Winterhawks clinch 15th consecutive playoff berth; drop to Seattle in overtime
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Winterhawks came up just short in a thrilling rivalry matchup Saturday night with Seattle, but still secured a spot in the postseason. The Hawks wasted no time getting on the board with Ryan Miller finding the back of the net just 25 seconds into the game.
Ben Miller added another one shortly after giving Portland a 2-0 lead before Seattle responded late in the opening period. The Winterhawks regained momentum in the second, with Ryan Miller tallying his second goal of the night to make it 3-1. However, the Thunderbirds answered with two more to even the game at 3-3 heading into the third period.
Playoff Hawk-ey is headed back to the Rose City! The @pdxwinterhawks are the FINAL Club to secure their spot in the 2026 #WHLPlayoffs . 📝 | https://t.
co/Os5wd0mYN4 pic. twitter. com/yYDjkcUIXp — Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 22, 2026 Seattle grabbed its first lead of the night early in the third, but Portland pulled its goalie and tied the game 4-4, forcing overtime for the second straight night.
In the extra period, Seattle’s Coster Dunn sealed the win just 1:46 in, handing Portland a hard-fought loss. Despite the result, the Winterhawks clinched a playoff berth for the 15th consecutive season. They’ll open the postseason against the Everett Silvertips, with the first two games set for March 27th and 28th at Angel of the Winds Arena.