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2026 WHL Playoffs Preview: 1) Everett Silvertips Versus 8) Portland Winterhawks

The first round of the 2026 WHL Playoffs will see two U.S. Division rivals go head-to-head. The one-versus-eight matchup in the West will see the Everett Silvertips take on the Portland Winterhawks. These two teams split the season series, with each picking up three wins. 

For Everett, revenge will be on their minds, as these two teams met in last year's playoffs. In the end, Portland secured the series victory with a 4-2 Game 7 win. Just like in 2025, the Silvertips will have home-ice advantage, with the series kicking off on March 27. 

 2025-26 Regular Season Statistics: 

Season Records:

Everett Silvertips: 57-8-2-1
Portland Winterhawks: 30-30-7-1

Power Play:

Everett Silvertips: 30.1%
Portland Winterhawks: 20.4%

Penalty Kill:

Everett Silvertips: 80.2%
Portland Winterhawks: 73.0%

Everett Silvertips Point Leaders Against Portland Winterhawks This Season:

Jesse Heslop: 6 GP, 2 G, 8 A, 10 P 
Landon DuPont: 6 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 8 P
Tarin Smith: 6 GP, 5 G, 2 A, 7 P
Matias Vanhanen: 5 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 P
Nolan Chastko: 6 GP, 3 G, 2 A, 5 P

Portland Winterhawks Point Leaders Against Everett Silvertips This Season:

Alex Weiermair: 6 GP, 6 G, 6 A 12 P
Ryan Miller: 6 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 P
Nathan Free: 6 GP, 4 G, 4 A, 8 P
Jordan Duguay: 6 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 P
Sam Spehar: 6 GP, 2 G, 3 A 5 P

Portland Winterhawks vs Everett Silvertips (Photo Credit: Kyle Smutzki/Portland Winterhawks/WHL)Portland Winterhawks vs Everett Silvertips (Photo Credit: Kyle Smutzki/Portland Winterhawks/WHL)

2026 Playoffs Schedule:

Game 1: Portland @ Everett, Friday, March 27, 7:05 p.m PT

Game 2: Portland @ Everett, Saturday, March 28, 6:05 p.m. PT

Game 3: Everett @ Portland, Tuesday, March 31, 7 p.m. PT

Game 4: Everett @ Portland, Wednesday, April 1, 7 p.m. PT

Game 5*: Portland @ Everett, Friday, April 3, 7:05 p.m. PT

Game 6*: Everett @ Portland, Saturday, April 4, 6 p.m. PT

Game 7*: Portland @ Everett, Tuesday, April 7, 7:05 p.m. PT

Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.   

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