Thunderbirds set to host rival Bobcats for Home Opener

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.–The Twin City Thunderbirds welcome the Blue Ridge Bobcats to the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena tonight for their 2026-2027 Home Opener. After five games on the road, Twin City returns to Winston-Salem for the first of twenty-eight regular season home games in the franchise’s 10th season. Tonight’s contest marks Jon Buttitta’s first regular season home game as Head Coach and concludes a weekend series between the Atlantic Division rivals that began last night at Hitachi Energy Arena in Wytheville, Virginia. Tickets are still available for tonight’s highly anticipated matchup and may be purchased online at tcbirds.com, wsfairgrounds.com, ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena Box Office at (336) 774-8880. Puck drop for tonight’s rivalry game is scheduled for 6:05pm ET.

Twin City (4-1-0) brings eight points home after winning four of its first five games on the road. Dominic Dumas opened Friday’s scoring with a shorthanded goal at 10:34 of the 1st period, assisted by Jordan Rosenbaum and Joey McCormick. McCormick tied the game at 2-2 with 2:04 left in the 2nd period, finishing with a goal and an assist. The teams played a scoreless 3rd period before White won it on the first shot of overtime. Jacob Schnapp and Rosenbaum assisted on the winner, giving Rosenbaum two assists against his former club. Ayvin Eidsness stopped forty of forty-two shots, his second win with at least forty saves in eight days after stopping fifty-three in the October 30th shootout victory at Monroe. White leads Twin City with five goals and eight assists for thirteen points. Dumas has scored in all five games and leads the club with six goals, while Schnapp’s overtime assist gave him nine points. The Thunderbirds went scoreless on three powerplay opportunities Friday and have converted eight of twenty-five chances (32.0%) this season.

Blue Ridge (5-0-2) enters tonight’s contest with twelve points and has earned at least one point in each of its seven games. The Bobcats opened the season with five straight wins before dropping consecutive overtime decisions, falling 4-3 at Minnesota last Saturday and 3-2 to Twin City on Friday. Max Sazanovets tied Friday’s game at 13:22 of the 1st period, and Patriks Marcinkevics gave Blue Ridge a 2-1 lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:14 of the 2nd. Max Macchioni made thirty-five saves, and the Bobcats killed all three Twin City powerplays. Marcinkevics leads Blue Ridge with thirteen points in five games after recording ninety-one points in forty-eight games with the Pee Dee IceCats last season. Vladislav Vlasov has four goals and seven assists for eleven points. A regulation win tonight would move Twin City within two points of Blue Ridge in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand.

Friday’s victory improved the Thunderbirds’ all-time regular season record against the Bobcats to 27-11-2 through forty meetings. The clubs split twelve games last season, with Twin City scoring five unanswered goals to win the 2025-2026 finale, 5-3, in Wytheville. Tonight’s game is the second of twelve meetings this season. The Bobcats return to Winston-Salem for the next meeting on Friday, November 27th.

Doors open at 4:35pm ET for Season Ticket Holders and 4:50pm ET for the general public for tonight’s Home Opener at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena. Giveaways include mustaches and magnets. Wake Forest University is hosting its Homecoming football game against Merrimack at 3:30pm ET, and parking for the Thunderbirds game will be at the Fairgrounds Midway. Fans should use Reynolds Boulevard or 27th Street to reach Shorefair Drive, then enter the Midway through Gate 7 at 569 Fairgrounds Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27105. A portion of Deacon Boulevard is expected to remain closed until approximately 6:00pm ET, so fans are encouraged to allow extra travel time and follow the posted signs to the Midway. All fans, including Thunderbirds Season Ticket Holders, will enter through the arena’s front doors.

Single game tickets for all Twin City Thunderbirds regular season home games at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased online at tcbirds.com, wsfairgrounds.com, ticketmaster.com, or by calling the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena Box Office at (336) 774-8880. For Season Ticket and Group Ticket information, contact Holli Carmin at (336) 774-8882 or hcarmin@tcbirds.hockey.