PREVIEW: Giants Begin 2026 with Visit to Spokane
SPOKANE, WA – The Vancouver Giants (16-20-1-1) visit the Spokane Chiefs (18-18-0-0) on Friday night to kick off the 2026 calendar year against a team two points ahead of them in the Western Conference standings.
The Giants inconsistency has continued to rear its ugly head, after they completed the month of December with a 5-6-0-0 record following a 4-1 home loss to the Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday night. The previous game was a resounding 7-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers.
The Chiefs have gone 2-2-0 since playing Vancouver on Dec. 14 (an 8-4 win for the Giants), most recently a 3-2 road loss to the Tri-City Americans on New Year’s Eve. They are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games.
Friday will be the first game for the Giants at Numerica Veterans Arena since being eliminated by the Chiefs in Game 5 of their opening round playoff series on April 5, 2025.
HOW TO TUNE IN
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TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight is the second of four meetings between Vancouver and Spokane this season.
| LAST 4 H2H vs. SPO (1-3-0-0) | ||
| DATE | LOCATION | RESULT |
| Dec. 14, 2025 | LEC | 8-4 W |
| Feb. 26, 2025 | Spokane Veterans Arena | 4-3 L |
| February 2, 2025 | LEC | 5-2 L |
| Nov. 23, 2024 | LEC | 5-1 L |
LAST 5 GAMES (2-3-0-0) | 20 GF, 22 GA
| DATE | VAN RESULT | SCORE | VAN SCORERS | IN GOAL | GWG |
| Dec. 30 | LOSS | VAN 1 vs. CGY 4 | Sparks | Pyne (32/36) | Amrhein (CGY) |
| Dec. 28 | WIN | VAN 7 vs. KAM 3 | Schmidt (3), Gerrior, Obobaifo, Oreskovic, Sparks | Hood (36/39) | Schmidt (VAN) |
| Dec. 27 | LOSS | VAN 4 at KEL 6 | Domenichelli (2), Sparks, Halaburda | Pyne (55/61) | Leslie (KEL) |
| Dec. 19 | LOSS | VAN 1 vs. VIC 5 | Lin | Hood (27/31) | Perreault (VIC) |
| Dec. 18 | WIN | VAN 7 at VIC 4 | Schmidt (4), Sparks, Olson, Obobaifo | Pyne (35/39) | Olson (VAN) |
WHO’S HOT
- Giants forward Cameron Schmidt extended his point streak to 18 games with an assist on Tuesday. He has 13G-16A-29P during that span, which dates back to Nov. 15. Schmidt sits 2nd in WHL scoring with 55 points this season (25G-30A)
- Giants forward Tyus Sparks extended his point streak to six games with a goal on Tuesday. He has 6G-5A-11P in those six games
- Giants defenceman Ryan Lin has 11 points in his last six games (3G-8A). His 45 points rank 3rd among all WHL defencemen this season (9G-36A)
- Chiefs forward Owen Martin extended his point streak to five games with a goal on Wednesday. He has 4G-3A-7P in those five games
- Chiefs forward Chase Harrington has 14 points in his last 10 games (5G-9A)
TALE OF THE TAPE (2025-26 REG SEASON)
| VANCOUVER | SPOKANE | |
| 16-20-1-1 — 34 points | Team Record | 18-18-0-0 — 36 points |
| 0.447 | Points % | 0.5 |
| 10th/16th | Conf./WHL Ranking | 8th/14th |
| 4-6-0-0 | Past 10 Games | 6-4-0-0 |
| 0-1-0-0 | Streak | 0-1-0-0 |
| 4-1 L vs. CGY (Dec. 30) | Last Game | 3-2 L at TC (Dec. 31) |
| 10-8-1-0 | Home Record | 9-9-0-0 |
| 6-12-0-1 | Away Record | 9-9-0-0 |
| 129 (3.39 – 17th) | GF | 116 (3.22 – 18th) |
| 161 (4.24 – 20th) | GA | 125 (3.47 – 11th) |
| -32 (20th) | Goal Differential | -9 (15th) |
| (32/124) 25.8% | PP (Overall) | (16/134) 11.9% |
| (43/132) 67.4% | PK (Overall) | (34/154) 77.9% |
| (3/5) 60% | PP vs. Opp. | (2/8) 25% |
| (2/8) 75% | PK vs. Opp. | (3/5) 40% |
| Schmidt (25-30-55) | Top Scorer | Wormald (16-25-41) |
WHAT ARE WE WEARING
The Giants will be wearing their white primary jerseys tonight.
UPCOMING
The Giants ring in the new year with games in Spokane and Portland.
| Date | Opponent | Time | Location |
| Friday, January 2 | Spokane | Numerica Veterans Arena | 7:05 PM |
| Saturday, January 3 | Portland | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 6:00 PM |
