Portage Terriers

The Portage Terriers will take on another opponent for the first time this season with a matchup against the Swan Valley Stampeders. After sweeping the season series last year, Portage looks to even up their record this year with another win.

Swan Valley has had a slow start to the season this year, only one win in eight games thus far and only 14 goals to their credit.

The Portage Terriers’ offence came alive last night as they beat the Winnipeg Freeze 8-0 at the Hockey For All Centre in Winnipeg.

Chances came early and often for Portage as they outshot the Freeze 16-5 in the first period. Winnipeg goalie Braxton Burdeny played well and only let in one goal from Nolan Nenow. 1-0 Portage after 1.

The play opened up in the second period with three straight goals for the Terriers. Two from Cam Bullinger and one from Koy Funk. For Funk it was the first of his junior career. 4-0 Portage after 2.

Hockey runs in the family for Koy Funk, who has taken to the ice four times as a member of the Portage Terriers this season. Funk hails from Portage la Prairie and is following in the footsteps of his older brother, Reilly, and father, Kelly. Koy says that it's been nice to see the community standing behind him.

A rocky start to the season has the Portage Terriers 2-4-0-0 so far, but a game tonight against the Winnipeg Freeze could get them closer to evening up their record.

The Freeze have yet to record a win this season, however, the Freeze have faced the MJHL-leading Selkirk Steelers twice, along with a single matchup against the Steinbach Pistons and the Niverville Nighthawks.

Portage comes into the game with two wins in their last five games, coming against the Dauphin Kings on the road, and at home against the Neepawa Titans in a shootout.

Tristan Gravenor and Emrick Paradis travelled from Quebec to Manitoba in September to test their chops against junior hockey talent in the province. The two players have found a place on the roster in Portage, each getting into action in the early going of the regular season.

Gravenor hails from Montréal and says the adjustment has gone pretty well.

A couple of defensive giveaways in their own end were the Terrier's undoing in this game, as they fell 3-0 to the Selkirk Steelers.

A two-on-none for Selkirk created the first goal of the game, as goaltender Mitchell Kathler was given little help. 1-0 Selkirk after the first period.

The second period didn't see any goals, as the two teams exchanged chances, with the shots ending up 20-16 in Portage's favour.

A perfect night on the penalty kill was offset by an inability to score on the powerplay as the Northern Manitoba Blizzard waltzed out of Stride Place with a 5-1 victory.

Adler Johnston scored the game's opening goal on a shorthanded break. Cam Bullinger made a nice play to get the puck out of their end, and Johnston did the rest, beating the Blizzard netminder. But that was all the offense would muster.

The Blizzard would tie it just over two minutes later, one second after the Terriers killed off over three minutes of penalties, tying the game at 1.

A couple new names are expected to be lining up for the Portage Terriers tonight as they face off with the newly rebranded Northern Manitoba Blizzard.

Portager Koy Funk has joined the team after training camp in Calgary with the WHL's Hitmen. Alex Thompson was acquired from the Winkler Flyers earlier in the week, and Cale Nachai was brought in via trade with the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Monday night saw the Portage and District Terriers organization host their Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Stride Place.

The meeting focused on the replacement of several resigning board members, along with the release of their financial statement for the year. Re-elected President Dave Koroscil outlines how the organization felt about the season.

The Portage Terriers have traded the MJHL rights for Mitch Vanderwey to the Winkler Flyers along with a player development fee in exchange for Alex Thompson, a 2006-born defenceman from Winnipeg.

Thompson spent the last two seasons in Portland playing with the Winterhawks. He played 40 games in the 2022-23 season and then 19 games during 2023-24.

Vanderwey spent last season U18 AAA hockey with the Thunder Bay Kings and is expected to spend this season in the NAHL, playing with the Minnesota Mallards.