Rasmus Ekström records hat trick; Spokane Chiefs go into break on two-game skid after 6-4 loss at Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. – Rasmus Ekström scored three goals – the last to tie the game in the third period – but it wasn’t enough, as the visiting Spokane Chiefs fell to the Portland Winterhawks 6-4 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday.

The Chiefs (22-11-0-0), third place in the WHL’s Western Conference, enter the holiday break losers of their last two after winning their previous 10 games.

Spokane played without captain Berkly Catton and fellow forward Asanali Sarkanov, who are away from the team with Team Canada and Team Kazakhstan, respectively, for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship taking place Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.

Portland (18-12-2-0) had the better of play early, scoring twice in the game’s first 14 minutes. But Ekström scored his first at 15:18 of the first, off helpers from Smyth Rebman and Rhett Sather, then tallied again not quite 8 minutes in the second, a power play marker from Brayden Crampton and Shea Van Olm.

Van Olm’s league-leading 27th of the year, from Crampton and Nathan Mayes, came with 2:17 left in the second.

The Winterhawks again seized momentum, scoring twice in a span of 3:34 to start the third period, but Ekström’s second power play goal of the night, and his 16 goal of the campaign, knotted it 4-4 at 11:39 of the third.

It was all Portland after that, as Alex Weiermair’s third goal of the season put the Hawks up, then Tyson Yaremko added an empty-netter to seal the deal.

There were 16 minor penalties and a misconduct called in the game. Spokane went 2 for 4 on the power play and 4 for 6 on the kill. The Chiefs were outshot by their hosts 47-30; Dawson Cowan made 41 saves.

The Chiefs are off until Dec. 27 when they host the Wenatchee Wild at the Arena.