Thunderbirds set for Home Opener against IceCats

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Twin City Thunderbirds, proud members of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL), are set for the 2025-2026 Home Opener at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena tonight in a matchup against the Pee Dee IceCats. Tickets to tonight’s game are still available and may be purchased online by visiting WSFairgrounds.com, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena Box Office at (336) 727-2236. Puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:35pm ET.

Twin City (0-0-0) will open the ninth season in franchise history tonight at home. The Thunderbirds finished the 2024-2025 season with a regular season record of thirty-eight wins in regulation time, the most among any team in the FPHL’s Continental Division. The organization advanced to the Commissioners Cup Finals for the third consecutive season, but fell to the Binghamton Black Bears in three games. Twin City’s opening night roster features twelve players who skated for the team last season. The Thunderbirds will host the IceCats again tomorrow night for the final game in this weekend’s season-opening series at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena.

Pee Dee (1-0-1) sits atop the Continental Division standings following last weekend’s opening games of the season. The IceCats were one of eight league organizations that began play in the 2025-2026 regular season last week. Pee Dee dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Columbus River Dragons one week ago in the opening game of the season. The IceCats bounced back from last Friday’s loss with a 7-5 victory on Saturday night at the Florence Civic Center.  Pee Dee’s specialty teams netted four goals on thirteen attempts, and the IceCats’ penalty kill finished the weekend with a perfect fourteen for fourteen result. Scoring leaders for Pee Dee entering this weekend’s road series against the Thunderbirds include Trevor Lord (3) and Nick Gullo (3). Goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez backstopped the team to victory in the organization’s two-goal win over the Columbus River Dragons.

Tonight’s game is set to begin at 7:35pm ET, and will be streamed live on YouTube, Sporfie, and WTOB Radio. Tickets to home games at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena may be purchased online by skating to WSFairgrounds.com, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena Box Office at (336) 727-2236. The Twin City Thunderbirds are proud members of the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). #FlockTogether