Medicine Hat Tigers 6, Portland Winterhawks 5 (OT)
Winterhawks-Tigers Wednesday preview
Medicine Hat Tigers at Portland Winterhawks: Gameday, November 4, 2026
box score link
1st 2:06 POR Trevor Toyne (Tripping) 2min PP
1st 3:03 POR (SH) Luke Wilfley (Nathan Brown, Will McLaughlin) 1-0
1st 4:18 MH Owen Hayes (Tripping) 2min PP
1st 8:44 POR Nathan Brown (Luke Wilfley, Kyle McDonough) 2-0
1st 9:26 POR Sam Spehar (Cameron Jacobson, Jordan Duguay) 3-0
2nd :55 MH Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll (Markus Ruck, Liam Ruck) 3-1
2nd 1:10 MH Liam Ruck 3-2
2nd 8:33 MH Jake Burmis (Riley Steen, Dayton Reschny) 3-3
2nd 8:52 MH Dayton Reschny (Hooking) 2min PP
2nd 13:30 POR Jordan Duguay 4-3
2nd 15:29 MH Liam Ruck (Markus Ruck, Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll) 4-4
2nd 17:39 POR Jordin St. Louis (Alessandro Domenichelli) 5-4
2nd 19:28 MH Liam Ruck (Kadon McCann) 5-5
3rd 1:46 MH Luke Warrener (Roughing) 2min PP
OT 4:17 MH Tyson Moss (Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck) 5-6
Carter Casey MH 24 saves-29 shots
Ondřej Štěbeták POR 43 saves-49 shots
Talking points
Maybe it was the long change. The Winterhawks, having jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st period, held the potentially high-flying Medicine Hat Tigers offense scoreless in the 1st and 3rd periods. But in the 2nd period, they gave up 5 goals on 24 shots, and then they gave up the winner in overtime to lose 6-5.
It was really Medicine Hat’s top line of Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, Markus Ruck, and Liam Ruck that got away from the Winterhawks in the 2nd. Liam Ruck, the only NHL 1st-rounder in the league, had a hat trick plus an assist in the 2nd. Gordon-Carroll had a goal and an assist, and Markus Ruck had 2 assists. They’re all likely future NHLers, so it’s not a shock to see them go crazy. Liam Ruck came into the game at actually less than a point a game, but he left with 15 points in 13 games.
The Ruck’s each assisted on the overtime winner, which was bad luck for Portland. Avery Laliberte broke his stick blocking a shot, and the Winterhawks couldn’t clear the puck or find a way to get him a new stick. It gave Tyson Moss a couple of good looks, and he converted the second.
It was a shame for Portland’s defense, which in the last 10 games had only given up 23 goals, and had given up 3 or fewer goals 8 times. A shame because the offense scored a season-high-tying 5 goals. But being ahead early against a top offense is not a position the Winterhawks had really been in before. In a way they might have been better off not jumping so quickly to a 3-0 lead, which encouraged a track meet they may not have been ready for.
Medicine Hat won the shots 49-29 helped by a 24-8 margin in their 5-goal 2nd period. They’d have been expected to win the shots but not by that much.
Best
1 Liam Ruck MH 3 goals, 2 assists
2 Markus Ruck MH 3 assists
3 Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll MH 1 goal, 1 assist
4 Tyson Moss MH 1 goal
5 Jordan Duguay POR 1 goal, 1 assist
6 Will McLaughlin POR 1 assist
7 Nathan Brown POR 1 goal, 1 assist
8 Luke Wilfley POR 1 goal, 1 assist
9 Sam Spehar POR 1 goal
10 Riley Steen MH 1 assist
Nathan Brown and Wilfley teamed up for the first two goals, which puts them in here even though they gave up a lot to MH’s top line. McLaughlin played another strong game. MH’s top line gets the first three spots, and Moss gets the fourth for the winner.
