as the Edmonton Oil Kings. In 1976, the team moved to Portland. Until 2009, they were called the Winter Hawks.

The team plays in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). This league is part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The Winterhawks have played in the WHL championship series 13 times. They even went to the finals four times in a row from 2011 to 2014. They have won the Ed Chynoweth Cup three times. They also won the Memorial Cup twice. The Winterhawks were the first team from the United States to play in and win these big championships. Their home games are at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Discover the Winterhawks: A Team's Journey

How the Winterhawks Began

The team started in 1950 as the Edmonton Oil Kings. Under Bill Hunter, they helped start the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966. The Oil Kings won two league titles in the early 1970s.

But then, Bill Hunter's new team, the Edmonton Oilers, joined the World Hockey Association. This led to the Oil Kings team moving. In 1976, the team moved to Portland. This made them the first American team in the league. The league then changed its name to the Western Hockey League. Because the Winterhawks were so successful, more teams started in the Northwest United States.

Early Success and Big Wins

In their first season in Portland, the team played an exhibition game against a Russian club. Over 5,000 fans watched. The Winterhawks continued their winning ways. In their first eleven seasons in Portland, they only missed the playoffs once. They reached the league final five times.

They won their first Ed Chynoweth Cup in 1982. In 1983, they won the Memorial Cup. The Winterhawks were the first American team to win the WHL championship. They were also the first to play for the Memorial Cup. In 1983, even though they lost the WHL championship, they played in the Memorial Cup. This was because Portland hosted the tournament. The team, with star rookie Cam Neely and goalie Mike Vernon, won the tournament. After this, the CHL decided to keep the new format with a host team.

Portland hosted the Memorial Cup again in 1986. This happened because the original host city could not hold it. In 1998, the Winterhawks, led by Brenden Morrow and Marián Hossa, won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. This sent them back to the Memorial Cup. They won their second Memorial Cup title. They beat the Guelph Storm 4–3 in overtime.

Recent Seasons and Challenges

The Winterhawks played in four WHL championship series in a row. This was from 2011 to 2014. Only one other team had done this before. From 2012 to 2014, the Winterhawks played against the Edmonton Oil Kings in each final. The Winterhawks won one of these finals in 2013. This sent them to their fifth Memorial Cup tournament. They lost the final to the Halifax Mooseheads.

In November 2012, the WHL announced penalties against the Winterhawks. This was for breaking some player benefit rules. The team lost its first five draft picks in 2013. They also lost first-round picks from 2014 to 2017. They were fined $200,000. The WHL also suspended their General Manager and Head Coach, Mike Johnston. He could not coach for the rest of the 2012–13 season or the playoffs.

In May 2020, the team's owner had financial issues. The team was sold to a new group called Winterhawks Sports Group (WSG). This change happened on January 1, 2021. WSG also bought the Winterhawks Skating Center and junior hockey programs. Before the 2021–22 season, the team announced they would play all their home games at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. They had been splitting games between the Coliseum and Moda Center since 1995.

In the 2023–24 season, the Winterhawks reached the championship final for the first time in ten seasons. They were defeated by the Moose Jaw Warriors in four games.

Team Look: Uniforms, Logos, and Mascot

The Winterhawks logo from 1976 to 2021, which looked like the Chicago Blackhawks logo.

The team was called the Winter Hawks until May 2009. Then, they announced that the space between "Winter" and "Hawks" was "retiring." The team became the Winterhawks.

When the team moved to Portland in 1976, they received old jerseys from the National Hockey League's Chicago Black Hawks. They used this design for almost 50 years. In 2021, new owners decided to change the team's look. This was due to discussions about sports teams using Native American symbols. On July 14, 2021, the team showed off its new colors and a new hawk logo.

The Winterhawks also retired their old bird mascot, Tom-A-Hawk, in 2019.

Championship Titles and Achievements

The Winterhawks playing against the Tri-City Americans on January 24, 2016.

The Portland Winterhawks have won many important titles:

• Memorial Cup (2): 1982–83, 1997–98
• Ed Chynoweth Cup (3): 1981–82, 1997–98, 2012–13
• Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (4): 1979–80, 1997–98, 2012–13, 2019–20
• Conference Champions (5): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2023–24
• Division Playoff Champions (8): 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2000–01
• Regular Season Division Champions (15): 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2019–20, 2023–24

Memorial Cup Finals: A Look Back

The Winterhawks have played in three Memorial Cup finals:

• 1983: Won, 8–3 against Oshawa Generals
• 1998: Won, 4–3 (in overtime) against Guelph Storm
• 2013: Lost, 4–6 against Halifax Mooseheads

WHL Championship Finals: Game by Game

The Winterhawks have a long history in the WHL Championship finals:

• 1978–79: Lost, 2–4 against Brandon Wheat Kings
• 1981–82: Won, 4–1 against Regina Pats
• 1982-83: Lost, 1–4 against Lethbridge Broncos
• 1986-87: Lost, 3–4 against Medicine Hat Tigers
• 1988–89: Lost, 0–4 against Swift Current Broncos
• 1992–93: Lost, 3–4 against Swift Current Broncos
• 1997–98: Won, 4–0 against Brandon Wheat Kings
• 2000–01: Lost, 1–4 against Red Deer Rebels
• 2010–11: Lost, 1–4 against Kootenay Ice
• 2011–12: Lost, 3–4 against Edmonton Oil Kings
• 2012–13: Won, 4–2 against Edmonton Oil Kings
• 2013–14: Lost, 3–4 against Edmonton Oil Kings
• 2023–24: Lost, 0–4 against Moose Jaw Warriors

Season by Season: How the Winterhawks Played

This table shows how the Portland Winterhawks have done each season. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Sven Baertschi played for the Winterhawks from 2010 to 2012.

Famous Players and Team Records

Hockey Hall of Famers

Four former Portland Winter Hawks players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. These are Mark Messier, Cam Neely, Marian Hossa, and Mike Vernon.

Winterhawks Hall of Fame Players

This is a list of players in the Portland Winter Hawks franchise Hall of Fame.

Retired Numbers: Honoring Legends

The Portland Winter Hawks have retired one number to honor a special player.

Winterhawks Players in the NHL

Many Portland Winterhawks players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Here are some of them:

First Round NHL Draft Picks

These Winterhawks players were chosen in the first round of the NHL entry draft:

Team Records: All-Time Best Performances

During the 2012–13 season, team captain Troy Rutkowski set a new record. He played 351 regular games for the Winterhawks. This broke the old record of 328 games.