This season officially has everything — and we mean everything.

Sporting an eight-game losing skid, the Abbotsford Canucks rolled into Loveland, Colorado, with half a roster, one healthy goaltender, and a prayer.

But by the third period, that prayer fell short.

After a strong 18-save performance, starting netminder Ty Young exited with injury, forcing Abbotsford to turn to an Emergency Backup Goalie — a 21‑year‑old Farmers Insurance sales rep from Denver — to close out the third period against the league‑leading Colorado Eagles.

Because of course it did.

While he made a commendable effort, it failed to bail them out of their predicament, as the visiting Canucks would drop a ninth straight game in front of a sold-out crowd at Blue Arena.

The 2025-26 season has quickly become a matter of survival rather than playing out a legitimate hockey season.

These days, all you can do is laugh. Jujhar Khaira did not take the trip to Colorado, Nikita Tolopilo was still unavailable, and Jiri Patera was called up to Vancouver before the team left. Game by game, this team is left with further holes as they scrounge bodies to make ends meet.

Sure, Kirill Kudryavtsev rejoined the team, but he can only make such a difference.

Ravinskis–Aman–Berard
Alriksson–Mueller–Klimovich
Durandeau–Labate–Kambeitz
Kunz–Wouters–Bloom

Schuldt –Mynio
Knyzhov–Kudryavtsev
Arntsen–Daschke

Young

Scratched: Jayden Lee
Injured: Jett Woo, Guillaume Brisebois, Nikita Tolopilo, Cooper Walker, Chase Stillman, Jujhar Khaira

Despite playing the American League’s top team, the Canucks made strong work of the initial five minutes, limiting the Eagles to zero chances.

The way things have gone lately, that’s considered a win.

Of course, they may have dodged an early bullet, as T.J. Tynan blasted a seeing-eye laser from the point that caught iron for the best chance of the early game.

But the visiting team was just as eager, with their third line doing some nice work on the transition.

Breaking up the ice, Arnaud Derandeau and Dino Kambeitz nearly connected on the cross-crease play to open the scoring. Unfortunately, it was deflected just wide of Vancouver alumni, Trent Miner.

But as expected, the play was primarily tilted in the visiting end, with Ty Young seeing the puck well.

Things were relatively stale as the period progressed. But with just under two minutes on the clock, the Canucks were handed the game’s first power play, after Danil Gushchin tripped up Jimmy Shchuldt in the slot.

But that opportunity lasted all of 10 seconds after Colorado had won the initial face-off clean to send themselves on an early shorthanded odd-man rush. Ben Berard was given a hooking penalty on the play.

Having nearly survived the opening period, Danila Klimovich got a little overzealous on the forecheck, taking a very late penalty to hand the home team the man advantage for the start of the second period.

Another game, another poor penalty from the top-line winger. That was the most we’d see of the sharpshooter, as he was held off the score sheet for the seventh consecutive match.

But all things considered, they’d take a 0-0 draw after 20 minutes and run.

The good news is that Abby’s penalty kill bailed Klimovich out, allowing no shots against through the two minutes.

As was the case for much of the first, Ty Young was strong and standing tall against all the Eagles’ chances.

And there were tons of them.

First, Ivan Ivan provided a nice drive against Jimmy Shchuldt, going in and out before testing Young in tight.

Second, after several minutes of sustained pressure, the Eagles combined for a heavy one-timer chance, which Young remained composed on the effort.

By this point, the Canucks were merely surviving this game. After several minutes of pressure in their own end, the Canucks would send a Hail Mary outlet pass in an attempt to kick off a transition.

But really, nothing was working, and it was all Eagles.

And just before the midway point of the period, the Canucks took a penalty, and the home team made it count.

Just before the goal, Ty Young made an incredible save, robbing Danil Gushchin of the one-timer attempt.

But just seconds later, the same trigger man got a second chance, and he made no mistake to wire one to the top corner for his league-leading (tied) ninth goal of the season.

The way this game was trending, it felt like a matter of time before the home team drew first blood, as Young could only hold the fort for so long.

And later in the period, the Eagles pounced again.

Ronnie Attard showed terrific poise and patience at the blueline, walking around Vilmer Alriksson on his drop-in hockey-esque fly by. With his head up, Attard sent a perfectly placed backdoor pass to Tye Felhaber at the far side, who beat out Danila Klimovich on the backcheck.

With just 11 seconds remaining in the frame, the Canucks were finally gifted some good news. Getting his stick stuck in an Abby skate, Ivan Ivan took a late tripping call for the visiting team to enjoy with a fresh ice clean in the third.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Abbotsford Canucks’ season, the third period began without a crucial member of the team: Ty Young.

With Ty Young out, Nikita Tolopilo injured, Jiri Patera in Vancouver on an emergency basis, and Aku Koskenvuo down in Kalamazoo, who was left to tend the net?

Meet CJ Kier, a Farmers Insurance Sales Development Representative in Denver. At 21 years old, Kier had played NAHL hockey for Danbury Jr. Hat-Tricks in 2023-24 and was asked to attend the game before puck drop.

There’s no way he could have predicted that he’d actually play.

Believe it or not, he kicked off his newly found pro career with a pair of saves, getting the shoulder on a nice shot up high.

But his debut was spoiled quickly, as the team in front of him hung him out to dry as former Canuck Tristen Nielsen welcomed him to the pros.

Getting behind the defence, rookie defender Alex Gagne found the “bulldog” with a stretch pass. Going to his bread and butter, Nielsen pump-faked before tucking it between the sprawled-out Kier.

But wait, the Canucks grabbed life.

Following a missed shot from an Eagle, the puck rang around the boards to spring the young Swede.

Following up on his initial shot, Vilmer stuck with the puck, jamming the rebound past Miner to put his team on the board for his second of the season.

Down by just a pair, you could imagine the buzz on the Abby bench, pulling themselves together to play hard to grab a win for their new netminder.

And boy, was Kier battling for them.

With time ticking down and the Canucks down a pair (the score clock was wrong), they made several attempts to get Kier out of the net in an effort for a final push.

But with the Eagles pressing, they could not find a time to get him out.

Finally, they called him off, and just as he was getting to the bench, the Eagles fired the puck in the back of the net as Kier watched in disgust.

Firing the puck into the empty net from his own end, rookie Alex Gagne scored his first career AHL goal.

Although he couldn’t play hero, CJ Kier made five saves in the period in his uncalled-for professional debut.

Given the roster that is being dressed on a nightly basis, it’s hard to expect a win from the Abbotsford Canucks. Up against the best team in the AHL, the odds were incredibly stacked against them, and with an EBUG fending the Eagles off for an entire third period, you could say they actually put up a good fight.

CJ Kier – We are handing out one star from this game, and that star goes out to the Insurance Rep who came out and put together a solid effort in the third period. It may be the only time he sees the ice at the professional level, so shoutout to him for his effort.

The Canucks will be back at Blue Arena on Saturday for Game 2 of their weekend series. Puck drop is at 6:05 pm PT. Who will start in goal for the Canucks? Tune in and see.