Thunderbirds set to host Bobcats for Teacher Appreciation Night

WINSTON-SALEM, NC. – The Twin City Thunderbirds are set to host the Blue Ridge Bobcats tonight at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena for Teacher Appreciation Night. Tickets 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 (10-12-1) closed out 2025 in style with a 7-3 home win over Blue Ridge Wednesday night at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena. Following the battle, hundreds of fans participated in a postgame skate with Thunderbirds players and watched the giant puck drop from center ice to ring in the New Year. Former Thunderbirds Head Coach André Niec returned to the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena to drop the puck in a ceremonial faceoff prior to the game. Niec was the 2018-2019 FPHL Coach of the Year, and won the 2018-2019 Commissioners Cup Championship during his time with the Thunderbirds. Niec is currently a European Amateur Scout for the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions Florida Panthers. He has served in his current role with the Panthers since the 2020-2021 season. Just a few minutes after Wednesday’s ceremonial puck drop, Gus Ford scored the Thunderbirds’ first goal of the contest. Ford’s scoring play was his team-leading sixteenth of the season, and the first of five goals netted by Twin City during the 1st period of Wednesday night’s game. Nate Keeley, Corey Cunningham, and Jan Salak also scored a goal during the game for Twin City. Zach White netted three goals in a hat trick performance, and the Thunderbirds skated into 2026 with a four-goal win over the visiting Bobcats. Twin City has won two of the first four games played against Blue Ridge in this year’s twelve-game season series. The Thunderbirds are 6-3-1 in their last ten games, and boast a record of 8-5-0 on home ice this season. Twin City has won three consecutive games at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena entering tonight’s home game. Scoring leaders for the Thunderbirds include Gus Ford (16), Zach White (15), and Jan Salak (9). Twin City will return to action tomorrow night in another home game against Blue Ridge for the organization’s annual Teddy Bear Toss Night. Puck drop for tomorrow night’s game is scheduled for 6:05pm ET.


Blue Ridge (10-14-1) has won two of its past ten games entering this weekend’s road series against Twin City. Filip Hlavac, Justin Daly, and Nicholas Stuckless each scored a goal for the Bobcats in Wednesday night’s loss. Blue Ridge enters tonight’s game at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena as the 4th place team in the FPHL’s Empire Division standings. Scoring leaders for Blue Ridge include Justin Daly (14), Brandon Reller (11), and Nicholas Stuckless (8). The Bobcats are currently in a stretch of the schedule in which they play seven of nine games against the Thunderbirds. Following tomorrow’s final game of the weekend between the two rivals, Blue Ridge will return to action next weekend for back-to-back road games at the Columbus Civic Center against the Columbus River Dragons.


Tonight’s game is set to begin at 7:35pm ET, and will be streamed live on YouTube and WTOB Radio. Tickets to Thunderbirds home games 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