Winter Hawks Sign Aaron McGill from Salem, Oregon

The 18-year old forward impressed coaches and management as a non-roster invitee in training camp and will join the Winter Hawks this season.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Winter Hawks signed Salem, Ore. native, Aaron McGill, to a Western Hockey League player contract in a meeting this morning.

McGill was "speechless" when management informed him that he had made the team.

"I live here, so it has been a lifelong dream of mine to play for the Winter Hawks in front of my friends and family," McGill said.

The 18-year old Forward impressed coaches and management as a non-roster invitee in training camp and will join the Winter Hawks this season.

“The addition of Aaron McGill to our roster gives us added depth up front. Aaron came to camp as a free agent and competed extremely hard to earn a spot with our club," Said Hawks Head Coach, Rich Kromm. "He is a product of the Portland Minor Hockey association and will be a guy that we look to as a player who can play many different roles on our hockey team.”

McGill becomes the only the third Portland Metro Area hockey player to join the Winter Hawks this decade.

Most notably, Buffalo Sabres Forward, Paul Gaustad, was with the Winter Hawks from 1999-2002 prior to making the National Hockey League club in 2005.

Gaustad, from Gresham, Ore., captained Portland to a U.S. Division Title during the 2001-2002 season.

Vancouver, Wash. native, Chip Petrino, played with the Winter Hawks during the 2006-2007 season but, was released prior to training camp this year.

Petrino is currently working to earn a roster spot with the Chilliwack Bruins.

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports