WHL Prince George Cougars

2023-24 Season Preview - Prince George Cougars

September 15, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


After a memorable 2022-23 season, the Prince George Cougars are primed for bigger and better things this winter. The Cougars reached the Second Round of the WHL Playoffs and saw two stars in forwards Riley Heidt and Koehn Ziemmer recognized at the NHL Draft in June. There's deserved anticipation for what lies ahead in Prince George this winter, with Heidt, Ziemmer and a strong supporting cast set to lead the charge in Northern B.C. in what fans hope will be a truly special anniversary season.

Key Returners

2023 NHL draftees Riley Heidt and Koehn Ziemmer are back and ready to build on a successful 2022-23 season. Heidt, a second-round pick by the Minnesota Wild, was the WHL's co-leader in assists with 72 last season, while Ziemmer finished the campaign with 41 goals. In all, Heidt and Ziemmer combined for nearly 200 regular season points and both will be focal points of the Prince George offence again in 2023-24. The Cougars return a talented blue line featuring 20-year-old Hudson Thornton, who led the Cougars defence corps with 23 goals and 74 points. Both of last year's netminders are NHL-drafted and eligible to return, with Canucks prospect Ty Young ready to assume the number-one role should Devils prospect Tyler Brennan make the jump to professional hockey.

Who's In And Out

The Cougars are likely to at least begin the season without captain Ethan Samson, who signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. WHL graduates Chase Wheatcroft (Dallas) and Jaxsen Wiebe (Anaheim) both signed free-agent deals after stellar 2022-23 seasons in Prince George. The Cougars added 19-year-old forward Oren Shtrom in an off-season deal with Everett; the American forward began his WHL career with the Medicine Hat Tigers. Terik Parascak and Lee Shurgot are notable among several young Cougars prospects looking to make the jump to the WHL this winter.

NHL Draft Prospects

The Cougars have benefitted from strong WHL Prospects Draft classes in recent years and the list of 2006-born players on the Prince George roster is deep. Defenceman Tyson Buczkowski got into 13 games a season ago, while forward Hunter Laing and goaltender Madden Mulawka have each gotten a taste of WHL action ahead of the 2023-24 season. Forward Terik Parascak is another name to watch as he looks to make the jump to the WHL from the Edge School of the CSSHL.

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS (2022-23):

Team Record: 37-24-6-1 (81 points)

Division Ranking: 2nd, B.C.

2023 WHL Playoffs: lost Second Round (Seattle)

Goals For: 290 (4th)

Goals Against: 241 (13th)

PP (Overall): 27.7% (2nd)

PK (Overall): 74.0% (18th)

Leading Scorers: Wheatcroft (47-60-107), Heidt (25-72-97), Ziemmer (41-48-89)

Leading Rookie: Becher (16-22-38)

NHL Draft: Brennan (NJ - 2022), Heidt (MIN - 2023), Samson (PHI - 2021), Young (VAN - 2022), Ziemmer (LA - 2023)

Check out the Prince George Cougars Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from September 15, 2023


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