Camp Confidential: Goaltenders Looking Sharp
September 2, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Portland Winterhawks News Release
Day one of the Portland Winterhawks Neely Cup was filled with excitement – from the veterans taking the stage in front of fans again, to a game-winning goal in the final second, to some new players emerging in Portland. As we reflect on the day one festivities, it’s also hard to overlook the terrific goaltending performances from the younger netminders Thursday evening.
Jake Torget, in our second game of the night, secured the camp’s first shutout performance with a nine-save effort for Team Petan (currently tied for first in the Neely Cup standings).
“It was definitely an experience that I have never had before,” Torget said following his first day of games. “It was so fast I can’t even explain it. Getting that shutout was a dream come true coming from all kids that I know would like to be here.”
Since Torget’s mom and dad were in attendance to witness his strong play, he said his first text message to talk about his initial experiences at camp went to his older brother Zach who inspired him to play hockey at this level.
PORTLAND, OR – SEPTEMBER 1: Jake Torget (left) slides to take away a shooting lane from Nick Johnson (right) in game two of the Neely Cup. (Photo by Matt Brielmaier)
The Langley, B.C. native played for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds U17 team last season, boasting a 12-3-1 record with a 2.86 goals-against-average. Due to the pandemic, the 15-year-old is skating in his first WHL training camp this week and comes to camp having worked closely with former Winterhawks goaltending consultant Mackenzie Skapski. Despite being one of the youngest goaltenders at camp, his confidence will garner some attention.
“I just want to come out here and play my game and see where that gets me. I don’t really let stuff get to me and I feel like that’s an important skill to have, especially at this level of play where anything and everything can get into your head and knock you off your game,” Torget said. “It was a little bit of a preview of what’s to come and I’m excited for the next three days.”
His counterpart at the other end of the ice, Connor MacKenzie, performed well in his two starts, denying 22 of 24 shots for Team Pouliot.
“When I walked into the building for the first time, I was like ‘Oh, it’s happening.’ It was awesome. Great experience in the Dub for the first time. I was super excited to get out here with these guys. I was just so fired up at the start of the game,” said MacKenzie.
MacKenzie, 15, will play with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes AAA program this season and so far, he’s making the most of camp and has his eyes on the prize – the Neely Cup championship trophy that will be awarded Sunday.
“I felt pretty comfortable for sure,” MacKenzie said. “I’ve played with guys like this before. Our team’s pretty great. We could get our communication a little bit better, but other than that, the team’s really good and we’re playing well together.”
Winterhawks fans were also excited to see signed goaltender Luke Brunen, 16, in Portland for the first time since he was selected in the second round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. He made 15 saves in his Neely Cup debut.
PORTLAND, OR – SEPTEMBER 1: Mike Coflin, Assistant to the GM, and Winterhawks Alberta-based scout Chad Gans speak with Donavan Bodnar (left, white), Marek Schlenker (middle, 30 white) and Kolter Gans (right, gray) ahead of Thursday’s Neely Cup games. (Photo by Matt Brielmaier)
With three days left of on-ice competition, the camp is still heating up and the post-skate cooldowns become more important. The days are broken up well for the seven goaltenders who get into rhythm thanks to an hour-long practice with their team in the morning followed by a 25-minute goaltending session and then three games later in the day.
The purpose of the Neely Cup is ultimately to see how the younger prospects have developed and get a first look at which returning Winterhawk may be poised for a breakout year, but invited players who impress can certainly force their way onto the Winterhawks’ protected list.
There’s a long way between now and decision time, but Torget, MacKenzie and company will look to keep it up as they eye a future in the WHL.
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