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WHL Prince George Cougars

2021 WHL Prospects Draft Recap

December 9, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


PRINCE GEORGE, BC- The 2021 Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospects Draft was held virtually on Thursday and the Prince George Cougars made 11 selections over eight rounds.

The Cougars chose six forwards, four defencemen, and one goalie with their 11 picks.

"We're very happy with the players we were able to draft," said Cougars' Director of Scouting Bob Simmonds. "Our scouts put a lot of work into this draft in just four and a half months, and to end up with the results we had today is credit to their dedication and hard work."

Here's a recap of the team's 11 picks in Thursday's draft.

D Tyson Buczkowski- Round 1 (15th overall)

Prince George took defenceman Tyson Buczkowski with their first pick, 15th overall, in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. The Saskatoon, SK native is considered one of the top rated defenceman in his age group and plays for the Saskatoon Blazers in the Saskatchewan Male Under 18 AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL). Buczkowski is the Blazers' top scoring defenceman with 16 points (4g-12a) in 20 games.

"Tyson has a very complete game for a defenceman. He generates a lot of offence from the blue line, he can run a power play, and is a very strong defender below the dots. He checks off a lot of boxes," said Simmonds. "He's excited to be a Prince George Cougar."

Buczkowski was the captain of Team Saskatchewan at the 2021 WHL Cup and led them to a bronze medal finish. He had one goal in five games at that tournament.

Buczkowski is looking to follow in his dad's footsteps. His dad, Paul, played five seasons (1991-996) and over 300 games in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades and average over a point per game in his career.

F Hunter Laing- Round 2 (33rd overall)

The Cougars added significant size to their forward depth with their second-round selection in forward Hunter Laing. Laing, chosen 33rd overall, is listed at 6'6" and 190 pounds and is the son of the Kelowna Rockets' Assistant Coach Quintin Laing. Hunter plays for the Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna's Under 16 Prep team. The Kelowna, BC product leads his team in scoring with 26 points (12g-14a) in 17 games.

F Riley Ashe- Round 3 (56th overall)

With their first of two picks in the third round, the Cougars took forward Riley Ashe 56th overall. Ashe is teammates with Buczkowski on the Saskatoon Blazers and has 10 points (4g-6a) in 19 games. Ashe averaged a point per game at the WHL Cup for Team Saskatchewan en route to a bronze medal. The Warman, SK product had five helpers in five games.

D Matt Lahey- Round 3 (63rd overall)

Lahey was the Cougars' second pick of the third round and the second defenceman they took in the draft. One thing that jumps out at you is his size, as Lahey is listed at 6'5" and 183 pounds. The blue liner plays for the Pacific Coastal Hockey Academy's Under 18 Prep team and has bagged one goal in 11 games to go along with 10 penalty minutes. Lahey won a gold medal with Team BC at the WHL Cup in October. He had one assist in five games.

F Terik Parascak- Round 4 (78th overall)

In the fourth round, the Cougars picked up forward Terik Parascak out of the Edge School in the Canadian Sport Hockey League (CSSHL). The Lethbridge, AB product not only leads his team in scoring but the entire Under 16 Prep Division in the CSSHL with 34 points (20g-14a) in 14 games. His 20 goals are a league best too.

G Madden Mulawka- Round 5 (100th overall)

The Cougars added depth to their crease with their fifth-round pick in goaltender Madden Mulawka. The Edmonton, AB native plays for Edmonton Maple Leaf Athletic Club (MLAC) Under 18 AAA in the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL). Through 13 games, the 6'1," 198-pound netminder has a 2-11-0 record, to go along with a 3.76 goals-against average and .888 save percentage. He was a silver medalist with Team Alberta at the WHL Cup in October.

D Tyson Matthews- Round 6 (128th overall)

In the sixth round, Prince George selected defenceman Tyson Matthews from the Okanagan Rockers Under 17 AAA in the BC Elite Hockey League. The Vernon, BC product has picked up four assists in 15 games to go along with 29 penalty minutes.

F Garrett Thom- Round 7 (142nd overall)

With the first of two picks in the seventh round, the Cougars picked up forward Garrett Thom from the OHA Edmonton Under 18 Prep team in of the CSSHL. The native of Edmonton, AB has 10 points (4g-6a) in 18 games. Thom had four points (3g-1a) in five games with Team Alberta at the WHL Cup.

F Carter Onrait- Round 7 (144th overall)

Carter Onrait was the Cougars' second pick of the seventh round. The Estevan, SK product is in his first season with his hometown Estevan Bears Under 18 AAA in the SMAAAHL. The 5'11," 170-pound forward has five goals in 25 games.

D Drew Peterson- Round 8 (164th overall)

The Cougars made their final two selections of the WHL Prospects Draft in the eighth round and used their first pick to take defenceman Drew Peterson. The blue liner is playing with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 15's in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. The Milwaukee, WI native has chipped in with three assists in eight games. Peterson is listed at 6'1" and 150 pounds.

F Reis Nyland- Round 8 (166th overall)

With their final selection of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, the Cougars took forward Reis Nyland out of La Glace, AB. Nyland plays for the Northern Alberta Xtreme Under 16 Prep team in the CSSHL and has tallied 16 points (8g-8a) in 16 games.

The Cougars would like to welcome their 11 new prospects and families to the organization. For a complete list of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft go to whl.ca/draft.

Check out the Prince George Cougars Statistics



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