Winterhawks win home opener, unveil arena upgrades

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The excitement started outside and continued to build Saturday night — as fans entered Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the Portland Winterhawks’ first home game of the season.

“This is a day we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Winterhawks spokesperson Josh Critzer said. “We’re excited to have the fans back in the building. The boys are buzzing. They’re are ready to go.”

Longtime fan August Thompson was also buzzing with anticipation. He said he started going to Winterhawks games 16 years ago.

“I’m just super glad to be here,” he said, “and as you can see, [the area] filled out for the evening. I’m having a great time.”

The Winterhawks ended up beating the Kamloops Blazers 5-3, extending their record to 2-0 this season. Critzer said they are aiming to make it to the playoffs for a 15^th straight season. The team finished eighth last year.

“We have some really cool, new young guys coming up through the team,” he said. “We also have some guys that are returning.”

That includes three players who were drafted by the NHL this summer. In addition to an exciting team, Critzer said there are several arena improvements he hopes improves the game experience. Fans will notice a new jumbotron and themed aisle lights, which are featured in a revamped pre-show.

“We’ve really looked at what the NHL has done, and we’ve tried to replicate that here in Portland,” he said.

This year’s home opener came a month earlier than last season’s, when the Winterhawks played away games for the first eleven games because of arena renovations, Critzer said.

Fans of all ages enjoyed the game. JT and Makai hope to play for the Winterhawks one day. The nine- and eight-year-old hockey players are on the junior team.

“It’s just fun to watch them play … and learn new skills,” the kids said.

The Winterhawks take on the Spokane Chiefs at home Oct. 2.