Game One – Kamloops Blazers

Tri-City played their first of seven straight against a B.C. Division side in Kamloops Wednesday night. Who are currently holding the last playoff spot in the Western Conference by a thin margin. The Americans were able to snap a three-game losing skid as well and win 6-2.

Savin Virk got the first goal of the game at 5:27 after a quick shot off the faceoff.

Cash Koch won a faceoff right back to Virk who ripped a wrist shot that beat Logan Edmonstone’s blocker side through traffic.

Detroit Red Wings draft pick, Emmitt Finnie of the Kamloops Blazers, evened things out halfway through the first.

Finnie, a dangerous shooter, received the puck above the right circle and skated in on the power play. Finnie then fired one over Matecha’s shoulder and in for his 27th goal of the season.

Both teams took a 1-1 game into the intermission with the Blazers leading in shots 12-9 and 1/1 on the power play.

Tri-City wasted no time regaining the lead, scoring ten seconds into the second period.

Logan Edmonstone played the puck behind his net and attempted to rim it around the boards. Jake Sloan awaited on the far boards and gathered the puck, chucking it towards the net. The puck then went off the skate of Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick, Harrison Brunicke, and in.

Kamloops got their money’s worth on the power play, getting their second goal of the evening on it just under six minutes into the second.

Jordan Keller received a pass at the right circle from Nathan Behm and fired away. The shot went off of Charlie Elick and in.

Tri-City would then score four straight and lock down the Blazers for the rest of the night, partly due to the excellent play of Lukas Matecha.

Savin Virk notched his second goal of the night and gave the Americans the lead back for good a minute following the Keller goal.

In eerily similar fashion to his first goal, Cash Koch won the faceoff right to Virk who then quickly let a shot go. Virk had caught Edmonstone cheating towards the slot and slipped the puck over his blocker and in.

With under 30 seconds left in the second, Tri-City would get their lone power-play goal of the night.

The puck got worked around before finding Savin Virk along the left wing. Virk would thread the needle and make a pass to Cash Koch awaiting in the slot. Koch then deflected the puck in for his tenth goal of the season.

Following two periods, Tri-City led 4-2 after a three-goal second-period effort and led in shots 27-22.

Jake Gudelj would finish Logan Edmonstone’s night three minutes into the second period.

Gudelj raced in quickly along the left wing after receiving a feed from Jake Sloan on the breakout. Gudelj was able to get a shot off and sneak one past the low glove side of Edmonstone before going hard into the boards.

To replace Edmonstone was Alex Scheiwiller. The nineteen-year-old was making his WHL debut after arriving on the day of the game from the Canmore Eagles of the AJHL.

Edmonstone’s final numbers were 23 saves on 28 shots in 42:53, Edmonstone would be marked with the loss as well.
Tri-City would notch one more goal in the final minute of regulation.

Brandon Whynott backhanded one towards the net from the slot that got deflected by Carter MacAdams and in.

Game One Notes

Tri-City with the 6-2-win, move to 3-0 on the season series against the Kamloops Blazers. Kamloops will have one more hack at it against the Americans as they play host to Tri-City on Tuesday, February 11th.

Cash Koch with his goal tonight ties his previous season high of ten goals.

Lukas Matecha was brilliant once again, stopping 38 of 40.

Alex Scheiwiller in his WHL debut did not disappoint, although it was done with limited time. Scheiwiller made 12 stops of 13 and held the fort down after replacing Edmonstone early in the third.

With Carter MacAdams closing scoring in the contest, MacAdams sits at fifteen goals on the season and officially sets a season-high in goals for himself.

Kamloops would go 2/3 on the power play, while Tri-City went 1/2.

Tri-City swept the stars nominations in Kamloops with Cash Koch receiving third star for a three-point night. Lukas Matecha for an excellent 38 stops was awarded second star. Savin Virk who notched two goals, including the game-winning goal, picked up first star.

Game Two – Prince George Cougars

The Americans looked to carry their momentum into Prince George, a team they will play three straight times in a row over the next few days. Prince George would get the better of Tri-City in the first of three straight and narrowly edge out the Americans 4-3 Friday night.

Prince George would strike first and scored on the power play after a Jake Gudelj hooking call at the halfway point in the first period.

Carson Carels slid the puck to Riley Heidt who then closed in on the net from the right circle. Heidt loaded up and fired an absolute rocket that beat Lukas Matecha on the glove side.

The Cougar lead evaporated just a minute following Heidt’s goal.

Jackson Smith barreled in on the left circle, snapping a shot off Ravensburgen’s shoulder and the puck careened into the slot. Max Curran then cleaned up the garbage with a backhand effort.

Curran’s red-hot second half has not gone unnoticed and with that goal, the Colorado Avalanche prospect has now tripled his goal output from the previous season with fifteen goals.

With just 20 seconds to go in the first, Parascak cut in towards the net from the right circle and fired a shot that went off Matecha’s pad and the puck lay in the blue paint. Aiden Foster swooped in and lofted the puck over Matecha’s pad to give Prince George a 2-1 lead going into the first break.

The Americans drew things even again shortly into the second period.

Max Curran gathered a loose puck at the right wing and backhanded a perfect pass to Jake Sloan in the high slot. Sloan unloaded a one-timer which went glove side on Ravensbergen.

With that goal, Sloan has scored a goal in his past four games, a career-high goal streak for the captain.

However, that was the last time this game was tied, and Prince George would take the lead for good at 12:59.

Borya Valis at the right wing got a feed from Ben Riche who was streaking along the far boards. Valis used his size and bullied his way towards the net before tucking it past Matecha and in. Although the net had been dislodged, it was deemed intentional, and the goal counted.

