RECAP: Giants Drop Third Straight to Cougars

Category: ArticleJanuary 24, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants lost to the Prince George Cougars 5-2 on Saturday night at CN Centre.

The Cougars got out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period, but Vancouver kept things close, getting the game back to 4-2 after 40 minutes. Unfortunately the only goal in the third was an empty-net goal for the home side that sealed the deal 5-2.

Vancouver now has a record of 18-27-1-2 (39 points) and are winless in their last six (0-5-0-1). They played Saturday with five regulars out of the lineup due to injury, including three of their top-4 defencemen and two top-six forwards. Prince George improves to 28-16-2-0 (58 points), currently sitting in third in the West.

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Jakob Oreskovic and Misha Volotovskii each scored for the Giants. Burke Hood was excellent as always – especially in the first period – and finished with 38 saves on 42 shots. It was the sixth time since the Christmas break that Hood has made more than 35 saves in a game.

Dawson Seitz scored twice for the Cougars. Kooper Gizowski scored the game-winner, while Cole Hajt had the insurance marker and Brock Souch scored the empty-net goal with 90 seconds left.

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GAME SUMMARY

The Cougars were shot out of a cannon to start the game, scoring 1:41 into the game off the stick of Seitz before drawing back-to-back power plays.

Hood kept the Giants in the game with multiple saves on the penalty kill, keeping the game at 1-0 until late in the opening frame when Seitz banked a shot off a Giants defenceman and in to make it 2-0 with 2:38 left in the first.

Gizowski extended the Prince George lead to 3-0 just 79 seconds into the second period on a power play, depositing home his 23rd of the season off a pass from Terik Parascak.

Oreskovic got Vancouver on the board with a much-needed power play marker at the 6:05 mark of the second, when he wired a shot over the shoulder of Alexander Levshyn for his 10th of the season.

Jakob Oreskovic's 10th goal of the season comes on the power play with the assist from Will Sharpe to make it 3-1! 😤 pic.twitter.com/ckxEWawhgP

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 25, 2026

Hajt restored the Cougars three-goal lead off an odd-man rush midway through the middle frame but Volotovskii got it back for the Giants with his first goal in a Vancouver uniform, making it a 4-2 score after 40 minutes.

Volotovskii scores his 12th goal of the year and first as a Giant with the assist from Torretto Marrelli! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yEVNcqVTOr

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 25, 2026

Neither side would score for much of the third.

Vancouver drew a power play with 1:51 left in regulation, but the Cougars hit the empty net during 6-on-4 play to but the game to bed at 5-2.

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN —5/7/6 = 18 | PG – 22/12/9 = 43
PP: VAN—1/4 | PG — 1/5
Face-Offs: VAN — 24 | PG — 35

3 STARS

1st: PG – Dawson Seitz – 2G, 5 SOG, +2
2nd: PG – Terik Parascak – 2A, 4 SOG, +1
3rd: PG – Carson Carels – 1A, 6 SOG, +2

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: LOSS – Burke Hood (38 saves / 42 shots)
Prince George: WIN – Alexander Levshyn (16 saves / 18 shots)

THEY SAID IT

“They were coming in heavy off the start and caught us off guard a little bit, but for us to dig back and keep our game face on and and get competing again and work through that, it was good. We were proud of that.” – Assistant Coach Gaelan Patterson

“Overall our penalty kill was excellent. It was a 4-2 game going into the dying seconds and we get a power play – an opportunity to score on a 6-on-4. We didn’t get it done in the moment, but all these things that are happening to us right now, all the guys that are in and fighting and battling and competing, they’re going to be way better off for it and when we get healthy, it’s going to be a dangerous hockey team for sure.” – Assistant Coach Gaelan Patterson

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UPCOMING

The Giants begin a five-game homestand next Saturday against Kelowna.

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
Saturday, January 31	Kelowna	Langley Events Centre	7:00 PM
Sunday, February 1	Red Deer	Langley Events Centre	4:00 PM

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