Terrier town
After missing out on the postseason five seasons ago (2021-22), the Terriers have one second place finish and three third place finishes since that time in the ever competitive MGEU East Division. In 2025-26, Portage featured a much younger roster than they have in previous years in the MJHL with the likes of young guns Trevor Hill who has now moved on to the USHL (Tri-City), and Drayden Uhrina who has moved on to the WHL (Victoria).
Throughout the back half of the season, it always seemed like the Terriers were primed to take off, but they never quite exploded like they could have. They’d always run into a tough outing just when it seemed like they would really get rolling.
And like recent history has proved in the MGEU East, no first round matchup is an easy task and it was much of the same for the Terriers last season where they managed to down the Pistons in game one before losing four straight.
Death, Taxes, and consistency with Blake Spiller at the helm
It’s hard to imagine a world where Blake Spiller isn’t the Head Coach of the Portage Terriers. Luckily for the dawg pound they won’t have to think about that notion with Blake entering his second year of a three-year deal he signed back in June of 2025.
While the names on the back change, the logo on the front and the expectation ingrained remains the same. An incredible mind for the game, he has year over year shown he himself can adapt on the fly within a game or within a season, especially with how players have changed from when he first started coaching the Terriers in the 2000’s.
Year in and year out, Blake and his staff go about their business and assemble a team with solid veterans, a few high-end rookies, and veteran defenders who always seem to have good poise. Banners hang high in the rafters, framed photos are sprinkled throughout the building but that is what was, and for Spiller, he’s always looking for his next one.
2026-27 Season Outlook
Heading into this year, like they have in the past, the Terriers have been pretty quiet about who’s coming in, who’s getting a chance for an increased role, and who’s maybe still to come. It’s hard to imagine Portage looking the same in a few months, but if there’s one thing any player can take to the bank, it’s that Blake Spiller has a lot of time for anyone who works hard, fits into the system, and helps the team be successful.
They will need to find a way to replace the high-end scoring they received last season and will need to be much more disciplined, especially if they make the playoffs where special teams can often be the biggest difference maker outside of a hot goaltender.
Time will tell with what kind of team Portage will have this season but if history has taught us anything, you can never count out the dawg pound.