Portland pregame lines
Kyle McDonough-Luke Wilfley-Nathan Brown
Reed Brown-Jordin St. Louis-Jake Gustafson
Trevor Toyne-Sam Spehar-Jordan Duguay
David Hoy-Sam Auld-Alessandro Domenichelli
Stevie Grumley-Will McLaughlin
Avery Laliberte-Easton Dozark
Cameron Jacobson-Luke Christopherson
Medicine Hat pregame lines
Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll -Markus Ruck-Liam Ruck
Yaroslav Bryzgalov-Josh Evaschesen-Luke Cozens
Gavin Kor-Kadon McCann-Arvid Drott
Owen Hayes-Brayden Holberton-Jake Burmis
Dayton Reschny-Riley Steen
Denis Pasler-Mace'o Phillips
Tyson Moss-Luke Warrener
Shots
Medicine Hat 49
6: L Ruck
5: L Cozens
4: R Steen, G Kor, Y Bryzgalov, D Reschny, J Evaschesen
3: T Moss, K McCann, S Gordon-Carroll
2: M Phillips, A Drott
1: J Burmis, D Pasler, B Holberton, M Ruck, O Hayes
0: L Warrener
Portland 29
5: S Spehar
4: N Brown, L Wilfley
3: J Gustafson
2: J Duguay, W McLaughlin, D Hoy, R Brown, T Toyne
1: A Laliberte, K McDonough, J St. Louis
0: C Jacobson, S Grumley, S Auld, E Dozark, L Christopherson, A Domenichelli
Plus-minus
2-0: R Steen
0-0: Y Bryzgalov
2-1: M Phillips, D Reschny, D Pasler
1-1: J Burmis, B Holberton, O Hayes
0-1: G Kor, A Drott, J Evaschesen
5-2: L Ruck
4-2: S Gordon-Carroll, M Ruck
1-2: K McCann
0-2: L Cozens
2-3: T Moss
1-3: L Warrener
2-0: S Grumley, S Spehar, W McLaughlin
1-0: S Auld, A Domenichelli
0-0: D Hoy
2-1: J Duguay, L Christopherson, T Toyne
1-1: J St. Louis
0-1: J Gustafson, R Brown
2-3: C Jacobson, N Brown
1-3: A Laliberte
1-4: E Dozark, K McDonough
2-5: L Wilfley
Markus Ruck extended his point streak to 7, Liam Ruck and Reschny to 3, Gordon-Carroll to 2. Toyne had a 3-game point streak snapped, but Nathan Brown had a 6-game scoreless streak snapped.
Spokane weekend preview
Spokane Chiefs at Portland Winterhawks
Friday, November 6, 7pm PST
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
Spokane Chiefs at Portland Winterhawks
Saturday, November 7, 6pm PST
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
Portland Winterhawks
It’s all about the streak. The Winterhawks have lost 15 in a row to Spokane, going back to the 2024-25 regular season. outscored 87-43. They have two shots to end the streak this weekend.
They’ll hope to get the defense back on track after getting torched by the Tigers.
The streak
- 2/23/25 at Portland: 7-3 loss. Chiefs score 24 seconds in and Portland falls in a 3-0 hole. They got it back to 4-3 but a supposedly tired Spokane team blew it open in the 3rd.
- 4/25/25 at Spokane: 10-4 loss (Game 1 of playoffs). Chiefs score 34 seconds into the playoff opener, it started as an offensive shootout but then it was just Spokane doing the shooting.
- 4/26/25 at Spokane: 6-5 overtime loss (Game 2). Portland led after the 1st, and it was 3-3 after 2. Chiefs went up 5-3 in the 3rd, but Max Pšenička and Kyle Chyzowski tied it late. But Tyson Jugnauth made a bad turnover and Chase Harrington finished it in overtime.
- 4/30/25 at Portland: 8-5 loss (Game 3). Another crazy offense (or no defense) game. Portland tied it 5-5 early in the 3rd (Josh Zakreski) but the Chiefs scored 3 in the next 5 minutes.
