Kamloops Blazers at Portland Winterhawks: Preview, updates, chat, how to listen and watch the stream

What: The Portland Winterhawks (6-0) take on the Kamloops Blazers (4-1) in the Western Hockey League.

When: Saturday, October 15, 6 p.m.

Where: memorial coliseum.

Watch: You can stream the game via CHL TV’s pay-per-view program (US$6.10 for a game).

Listen: Winterhawks and Blazers audio.

Consequences:

• The box score.
• Get updates and chat before, during and after the game.

This is the first real Test of the season for the Portland Winterhawks. They are 6-0 after beating the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-2 on Tuesday. But they’ve only played against a team with a record over .500. This team is Saturday’s opponent, the Kamloops Blazers. But it’s not really a rematch; The Blazers were missing their top five returning scorers and top defenseman, all in pro camps. Most of these players are back, so not only is it the game of the league, it’s game of the season for the Winterhawks.

Two milestones: 200 games for Robbie Fromm-Delorme and 100 games for Marcus Nguyen. Fromm-Delorme is a 7th-round pick and Nguyen is a 11th-round player, so the Winterhawks’ scouting does it again. Nguyen is a suspension to get to 200 if he doesn’t get injured.

Klassen, who has been out since the first 3 games, is there every day.

Lead forward: Fromm-Delorme (9 points/6 games), O’Brien (8/6), Klassen (7/3), Stefan (6/4), Chyzowski (5/6), Zakreski (5/6).

In a numbers game, Nicholas Andrusiak was sent down, giving Portland 9 defenders. Which is still a lot.

Ryder Thompson is also listed as daily. He played against Edmonton on Tuesday.

Defense attorneys McCleary and Alscher, drafted by the NHL, haven’t started the season well. You will be required for this one.

Leading Defenders: Cagnoni (8/6), Sotheran (5/6), Ryder Thompson (3/5).

With just one game this weekend and nothing midweek and easily their best opponent of the season, whoever makes that start will be who the Winterhawks look to as their number one goaltender.

Save percent: Giannuzzi .901, Špunar .918.

The Blazers hail from Kennewick, where they defeated Tri-City 7-1. Logan Stankoven, arguably the best player in the conference, scored two goals and an assist in his first return game after narrowly missing the Dallas Stars. The wildly marked Caeden Banker had a hat trick. You have almost all back. Fraser Minten, a newly signed Toronto Maple Leaf, is out injured and will be out for about a week longer.

Luckily, or possibly the way they planned it, the schedule helped them overcome all of their early-season missing players. They have had an easy schedule – only 5 games have been played so far – and Portland is the only opponent they have played over .500 against. So you’re in the same boat as the Winterhawks and looking for a real test.

Of course, these are all exhibition games for them as they have a bye to the Memorial Cup no matter how they do this season. Much of this season is spent figuring out who to trade.

Stankoven had 104 points in 59 games last season. Realistically, he could be down about 10 games and still make 100.

Levis, a 1st-round bantam pick, had 4 points against the Ams on Friday.

Lead forward: Banker (8/4), Levis (8/5), Englot (5/5), Seminoff (4/4), Stankoven (3/1), Küfler (3/2), Sydor (3/5).

Masters was acquired along with a first-round pick for Mats Lindgren in an exchange of NHL-drafted players.

This could be the team’s question mark and maybe they’re looking for an upgrade for that one week in May.

Leading Defenders: Masters (4/4), Brandwood (3/5), Bairos (3/5).

Schnattinger is an import pick, which will look odd in hindsight unless he becomes their number one keeper. Ernst got the call against Tri-City on Friday.

Save percent: Ernst .937, Schnatter .944.

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