Monday, December 28, 2015

Monday's Portland Winterhawks' News and Notes: Portland Traded a Rattie??

Winterhawks Trade Rights to Rattie
-Portland made their first trade since dealing Austin Gray and Reed Morison to Kootenay, by shedding the WHL rights to Taden Rattie to the Red Deer Rebels. Rattie had committed to Western Michigan and it appeared that he was going to go there, starting next year.

This season, Rattie has played for Whitecourt and then the Calgary Mustangs, both of the AJHL. Rattie has 24 points and 212 penalty minutes in 48 games between the two squads. He is listed as being 6'4" and 190 lbs and was listed as a "C" prospect for this next June's NHL draft.

Portland acquired a conditional fourth round pick in the 2016 Bantam Draft, with the condition being that Portland gets the pick when Rattie reports. With what I read today, it certainly appears as if Red Deer expects him to report and play for them this year.

It is somewhat disheartening  to see the brother of one of your best players in franchise history, choose another WHL team over yours, but I believe that fans shoudl not take this as a slight against Portland or their general manager Jamie Kompon for two reasons.

First, by going to Red Deer, Rattie is guaranteed a chance to play in the Memorial cup this year and get every scout in the NHL's eyes on him during his draft year. This is something that is invaluable to NHL prospects during their draft year. Also, he does not have to live up the expectations that Portland fans would immediately place on him because of his last name. While, I have not seen him play, I have to assume by reading his stat line that he is not the same player as his brother and thus would no doubt let fans down (even if he ends up having a better professional career than Ty).

If you keep those two things in mind, getting a fourth round pick out of someone that would not have played for you anyways, is a another steal for Kompon and co. Keeping in mind that Portland got Cody Glass with a first round pick they got for a guy that would not have reported and you have signs that this organization is still one of the shrewdest wheelers and dealers in the league, even without Mike Johnston at the helm.

We Are Going Streaking!
-With Rihards Bukarts' recent,WHL season high point streak hitting 11-games, it had be thinking about all of the streaks Portland has had in recent memory (dating back to the 2009-10 season)and where his current streak ranks among them.

1.(2014-15)Oliver Bjorkstrand-18 games
1.(2012-13)Brendan Leipsic-18 games
3.(2014-15)Chase De Leo-17 games
4.(2013-14)Nic Petan-16 games
4.(2012-13)Ty Rattie-16 games
4.(2010-11)Sven Baertschi-16 games
7.(2013-14)Oliver Bjorkstrand-14 games (twice)
7.(2012-13)Brendan Leipsic-14 games
9.(2012-13)Ty Rattie-13 games
9.(2011-12)Oliver Gabriel-13 games
11.(2011-12)Sven Baertschi-12 games
12.(2015-16)Rihards Bukarts-11 games (and still going)
-Several others also had 11.

-With the way he has been playing recently, along with the fact that he will be playing a lot of games vs. depleted Tri-City, Seattle and Spokane squads, who knows how long his streak could go for.
One interesting thing about all of those streaks is that none of them were the longest of the season in the league. So, Bukarts may be able to lay claim to something they all could not.
Winterhawks in the NHL:
-Seth Jones had not record a point in 20 games before tonight. This was a span that went back all the way to November 14th. He had an assist in a 5-3 Nashville win over the New York Rangers tonight.

Winterhawks in the ECHL:
-In a 3-2 OT win over Brampton, Reading got another assist from Cam Reid. He now has a seven-game point streak, which goes all the way back to December ninth.

Winterhawks' Prospects at the Mac's Tournament:
-Ilijah Colina picked up another assist and now has three in the first two games for the Valley West Hawks, as they beat the Belarus U-17 National Team 5-3. Valley West is 1-0-1 so far.
-Matt Quigley (list player) notched his second assist for the Lethbridge Hurricanes as they fell to the Regina Pat Canadians 6-2. Lethbridge now is 2-1 in the tourney.

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