Game Preview: Cougars at Thunderbirds
WHL Prince George Cougars

Game Preview: Cougars at Thunderbirds

Published on October 17, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


KENT, WA - The Prince George Cougars return to action tonight as they visit the Seattle Thunderbirds at 7:05 pm. The Cats are aiming for their sixth victory of the season. The team is coming off a weekend split with the Tri-City Americans, with the most recent contest resulting in a 4-3 loss. The Cougars will welcome a big piece back to their blue-line as Corbin Vaughan returns to the line-up.

vs. THUNDERBIRDS: Tonight is the first of four meetings between the Cougars and Seattle Thunderbirds. Last season, Prince George finished 3-1-0-0 vs Seattle. The Prince George Cougars own a record of 4-4-0-0 against Seattle in the last five seasons at the accesso shoWare Center. Out of all returning skaters from last season, Terik Parascak led all Cougar skaters in points against the Seattle Thunderbirds with 6 (1-5-6) in four games.

2025-26 REGULAR SEASON SERIES:

October 17/2025 at Seattle

October 24/2025 vs Seattle

October 25/2025 - vs Seattle

November 1/2025 - at Seattle

2024-2025 REGULAR SEASON SERIES

October 4/2024 - at Seattle (5-2 PG)

December 31/2025 - at Seattle (6-4 PG)

January 3/2025 - vs Seattle (3-1 SEA)

January 4/2025 - vs Seattle (3-0 PG)

2025-2026 REGULAR SEASON LEADERS:

Goals (5) - Jett Lajoie, Kooper Gizowski

Assists (8) - Brock Souch

Points (10) - Kooper Gizowski, Brock Souch

Penalty Minutes (16) - Aiden Foster

Plus/Minus (+6) - Bauer Dumanski

Wins (3) - Alexander Levshyn

Goals Against Average (1.67) - Alexander Levshyn

Save Percentage (.937) - Alexander Levshyn

REGULAR SEASON MILESTONE WATCH:

-Bauer Dumanski is 17 points away from 100 career points

-Terik Parascak is 9 points away from 200 career points

-Joshua Ravensbergen is 7 games away from 100 career games

-Kooper Gizowski is 4 games away from 250 career games

-Carson Carels is 4 points away from 50 career points

-Lee Shurgot is 5 games away from 100 career games

WHO'S HOT:

Brock Souch has points in seven straight games (2-8-10)

Bauer Dumanski has points in six of seven games (2-7-9)

Kooper Gizowski has points in seven straight games (5-5-10)

Kooper Gizowski has goals in four of five games (5)

Jet Lajoie has points in four of seven games (5-3-8)

Lee Shurgot has points in five of seven games (2-4-6)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Saturday, October 18 at Tri-City Americans, 6:05 pm, Toyota Center

Wednesday, October 22 vs. Medicine Hat Tigers, 7:00 pm, CN Centre

Friday, October 24 vs. Seattle Thunderbirds, 7:00 pm, CN Centre

Saturday, October 25 vs. Seattle Thunderbirds, 7:00 pm, CN Centre

Friday, October 31 at Portland Winterhawks, 7:00 pm, Veterans Memorial Arena

Saturday, November 1 at Seattle Thunderbirds, 6:05 pm, accesso shoWare Center

NEWS AND NOTES

SEVEN GAMES DOWN: The Prince George Cougars concluded the weekend set with a 4-3 setback on Sunday, October 12th at the CN Center. Kooper Gizowski, Carson Carels, and Bauer Dumanski supplied the Cougars offence, while Josh Ravensbergen made 20 saves in the loss. The Cougars special teams was terrific once again, going 1-2 on the power-play and 1-1 on the penalty kill.

SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS: The Cougars enter tonight's game with the WHL's best power-play (34.4%) and best penalty kill (93.3%). For the power-play, the Cats have scored on the man advantage in every game thus far. Kooper Gizowski leads all Cougar skaters in power-play goals thus far with three. Brock Souch has also accumulated five power-play helpers. Per the penalty kill, the Cougars have been terrific to put it lightly. For the third straight season, the Cougars have begun the season ranking Top 5 thru seven games on the penalty-kill.

HE'S SOUCH A PLAYER: It has been an impressive start for 19-year-old Brock Souch. In his first full year in the WHL, the speedy forward owns nine points in his first six games of the season. Souch has compiled at least a point in every game thus far. The St. Cloud University commit was traded to the Cougars for a fifth-round selection from the Regina Pats.

CANT STOP GIZ: Kooper Gizowski is currently putting together a tremendous start to his final season of junior hockey. Claimed off waivers in the off-season, Gizowski has points in every single game this season (5-5-10). In 246 career games with PG, Lethbridge, and Spokane, the Edmonton, AB product owns 53 goals, 54 assists, and 107 points in 246 games played.

CAPTAIN DUMANSKI: On Thursday, October 2nd, the Cougars named Bauer Dumanski the 31st captain in Prince George Cougars history. Dumanski succeeds Riley Heidt who captained the club in 2024-25. Dumanski is a fifth year blue-liner and has already surpassed the 250 games played mark in the WHL. Supporting Dumanski in his new role are Carson Carels, Terik Parascak, and Corbin Vaughan. Entering tonight's game, Dumanski has compiled eight points in five games. He has recorded a point in every game this season.

2024-25 SEASON RECAP: The Prince George Cougars wrapped up the 2024-25 campaign with a 41-21-4-2 record (88 points), securing second place in the BC Division and fourth overall in the Western Conference. On home ice, the Cougars were a force, posting the best record in the BC Division and tying for the top mark in the Western Conference with a dominant 24-5-3-2 (53 points), matching the Everett Silvertips. In the 2025 WHL Playoffs, Prince George battled the Portland Winterhawks in a thrilling seven-game opening-round series. Washington Capitals prospect Terik Parascak led all returning Cougars in scoring with 28 goals and 54 assists in 59 games. Meanwhile, San Jose Sharks first-round pick Josh Ravensbergen delivered an outstanding season in goal, recording 33 wins - the second-most in the WHL.

Check out the Prince George Cougars Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2025


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