Image Credit: Prince George Cougars

By Victor Kaisar

T-Birds 3 Cougars 1

T-Birds play spoilsport in first Cougars home game of 2025

Jan 4, 2025 | 8:19 AM

PRINCE GEORGE — It wasn’t a happy return home for the Prince George Cougars, who fell 3-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday (Jan. 3) night in their first game at the CN Centre in nearly a month.

Borya Valis scored the lone goal for the Cats late in the third period to cut Seattle’s lead in half, but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars win streak was snapped at five games.

Seattle struck first at 7:10 of the second period when Kazden Mathies’ shot from a sharp angle got past Josh Ravensbergen in the Cougars net.

Riley Heidt though he tied things up less that two minutes later, but his shot through the five hole of T-Birds rookie goaltender Grayson Malinowski was swatted away by Tai Riley just before it crossed the goal line.

Real Estate

Over 1300 houses were sold in Prince George in 2024

59m ago

trudeau resigns

Trudeau prorogues Parliament, will step down as prime minister after leadership race

4h ago

Biathlon Results

Prince George biathlete Moira Green wins junior sprint, pursuit races at national trials

22h ago

Seattle took advantage of that fortuitous play and doubled their lead just past the 15 minute mark of the second period.

The Cougars finally got on the board with less than 90 seconds on the clock, when Valis scored his 18th of the season to make it a 2-1 affair. That goal also ended Malinoski’s hopes for a first career shutout, though the 17-year-old was still named first star on the night.

Ravensbergen stopped 17 of 19 shots he faced in a losing effort as the T-Birds put the game to bed courtesy a Sam Charko empty netter in the dying seconds.

The win improved Seattle’s record to 12-22-2-1, though they’re still in the basement of the Western Conference with 27 points from 37 games.

Prince George dropped to 21-10-3-2 but remain in second in the Western Conference with 47 points from 36 games. They’re two points head of Victoria, with one game in hand on their Island rivals.

The Cats and T-Birds will rematch at the CN Centre at 6:00 p.m. Saturday night.

The Cougars will be wearing special edition Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles jerseys, which will then be auctioned off with the proceeds going towards the Children’s Miracle Network.