Patrick King

Swiss defenceman Luca Sbisa will make the jump from junior hockey to the Olympics in February.

Acquiring Luca Sbisa was just one of many moves made to change the culture in Portland.

After several seasons of futility and last place finishes the Winterhawks are a hot ticket in Portland.

Luca Sbisa can't wait to join in the festivities.

Sbisa, the biggest catch at the Western Hockey League's trade deadline, is inching towards his debut with the Winterhawks. The Portland franchise is enjoying a renaissance and the acquisition of a player like Sbisa confirms the change in culture that emerged after a change in ownership early last season.

"This year all the fans are coming back and you kind of feel the excitement in the city so it's even more exciting to get my first game in here," Sbisa told sportsnet.ca on Thursday.

Sbisa could be making that much anticipated debut this weekend, as the Winterhawks play three games in as many nights. The defenceman joined his new teammates on Monday after spending nearly a month in his native Switzerland rehabbing a torn abdominal oblique muscle.

The injury was suffered in a world junior hockey championship game on Dec. 29. Sbisa stayed in Saskatoon through the New Year, but returned to Lethbridge to gather his belongings before flying home. He was treated by specialists in Switzerland the past month, and hopes to suit up in his first game this weekend.

"They said it usually takes six weeks and I'm pretty close to getting back and it's been like four to five weeks now," said Sbisa. "If I can gain just one week to come back early that would be great."

Sbisa has a lot on his plate this season. In addition to joining a new team for the stretch run, he will make the unprecedented jump from junior to the Olympics in a few weeks.

As long as the past month has been away from the game, it was made even more painstaking upon his arrival in Portland. After arriving in Portland from Zurich through Chicago, Sbisa was met only by his sticks, and not his luggage.

"I kind of felt a little bit greasy wearing the same stuff from the flight (the next two days)," said Sbisa, whose bags arrived in Portland on Wednesday. "It was a wild trip to Portland, but I'm here with all my gear and I'm ready to go."

Sbisa might be ready to go mentally, but exited practice early on Wednesday. It was his first full contact practice since the injury and as Portland head coach and general manager Mike Johnston said, the team will be cautious in his recovery and won't be rushing their star into the lineup.

A veteran of 47 National Hockey League games, Sbisa was acquired in part for his leadership qualities on the young and rising Winterhawks. Sbisa is just one of three Winterhawks with playoff experience in the WHL, a trait Johnston felt was vital for his team heading into the post-season.

"If you can acquire the best defenceman in the league prior to playoffs that's a big boost for your team," Johnston said. "We liked our guys but we have a very young group of defencemen. We just felt it was the best upgrade possible."

Johnston and his staff didn't need to look far to receive a ringing endorsement prior to the trade. Nino Niederreiter, one of the team's bright young stars, was a teammate of Sbisa's at the world juniors.

"After the world junior we talked with Nino a little bit about Luca just to see what he had thought about him," said Johnston. "He's had some phenomenal experiences as a young guy and I guess from all reports he's extremely hard working, great with his teammates, so that's the type of player you really welcome into your dressing room."

Niederreiter is used to welcoming his elder Swiss teammate in his dressing room. The two not only have the same agent, but practiced with each other in camps over the summer in Switzerland.

The two maintained contact throughout the first half of the season, which gave each other the opportunity to speak their native tongue: Swiss-German.

"If you only speak English the whole time you kind of forget to speak your own language," Sbisa said. "It sounds weird, but it's actually true.

"He's always been telling me how much he likes it here in Portland," Sbisa continued. "It's not always easy for rookies, especially from Europe to come over here, but the organization has done a great job."

As Niederreiter conveyed to Sbisa, the hockey atmosphere in Portland is alive and well.