The Abbotsford Canucks flew east to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where they took on the Manitoba Moose in a New Year’s Eve afternoon showdown. Looking to get back into the win column and close out 2025 on a high note, Abbotsford delivered a strong response.

Nikita Tolopilo got the start in the blue paint for the Canucks, squaring off against Domenic DiVincentiis at the other end. Abbotsford shuffled their lines slightly, with the most notable changes seeing Danila Klimovich and Anri Ravinskis slot back into the lineup. On the blue line, Kirill Kudryavtsev and Sawyer Mynio switched sides in an effort to strengthen the defensive core.

Both teams spent prolonged stretches in the offensive zone early on but struggled to generate quality shots. Manitoba struck first when Danny Zhilkin broke free on a partial breakaway and slid the puck through the legs of Tolopilo, where it slowly trickled over the goal line. Abbotsford pushed back and found their equalizer on a 4-on-3 power play late in the period. Arshdeep Bains spotted Klimovich wide open in the slot, and the winger made no mistake, snapping the puck over the left pad of DiVincentiis to tie the game at one. The Moose finished the period with 30 seconds of power-play time, and a penalty at the buzzer put Abbotsford in a tough spot to start the second, facing a minute and a half of 5-on-3 action. The Canucks rose to the challenge, with Tolopilo standing tall and the penalty killers clearing lanes to escape unscathed.

Moments after returning to even strength, Abbotsford capitalized on a Manitoba line change. Bains and Reichel burst up ice with no Moose defenders in sight, and Reichel buried his first goal as an Abby Canuck just three minutes into the frame to give Abbotsford their first lead of the night. Less than two minutes later, Ty Mueller cashed in from the slot to make it 3–1, as momentum swung firmly in the Canucks’ favour.

Manitoba responded on a delayed penalty, pulling within one when Elias Salomonsson scored on the 6-on-5. The Canucks weren’t done yet, though. With under two minutes remaining in the period, Mueller threaded a clean pass to Bains, who hammered a one-timer through the right side to restore the two-goal cushion at 4–2.

The final 20 minutes slowed down as Abbotsford focused on protecting their lead. Much of the period was spent on special teams, with both clubs exchanging power-play opportunities, but the Canucks’ penalty kill was sharp all afternoon. As time wound down, the Moose pulled their goalie in a last-ditch effort, but Bains sealed the deal with his second of the game, finding the empty net to secure a 5–2 victory.

Abbotsford closed out 2025 in the win column and will look to carry that momentum forward when they face the Moose once again to open 2026.