The WHL offseason is nearing its conclusion as the calendar gets ready to flip to September. For the Portland Winterhawks organization, there is buzz around the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Over 70 players from across Western Canada and the United States have started arriving in the Rose City for the team’s annual Neely Cup.
Fitness testing and measurements starts today before practices, evaluations, and scrimmages run Thursday through Sunday afternoon.
I will be attending all four days of team activities providing updates along the way. You can follow along on PNW Hockey Talk, as well as, my Twitter. I hope to bring you interviews and updates throughout the week.
Every year I compile a cheat sheet for fans who are attending the Neely Cup. This sheet provides additional information on the players including their status with the team and how they were acquired.
Google Sheets Online (Best if you want to do sorting): 2022 Neely Cup Cheat Sheet – Google Sheets
PDF File (Best if you want to print to bring with you): 2022 Neely Cup Cheat Sheet – PDF
If there are any gaps a player, coach, parent, or scout is able to assist me in filling in, please DM me on Twitter.
Before getting to who I will be keeping an eye on, there are a few names who are not attending training camp worth mentioning.
Who did not make the trip
Two players on last year’s roster who appeared in games for Portland are no longer in their future plans. Defenseman Brody Tallman and goaltender Lochlan Gordon will be playing their 2022-2023 season in different cities.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Graham Jones, the Winterhawks 1st Round selection in the 2022 WHL Draft, and Gavin Kor, 1st Round pick in the 2022 U.S. Prospects Draft, cannot attend the Neely Cup. Both players are still considered highly touted prospects and names fans should keep in their memory bank. Neither player has committed to the NCAA path at this time.
Tanner Bruender, the star of the 2021 Neely Cup, who was born in Portland and moved to Minnesota to continue his hockey career, has elected to focus on trying out for the USHL and likely the NCAA route. Adam Kleber and Ben Miller, two top prospects from Minnesota have committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth and Northeastern University respectively. The third highly regarded drafted prospect committed to going to college is Reid Varkonyi from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Varkonyi was a 2021 3rd Round WHL Draft pick and made his decision to continue his career at the University of Denver.
Both Czechia imports Marek Alscher and Jan Špunar will not be in town in time for the Neely Cup due to temporary complications making the international travel. However, both are expected to arrive in time for preseason. Alscher’s availability for preseason games is still TBD however as he will depart for Florida Panthers training camp after being selected in the 3rd Round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Chaz Lucius is obviously not attending training camp, but continues to be a name on everyone’s watch list for the upcoming season. The Winnipeg Jets will make a decision on where the former 1st Round NHL selection will play his hockey in 2022-2023. Portland selected him in 2018 with its 4th Round pick. Originally electing to go the NCAA route at the University of Minnesota, Lucius’ eligibility for college hockey ended when he signed his entry-level contract with the Jets. As a 19-year-old drafted from high school/USNTP, he is eligible to play in the WHL, ECHL, AHL, or NHL.
Returning forward Aidan Litke will not be participating in the scrimmages while he recovers from an injury. The timeline for his return is still up in the air.
Names to watch this week
One of the best aspects of training camp is seeing the progress players have made in the offseason. Winterhawks strength and conditioning coach Rich Campbell puts together an individualized workout plan for every player in addition to work the players focus on themselves. For example, last offseason, Gabe Klassen put on over ten pounds of muscle which helped lead him to a stellar 2021-2022 season.
Two names I’m keeping an eye on this week from the list of returners are Luca Cagnoni and Dawson Pasternak. Cagnoni is entering his NHL draft-eligible season and many expect him to hear his name called early. Pasternak tore up the preseason last year and was having a nice rookie season before a lower-body injury sidelined him after only 34 games. I’m excited to see how both players get started with their seasons.
Obviously fans will be tuning in to see how their favorite returning players look, but training camp is also an opportunity to get to see first-hand the latest signed and unsigned Winterhawks prospects.
Two forwards were acquired in the offseason with Reid MacKay coming over from Lethbridge and Diego Buttazzoni from Medicine Hat. MacKay is a 2004 birth year, or 18 years old for this hockey season, while Buttazzoni was born in 2006. Buttazzoni is expected to compete for a roster spot on this year’s team as a 16-year-old player and is a former 2nd Round WHL Bantam Draft pick. In 2021-2022, Buttazzoni was an offensive machine; he scored 19 goals in 32 games while also potting 35 assists.
The Winterhawks first three selections of the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft were forwards. The before-mentioned Jones, then Kyle McDonough in the second round, and Ryan Miller in the third round. None of the 2007-born players are eligible to play a full season in Portland this year, but will be looking to make a solid first impression on the Winterhawks coaching staff. Scoring has not been an issue for McDonough or Miller as both nearly put up two points per game last season with their respective U15 clubs. Some scouts have told me McDonough is future captain material as he’s shown tremendous leadership qualities with his previous teams.
On defense, Alex Thompson is one of the key prospects in the Winterhawks pipeline. While not yet signed, he projects to be a special player. Portland drafted this smooth-skating blue liner in the fourth round of the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. Keep an eye on his vision, passing ability, and how fast he can release a shot from the point. His talents make him a massive threat on the power play in addition to five-on-five.
Kayd Ruedig was the first defenseman chosen by the Winterhawks in the most recent WHL Bantam Draft. His 2021-2022 statistics indicate he’s an offensive defenseman as Ruedig compiled 15 goals and 19 assists in 31 games played. At 5-foot-7, he has room to grow, but this week will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his talents.
In goal, netminder Luke Brunen comes to his first Neely Cup with somewhat of a spotlight following him. For the first time in team history, the Winterhawks used their first selection in a draft on a goaltender. Already standing at least 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Brunen has the size many teams look for in a goalie. With his standard player contract signed, Brunen is expected to play a big part in Portland’s future in goal. That said, I expect he returns to Saskatchewan while Dante Giannuzzi and Špunar share the goaltending duties for the majority of the season. A midseason call-up is not out of the question though for Bruenen. Vice President, General Manager, and Head Coach Mike Johnston is known for bringing in signed players throughout the year so they can get a taste of the WHL before they are full-time players.
The same goes for Donavan Bodnar, a 17-year-old goaltender from Manitoba, who rounds out the signed goalies in camp. He signed his Standard Player Agreement with Portland in October 2021. Bodnar was selected in the 7th Round of the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and is a veteran of the Neely Cup and is looking to win back-to-back Championships. Last year, he put up a respectable 0.912 save percentage in the high scoring CSSHL U18 league.
26 players attending the Neely Cup are doing so under an official camp invite. These players are not currently on the team’s 50-man protected list but will get an opportunity to showcase their talents. Oftentimes after training camp, teams will update their lists based upon how players perform.
Daniel Carl, Cooper Jones, and Alexander Mason all played for the Portland Jr. Winterhawks organization last year and got the invite to attend the main camp. Three years ago Trystan Swiger, who was playing for the Jr. Winterhawks at the time, scored a goal on a penalty shot. A local connection scoring a goal was a highlight for the fans in attendance along with Swiger. Fritz Berback-Rosengreen grew up in Portland and received an invite after a strong season last year with Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna in the CSSHL U16 league.
Other names are sure to pop off the page over the course of the next several days.
Who are you looking forward to viewing the most?
