Fast Facts: Moose vs Abbotsford – Jan 2

The Manitoba Moose (15-12-2-0) look to get back to their winning ways on Friday night, when they face the Abbotsford Canucks (9-16-3-3). The Moose fell 5-2 to the Canucks at Canada Life Centre on Friday, their third loss in four games. Abbotsford snapped a short two-game skid with the win.

Tickets are available for tonight's game at moosehockey.com/tickets. Coverage of today's matchup gets going at 6:45 p.m. CT on CJOB.com, the Winnipeg Jets App and AHLTV on FloHockey. Action at Canada Life Centre begins at 7 p.m. CT.

First of the Year

The Moose open 2026 with a 15-12-2-0 record on the campaign and wrap up a six-game home stand with the first contest of the new year. It’s the 21st time in franchise history the Moose begin a new calendar year on home ice, with the team owning a 9-8-0-3 mark all-time. When the Moose kick off a new trip around the sun, they are 7-3-1-2 all-time with a 4-1-0-2 record at home. Overall, the Moose are 12-12-2-3 in their first game of a new year. Manitoba started out 2025 with a 5-4 overtime loss in Calgary.

That’s One for Salomonsson

Elias Salomonsson scored his first goal of the season in Manitoba’s loss to Abbotsford on Wednesday evening, his sixth career goal. The Skellefteå, Sweden native has seven points (1G, 6A) through 20 games with the Moose in 2025-26, after recording 27 points (5G, 22A) in his first professional season in North America in 2024-25. Salomonsson earned a call-up to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 25, where he played in four games with the big club, before being loaned back to Manitoba. Salomonsson was a second-round pick (55th overall) by the Jets in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Festively-Fuelled Zhilkin

Danny Zhilkin left for the break on a modest two-game point streak. Zhilkin turned it into a three-game heater, recording a pair of points (1G, 1A) in his first game back Wednesday night. The 22-year-old has already set new career-highs with 14 points (7G, 7A), a new high in goals, and with his assist on Wednesday, tied his career best mark in assists. Wednesday was Zhilkin’s third multi-point game of the season, with the others coming on Oct. 10 in the first game of the season and on Nov. 15 against the Rockford IceHogs. Zhilkin has four points (2G, 2A) during his current point streak, and has five points (2G, 3A) over his past five games.

Close the Book on December

The Moose closed the book on December on Wednesday evening, finishing the month with a .500 record at 4-4-0-0. All four victories came over Central Division foes, including two against the Iowa Wild, and one over each of the Chicago Wolves and Rockford IceHogs. Ville Heinola led the Moose with eight points (8A) in the month, while Walker Duehr, Samuel Fagemo, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan finished tied for the club lead with three goals each in December. Domenic DiVincentiis played to a 2.68 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage while making six appearances between the pipes.

Who's Trending?

Jaret Anderson-Dolan tallied his ninth assist of the season in Wednesday’s loss to Abbotsford. The helper gives Anderson-Dolan points in three consecutive contests with three points (1G, 2A) in that span. The Calgary, Alta. product has five points (3G, 2A) over his past six games, while being held off the scoresheet in just one of those contests.