Winterton's score staked Hamilton to a 2-0 lead after the first period Friday. He finished off a tic-tac-toe play on Hamilton's elite-level power play. The Bulldogs hung on despite a late goal and strong push to win 3-2, advancing to Monday's showdown.
"It was pretty exciting Friday night," said Lesley Winterton during a Monday morning phone call. "We were on the edge of our seats all night. Right till the very end but they pulled it off."
After posting 46 points in 37 regular season games (20 goals, 26 assists), the Kraken 2021 third-round draft now has 24 points (10 G, 14 A) in 21 playoff games.
Seattle's third-round selection is looking like a steal, a thought voiced more than a few times last week by scouts and front office personnel from around the NHL.
Lesley Winterton said Hamilton's run to the Memorial Cup - of which her son joined in January after missing half a season rehabbing from a shoulder injury - was a clear goal from Day 1 of the OHL team's training camp.
"They haven't deviated from their plan," she said. "They took it in their sights and it's just amazing. It's come to fruition."
Mom is especially pleased her son's successful shoulder rehab has been followed by playing deep into June.
"With this extension of a season, it has been like a full season for him," said Lesley Winterton. "What amazes me, when I ask Ryan, 'Are you still enjoying it,' his answer has never wavered. The answer is yes ... He's more motivated now than ever and still loving every minute of it. I think that's huge."
Win or lose Monday, Winterton still has lots of hockey in his near future, one that on a longer lens has most NHL evaluators (inside teams or media types) now projecting the Kraken prospect with a bonafide upside to one day play in the NHL. He will attend Seattle's development camp July 11-14 at Kraken Community Iceplex.
Come late July, Winterton will be skating at the Team Canada selection camp to determine a roster for the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation World Juniors Championship in August at Edmonton. Winterton is one of the youngest members of the 2021 NHL draft class. He doesn't turn 19 until early September and was only 11 days short of not being draft-eligible until this summer's NHL Draft.
As for Lesley and Garth Winterton, who both work in the insurance industry, they will continue to work remotely in New Brunswick to attend Wednesday's big game. Lesley Winterton said husband Garth grew up playing hockey while she learned the sport on the fly with their two sons excelling (brother Jacob played two seasons in the OHL and is now on the University of Guelph roster). But she does admit to two superstitions when watching Hamilton.
One is chewing the same piece of gum for the entire game. The other is late-breaking, she wore the same shoes on game days during the OHL playoffs but switched it up for Memorial Cup games last week. When the Bulldogs lost, she went back to the "winning" sandals.
"They're not that comfortable and sandals are not exactly perfect at the rink," she said Monday morning. It appears one more night of foot discomfort will be in the wardrobe plans for Wednesday.
