Owen Schoettler scores in overtime, Spokane Chiefs top Prince George 4-3 on opening night

From staff reports

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – The Spokane Chiefs found a way to provide some drama on opening night.

Owen Schoettler scored less than 2 minutes into overtime and the visiting Chiefs held on to edge the Prince George Cougars 4-3 in the Western Hockey League season opener for both teams at CN Centre on Friday.

The Chiefs played without center Berkly Catton, defensemen Saige Weinstein, Will McIsaac and Nathan Mayes, and goalie Dawson Cowan, all of whom are participating in NHL training camps.

In overtime, Mathis Preston took the puck at the Chiefs’ goal line and maneuvered up ice and into the Prince George zone. His shot was knocked away by goalie Joshua Ravensbergen, but the rebound went straight to Schoettler, who dumped it into the wide-open net.

The teams played to a 2-all tie through the first period , with Spokane’s Rasmus Ekström and Dane Pyatt scoring their first goals of the new season.

The Chiefs trailed 3-2 on an early third-period goal by Ephram McNutt.

Spokane knotted it at 3 with less than 3 minutes remaining in regulation on a goal by 16-year-old rookie Cohen Harris, his first in the WHL.

The teams play again Saturday at CN Centre at 6 p.m.