Round 1 Preview: Cougars vs. Winterhawks

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WHL Prince George Cougars

Round 1 Preview: Cougars vs. Winterhawks

March 26, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


PRINCE GEORGE - The Prince George Cougars playoff drive begins with a first round meeting against the Portland Winterhawks.

This marks the fourth time in Prince George's last five playoff appearances that these two organizations have faced off, including their third showdown in the opening round..

Koehn Ziemmer and Borya Valis led the Cats with four points each in the season series.

For Portland, Josh Zakreski scored five times in four games.

Click here to view the full Round 1 Schedule

Revisiting The Regular Season Meetings...

October 5: The Cougars outshot Portland 40-33, but lost in the final seconds by a 3-2 score.

October 8: The Cougars tied the game late, but Portland sealed the deal in the final minute of Overtime, defeating PG 4-3.

October 9: The Winterhawks erased a 4-0 deficit after two periods to stun the Cougars 5-4 in a shootout.

December 13: The Cougars again registered 40 shots, however, only found the net once in a 4-1 setback.

Be Ready to Go on Time

One of the many strengths of the Cougars this season has been their ability to start games on time.

Prince George holds a +20 goal differential in the first period, ranking fourth in the Western Conference. In contrast, Portland sits at -24 in the opening frame, though they've dominated third periods with a +20 differential.

Both teams have had their struggles in the second period-Prince George at -2 and Portland at -8-making it a potential swing point in the series.

Special Teams Could Be the Difference

It's a well-worn playoff cliché, but special teams often decide a series.

Prince George excelled in both areas this season, boasting a top-10 power play in the West (22.3%) and the league's sixth-ranked penalty kill (79.1%).

Portland, meanwhile, had an even stronger power play at 24.4%, ranking in the top 10, but their penalty kill finished 17th in the WHL at 74.7%.

During the regular-season series, both teams' penalty kills were rock solid-Prince George went 18-for-19, while Portland went 15-for-16.

Between the Pipes

Prince George: Joshua Ravensbergen & Cooper Michaluk

In his sophomore season, Joshua Ravensbergen continued to impress, finishing as the top-ranked North American draft-eligible goaltender. He ranked second in the WHL in wins (33) and posted a 33-13-3-1 record with a 3.00 GAA and a .901 SV%.

Cooper Michaluk enters the playoffs on a hot streak, winning his last four starts, including a 31-save effort against the Scotty Munro Champion Everett Silvertips on March 8. He wrapped up the season with a 9-8-1-1 record.

Portland: Ondrej Štêbeták & Marek Schlenker

Rookie Czech goaltender Ondrej Štêbeták carried the load for the Winterhawks, playing 47 games in his first WHL season. He finished with a 23-18-2-1 record, a 3.72 GAA, and a .891 SV%. Against Prince George, he went 3-0, including one relief appearance.

Marek Schlenker, also a rookie, played 30 games for Portland, compiling a 13-10-1-0 record.

Players to Watch

Prince George: Riley Heidt

How could we not highlight the Cougars' captain? Heidt, the franchise's all-time points leader, had another monster season with 90 points in 60 games. The Minnesota Wild prospect now has the most points by any WHL player in the 21st century (370).

In three games against Portland this season, Heidt registered an assist in each. He also enters the playoffs as the most experienced WHL skater in the series with 281 career games. In 27 playoff contests, he has 30 points (6-24-30).

Prince George: Viliam Kmec

The Slovakian blueliner enjoyed a career year, proving to be a workhorse for the Cougars. He finished with a stellar +43 rating (4th among WHL defensemen) and produced 61 points (18-43-61) in 65 games.

Portland: Kyle Chyzowski

The Winterhawks' captain is their most experienced WHL player, with 271 career games. He posted a career-best 105 points (41-64-105) this season and is no stranger to this matchup, having played in the last two Cougars-Winterhawks playoff series. In 38 postseason games, he has 25 points (11-14-25).

Portland: Tyson Jugnauth

In 106 WHL games, Jugnauth has been a consistent offensive force from the blue line. The Kelowna native led all WHL defensemen with 89 points (13-76-89) in 65 games. He also quarterbacked Portland's power play, leading the league in power-play assists (35).

How They See It...

Koehn Ziemmer on the rivalry with Portland...

"Over the years I have been here, the rivalry just gets stronger and stronger. You look at the last two times we have seen them in the playoffs, they have won, so it's time to change the script here."

Matteo Danis on the fan support this season and excitement on the playoffs

"It's the best crowd in the Western Hockey League. Especially come playoff time, they are the loudeset fans and the most passionate. Our group is so excited to play in front of them."

Mark Lamb on the Winterhawks...

"They do a very good job there. They are a winning organization. They are a very different team and so are we since we last played them in the regular season. They got some players that were committed to going to school that have now showed up on their team and they're real good players. They got good depth and have a lot of players, as we do, that were in the series last year. Familiarity wise, they know us well, we know them well, so it's going to be fun."

First Round

Round One Tickets Location Date Time Broadcast

Game 1 Buy Tickets CN Centre Friday, March 28 7pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Game 2 Buy Tickets CN Centre Saturday, March 29 6pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Game 3 @ Portland Tuesday, April 1 7pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Game 4 @ Portland Wednesday, April 2 7pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Game 5* @ Portland Friday, April 4 7pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Game 6* CN Centre Sunday, April 6 6pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Game 7* CN Centre Monday, April 7 7pm Victory +, 94.3 The Goat

Where to Watch Road Games!

Visit the Canadian Brew House to watch every Cougars road game in the playoffs. More details to be announced soon.

Victory + and 94.3 The Goat will also broadcast every game during the playoffs.

Check out the Prince George Cougars Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 26, 2025


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