EDMONTON, Alberta -- Ty Rattie couldn't have picked a better way to take his place as the Western Hockey League's most prolific playoff goal scorer.

Thanks to a three-goal performance from Rattie, Portland's three-year climb to the top of the WHL finally reached the summit as

of the WHL finals on Sunday afternoon at Rexall Place.

The league championship was a long time coming for the Hawks, who with the 4-2 series victory avenged their 2011 loss to the Kootenay Ice in the league finals as well as last spring's seven-game finals loss to the Oil Kings.

Portland won its first league title since 1998, and its third overall, and avoided becoming the first team in WHL history to drop three consecutive finals.

"It means a lot," said Travis Green, the Hawks acting coach. "It's been a tough year. We've got a guy in Portland right now we dearly miss, and I give our team a lot of credit. I give Mike a lot of credit."

Green was referring to

who was banned by the league for the season back in November over player benefit violations.

Added Green: "He's (Johnston) installed a lot of things in these young men, and I give the team a lot of credit for being able to carry on and not miss a beat."

Rattie came into Game 6 tied with former Medicine Hat Tigers' standout Mark Pederson for the lead in WHL career playoff goals with 47. Rattie, who after the game was named the playoffs MVP, wasted no time in surpassing Pederson.

After the Oil Kings' Travis Ewanyk opened the scoring at 1:04 of the first period on a fluke goal that went in off of Hawks defenseman Derrick Pouliot's skate, Rattie made the most of an Edmonton power play that went awry.

With Portland's Chase De Leo sitting in the penalty box for a four-minute high stick on the Oil Kings' Henrik Samuelsson, Rattie went to work against an Edmonton power-play unit that came into the game riding a 0-for-29 skid.

Rattie's 18th and 19th playoff goals of this season came short-handed to hand Portland an improbable 2-1 lead by the time the teams returned to even strength, shocking the 7,449 in attendance.

"They came out to an early start with that lucky goal there," Rattie said. "It was big for us to get a couple goals and kind of set the pace for the game."

Portland's offensive sparkplug wasn't done there.

After Hawks rookie Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 3-1 early in the second period, Rattie put the finishing touches on his third hat trick and 20th playoff goal of this season at 13:25 to make it 4-1 and all but seal the victory. Rattie now has 50 career WHL playoff goals.

"He's a special player and we needed a big game out of Ty tonight," Green said. "You get to this time of the season, your best players have to be your best players to win, and he was tonight."

After allowing the first goal, Portland's Mac Carruth stood tall, stopping 26 shots.

Taylor Leier capped the scoring with a goal into an empty net in the final minute.

After celebrating, the Hawks' focus will shift to the Memorial Cup in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and the Halifax Mooseheads, champions of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Mooseheads will be the Hawks' first opponent Saturday in Saskatoon.

The other teams in the Canadian Hockey League championship tournament will be the host Saskatoon Blades of the WHL and either the London (Ontario) Knights or the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. The Knights and Colts will play Game 7 of their finals tonight.

-- Evan Daum,

Special to The Oregonian