Cooper Michaluk returns to spark Prince George 3-1 win over Spokane Chiefs

All winning streaks must eventually come to an end. It doesn’t make it any easier to take when a former teammate is instrumental in the decision.

Former Spokane Chiefs goalie Cooper Michaluk made 33 saves, coming within 29 seconds of a shutout, leading his Prince George Cougars (17-9-3-2) to a 3-1 win in a Western Hockey League game at the Arena on Saturday.

The Chiefs (22-10-0-0) traded the 2005-born Michaluk to PG in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 WHL Prospects Draft in September.

“Credit to him. He’s a heck of a person that was here,” Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said. “I know he beat us, but I think good things happen to good people, you know. And I thought he played a heck of a game.”

The loss snapped the Chiefs 10-game winning streak, the longest such streak since the 2019-20 season and two off the club record. Spokane (22-10-0-0) played without captain Berkly Catton, who is with Team Canada at the World Juniors.

“They were just heavier than we were in those areas where we needed to be stronger,” Lauer said. “I don’t want to say it was physical, but they definitely played a lot harder in those areas. … I don’t mind losing a hockey game, I just wish we would have competed a lot better.”

Prince George got on the board first at 8:38 of the first period when Riley Heidt’s innocent-looking backhander beat Dawson Cowan five-hole for his 14th goal of the season.

The Cougars (17-9-3-2) made it 2-0 just 2:28 into the second on Koehn Ziemmer’s 22nd goal of the season. Chiefs defenseman Kadan Allan was immediately whistled for tripping, but the Chiefs were able to kill it off to keep the deficit at two.

The home team spent the next 4 minutes of game time dominating in the offensive end – with nothing to show – then Coco Armstrong was whistled for high-sticking and Shea Van Olm joined him in the box 45 seconds later on a bench minor for too many men on the ice.

They killed off both infractions, but later in the period the hole grew deeper.

Prince George made it 3-0 with 4 minutes left in the second. Cowan sent a puck along the wall as the Cougars attempted a line change, but it was collected by PG winger Hunter Liang at the half wall. He dumped it back toward the goal and Borya Valis, alone in the slot, tipped it over Cowan’s shoulder for his 17th goal of the season.

”The compete factor for us wasn’t enough.” Lauer said. “Sometimes it’s just learning how to win, understanding how to win. When you don’t feel your best, that’s when you got to figure out how to play the right way and do the right things.”

Injury delay: Midway through the second period, Ziemmer took an errant shot to the face trying to screen on a power play. He went down in a pool of blood just outside the Chiefs’ goal and trainers reached him quickly with towels and helped him gingerly off the ice.