After two periods, and Prince George narrowly holding a 3-2 lead, the game was to come down to the wire and be a thriller, but Tri-City had work to do as they were limited to only four shots on net in the second period.

Both sides came out swinging, but Ben Riche of Prince George would double the Cougar lead just under seven minutes into the final frame.

Borya Valis at the left wing launched a shot that went off the pad of Matecha and to the stick of Riche. Riche then slipped the puck past Matecha who had no time to react to make it 4-2.

The Americans answered and cut the Cougar lead back down to one at 10:39. It was a special goal, as Jaxen Adam would get his first career WHL goal.

Jake Sloan behind the net attempted a centering feed to Savin Virk, missing, and the puck rolled to Jaxen Adam. Adam wired a wrist shot from just above the right circle, going blocker side on Ravensbergen.

Tri-City had an excellent opportunity to tie the game on the power play after an Aiden Foster high-sticking call at 13:46. But nothing came of it, and Prince George held on to claim victory.

Game Two Notes

With the loss Friday night, Tri-City now sit 0-1-1 in the season series against Prince George.

Jaxen Adam had a monumental night, finishing with his first career goal, two points in total, a career-best single-game performance, and the highest +/- rating of his career in a single game, a +3.

Tonight was the third time this season that Max Curran finished with 3+ points. Curran has seemingly exploded, since the new year has begun, Curran has gotten at least a point in 11 of his 14 games played in 2025.

Although Tri-City only had 19 shots, they made them count, scoring three goals. Ravensbergen due to this only made 16 saves, the second fewest he has had to make for a win this season.

Lukas Matecha kept the game close, making 25 stops on 29.

The American power play went 0/4, while Prince George went 1/2.

For stars, Prince George’s own Borya Valis came away with the third star, putting up a goal and assisting on the game-winning goal. Max Curran with an excellent three-point outing, his second three-point outing of the season, was enough for the second star. Washington Capitals first-round pick, Terik Parascak was awarded first star with three assists.

Game Three – Prince George Cougars

The Americans attempted to shave off the loss to Prince George the night before, however, would drop another game to the Cougars after a slipping in the third period, fell 2-5.

Captain Jake Sloan thought he had opened the scoring and had a goal in five straight games; however, the goal was waived off due to a high stick upon video review.

The Americans would still get on the board first from none other than Max Curran.

Curran gained the Cougar zone and cut towards the left circle from the slot before shooting and beating Ravensbergen five-hole.

Tri-City took this lead into the intermission and looked strong as shots were equal 10-10 following 20 minutes.

Prince George meant business, and in the second frame, looked like a brand-new hockey team.

Borya Valis would get his first goal of the night just 3:09 into the second and cash in on the man advantage to start the first of what would become five straight goals for the Cougars.

Carson Carels at the top of the left circle slid it over to Valis at the right circle. Valis then walked in and fired a laser of a wrist shot to the net, going right over the glove of American goaltender Ryan Grout.

Not even a minute after the Valis goal would the Cougars get their first lead of the night which would stick until the final buzzer.
Aiden Foster behind the net centered the puck to Riley Heidt. Heidt launched a one-timer from close range that beat the diving Grout to the far post.

After two periods, the game was close on the scoreboard with it being 2-1 Prince George. However, on the ice it was completely different as Ryan Grout was doing everything in his power to keep the Americans in this game. Prince George on the shot chart was up 25-16 entering the third.

The Cougars continued to dominate puck possession in the third, and Borya Valis was his second goal of the match.

Following an American turnover in their end, Koehn Zimmer in the trap zipped one to Riley Heidt in the slot. Heidt then quickly found Valis on the backdoor who banged it home to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead.

At 8:23, Matteo Danis would make it a three-goal lead for the Cougars.

Danis skated in on two-on-one and fired a wrist shot blocker side on Grout.

If that wasn’t the game, Koehn Zimmer would put the nail in the coffin at 14:34 for Prince George.

Ziemmer gained the American’s zone and skated along the high slot before turning towards the net around the left circle. Ziemmer picked his spot glove side on Grout to make it 5-1.

The Americans had one last hurrah in them and with time trickling down in the game, added a second goal.

Ismail Abogouche slid the puck over to Jaxen Adam at the left point. Adam who just had his first career WHL goal the night prior, let one go that beat Ravensbergen fair and square five-hole.

Game Three Notes

The Americans continue their in-season struggles against the Cougars and slide to 0-2-1 on the season. With that, Tri-City will have one more shot at beating the Cougars. That game will take place at the Toyota Center next Tuesday.

With Ismail Abogouche assisting on the Jaxen Adam goal, Abogouche has his first point of 2025.

In his fourth WHL start, Ryan Grout had 28 saves on 33 shots and looked pretty sharp if you look beyond the stat line, keeping the Americans in it for most of the game.

Arguably the top goalie prospect in the upcoming NHL Draft, Joshua Ravensbergen, got back to work and made 21 stops on 23.

The Americans went 0/3 on the power play while Prince George went 1/2.

In terms of stars, Matteo Davis of Prince George picked up third star for the insurance goal. Borya Valis capped off an excellent weekend with two goals and an assist, good enough to get the second star and five total points this weekend. The Minnesota Wild’s second-round selection, Riley Heidt, pitched a four-point effort en route to victory for the Cougars and was awarded the first star.

Transactions

Jesse McKinnon was called up and participated in warmups Saturday night in Prince George. The 2008 Born Forward has spent this season with the St. Albert Raiders U18 AAA squad, where he has doubled his goal production from last season with the same squad, currently with 16 goals.

Injuries

Austin Zemlak was posted up day to day as he has now missed his twelfth game since the shoulder injury.

Carter Savage was missing this weekend in Prince George due to an illness.

What’s Next

Make sure you come back for everything Tri-City Americans on Area 51.