We wrap up our four-part series of posts previewing the 2025-26 GWMHL season with the rest of the Sawchuk Conference.
You can read all the previous instalments right here:
Ice Harbor Storm
24-25 record: 37-42-3 (lost in first round)
24-25 leading scorers: Sam Reinhart (82, 95-39-134), Aleksander Barkov (73, 27-106-133), Alex DeBrincat (82, 44-71-115), Mike Matheson (82, 11-67-78)
2025 draftees: Jett Luchanko (11), Daemon Hunt (33), Matej Blumel (54), Carter Mazur (77)
Key arrivals: Sam Carrick, Christian Dvorak
Key departures: Tanner Pearson, Daemon Hunt, Scott Perunovich, Juuso Valimaki
25-26 outlook: Despite managing a playoff appearance, the Storm had a pretty rocky year compared to expectations. Take a glance at is leading scorers and you’d expect it to have been a contender, but Ice Harbor got far too little secondary scoring (Matthew Tkachuk had just 17 goals in 80 games) and the team has also had a tendency to be a bit of a glass cannon: great offense with poor goaltending. All that said, the bones of a contender are still here: a well-rounded lineup, some young players on the rise (especially Dylan Guenther) and a goaltending trio (Linus Ullmark/Spencer Knight/John Gibson) that seems primed for a bounceback. Some of the vets are aging and the team’s window is shrinking, but the Storm are solidly on the playoff bubble, if not more.
Portland Winterhawks
24-25 record: 36-42-4 (missed playoffs)
24-25 leading scorers: Nick Suzuki (82, 45-43-88), Artemi Panarin (82, 35-49-84), Jesper Bratt (82, 27-56-83), Brad Marchand (82, 19-44-63)
2025 draftees: Jonathan Lekkerimaki (9), Drew Helleson (31), Ozzy Wiesblatt (66)
Key arrivals: Joel Kiviranta, Brett Pesce, Drew Helleson
Key departures: Ryan Hartman, Erik Gudbranson, Nick Leddy, Cam Talbot
25-26 outlook: As Portland’s young forwards–led by Nick Suzuki, with Logan Cooley and Shane Wright behind him–continue to flourish, alongside a very good goaltending duo in Mackenzie Blackwood and Adin Hill, the team should be better than the results it mustered last season. Part of that is something they’ve struggled to address for years: a lack of offensive finish from the back end. With the exception of Darren Raddysh and maybe JJ Moser (who had 32 points in 57 games but is unlikely to repeat those numbers) there’s not much pop there. The Hawks will have to rely on top-notch defense and a quick counterattack. The pieces are there to compete for a playoff spot, in any case.
San Jose Hosers
24-25 record: 49-26-7 (lost in second round)
24-25 leading scorers: Steven Stamkos (79, 63-54-117), Mitch Marner (69, 46-63-109), John Tavares (80, 40-52-92), Shayne Gostisbehere (81, 21-50-71)
2025 draftees: Ian Moore (85)
Key arrivals: Jason Zucker, Collin Graf, Mackenzie Weegar
Key departures: Joey Anderson, Kyle Maclean
25-26 outlook: The Hosers haven’t had a first round pick since 2021, and it’ll catch up to them eventually. A core that features the likes of John Tavares, Nazem Kadri, Mark Stone, Steven Stamkos, and Mats Zuccarello is a ticking timb bomb. But for now, those are all productive players to surround Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. And they turned their latest first rounder into Mackenzie Weegar, a two-way force who instantly brings an already pretty good blueline (Mikhail Sergachev, Thomas Harley, Charlie McAvoy, Shayne Gostisbehere) into the upper echelons. Even a down year from Igor Shesterkin shouldn’t be enough to keep the Hosers from a solid playoff run. Contender.
Vancouver Night Train
24-25 record: 27-45-10 (missed playoffs)
24-25 leading scorers: Mathew Barzal (78, 24-47-71), Elias Lindholm (75, 18-36-54), Tommy Novak (71, 24-26-50), Mackenzie Weegar (82, 15-34-49)
2025 draftees: Jimmy Snuggerud (7), Calum Ritchie (19), Fedor Svechkov (27), Erik Portillo (49), Rory Kerins (71), Dylan Duke (80), Justin Robidas (86)
Key arrivals: Fedor Svechkov, Conor Timmins, Jake Christiansen
Key departures: Luke Kunin, Tommy Novak, Mackenzie Weegar, Nick Perbix, Jack Johnson
25-26 outlook: Trainwreck? With Mat Barzal expected to miss the majority of the season, along with Elias Lindholm’s declining offense, the writing was on the wall. That prompted the Night Train to ship out Mackenzie Weegar, easily one of its best players. The defense is still solid, led by Shea Theodore, Thomas Chabot, and Filip Hronek, with young Philip Broberg and Brandt Clarke seemingly ready to take on bigger roles, but the forward depth is a mess, and it’s doubtful that younger players like Logan Stankoven or Zach Bolduc are ready to make much of a dent. For a second straight year, it looks like Alex Kerfoot will be playing in the top six. Oh, and the team has possibly the worst goalie duo in the league in Sam Ersson and Tristan Jarry. It’s going to be ugly.
West Virginia River Rats
24-25 record: 46-29-7 (lost in first round)
24-25 leading scorers: Leon Draisaitl (81, 42-77-119), Nikolaj Ehlers (82, 39-60-99), Sebastian Aho (78, 29-51-80), Jake Guentzel (66, 27-48-75)
2025 draftees: Zayne Parekh (4), Ville Koivunen (17), Jakub Dobes (39), Colton Dach (59), Landon Slaggert (83)
Key arrivals: Kyle Palmieri, Eric Comrie, Jakub Dobes
Key departures: Erik Haula, Radko Gudas, Cayden Primeau
25-26 outlook: Getting bounced in the first round was not the expected result for the River Rats, a high-powered team with excellent depth up front and on defense. They even managed to turn Morgan Rielly into the pick that got them bluechipper Zayne Parekh this offseason. While Parekh is at least a year away, everything else is looking pretty rosy for West Virginia: Kyle Palmieri shores up the right wing, Dmitri Voronkov is developing well, and the team can throw out any line or defense pairing and hurt you. Juuse Saros is now the weak link: he was disappointing last season, and while the Rats went out and got Eric Comrie and young Jakub Dobes to lighten the starter’s load, they’ll still be chasing games unless he rebounds. That said, there’s no way to call this roster anything but a contender.
Gump Worsley Memorial Hockey League 