- 5/1/25 at Portland: 6-4 loss (Game 4). Diego Buttazzoni gets ejected in the 1st period of his last game with the Winterhawks. Portland tied it three times and took the lead in the 3rd, but Spokane scored 3 times in the last 6 minutes to get the sweep.
- 11/8/25 at Portland: 4-3 loss. Down 4-1 in the 3rd, the Winterhawks score 2 in the last 5 minutes, and thought they’d tied it at the buzzer, but replay showed the goal was a tick after the horn. Spokane took advantage of Blake Clark in goal in the 2nd.
- 12/12/25 at Spokane: 8-3 loss. Štěbeták at WJC, Spokane scores 10 seconds in. Portland send it to the 3rd tied 2-2, but the Chiefs score 6 straight in the 3rd.
- 12/16/25 at Spokane: 9-2 loss. Štěbeták at WJC, Spokane scores 76 seconds in. Really took advantage of Portland’s backup goalies. 8-1 after 2. Last game before the Christmas break.
- 1/19/26 at Portland: 6-2 loss. Chiefs scored the first 5 goals, including one off Dominik Petr’s face.
- 2/13/26 at Portland: 5-4 loss. Portland went up 3-0 early, then tried to settle scores and gave up 3 in 50 seconds at the end of the 1st. Overall Spokane gets 5 in a row and that’s enough. Off night for Štěbeták.
- 3/11/26 at Spokane: 3-2 loss. Portland played a poor game but somehow got it to 2-2 after 2, but Spokane got the late regulation winner.
- 10/2/26 at Portland: 6-1 loss. Started OK, gave up the first goal and it went downhill from there.
- 10/3/26 at Portland: 3-1 loss. Brody Gillespie hurts his hometown team with 2 goals.
- 10/23/26 at Spokane: 2-1 loss. A 9-minute penalty to Avery Laliberte took Portland out of it in the 3rd.
- 10/24/26 at Spokane: 4-3 loss. Winterhawks started well but it got away from them early in the 2nd, and that was enough.
Spokane Chiefs
They beat Kelowna on Wednesday in overtime, 3-2, with Owen Martin getting the first goal and the winner. They also outshot the Rockets 33-21.
They’re on a 4-game road trip: to Kelowna, to Portland for two, and then to Vancouver. Not the easiest itinerary, but staying in Portland for two straight makes it easier.
They played Medicine Hat last Friday, losing in a shootout 4-3. It wouldn’t be a shock if they met again in a rematch of the 2025 championship series.
They’re still more or less rolling over everyone in the league, way above everyone in winning percentage but playing the fewest games in the league up to this point. They’re near the top in everything except the power play.
Top goalie Carter Esler missed Wendesday’s game. Portland might catch a break here. Backup Bryce Francisco did stop 29 of 30 against the Winterhawks in his WHL debut earlier in the season.
Top players
1 Chase Harrington, SPO
2 Owen Martin, SPO
3 Tyus Sparks, SPO
4 Rhett Sather, SPO
5 Carter Esler, SPO
6 Brody Gillespie, SPO
7 Jordan Duguay, POR
8 Ondřej Štěbeták, POR
9 Will McLaughlin, POR
10 Nathan Mayes, SPO
Portland last game lines
Kyle McDonough-Luke Wilfley-Nathan Brown
Reed Brown-Jordin St. Louis-Jake Gustafson
Trevor Toyne-Sam Spehar-Jordan Duguay
David Hoy-Sam Auld-Alessandro Domenichelli
Stevie Grumley-Will McLaughlin
Avery Laliberte-Easton Dozark
Cameron Jacobson-Luke Christopherson
Spokane last game lines
Chase Harrington-Owen Martin-Tyus Sparks
Matěj Tománek-Gavin Burcar-Luca Jarvis
Parker Colmer-Brody Gillespie-Cohen Harris
Tristen Buckley-Ethan Hughes-Jan Brabenec
Owen Schoettler-Rhett Sather
Harry Mattern-Marek Howell
Nolan Saunderson-Nathan Mayes
