Cougars – Rebels Preview.
This morning in St. Albert, the Prince George Cougars officially kick off their preseason with the first of back-to-back games against Central Division opponents. This morning, their first test will come against Brent Sutter and the Red Deer Rebels. The Prince George Cougars have brought a roster of 23 players to the tournament, and all 23 are hoping for two things: 1) Victory and 2) Make a solid first impression in a ‘real’ game-type of situation.
OVERVIEW:
The Prince George Cougars, like every other team in St. Albert this weekend will be fielding a younger roster. Historically, teams have commonly dressed a lot of their top under-aged players in these games, and have also highlighted some of their younger 16 and 17-year-old players. The Prince George Cougars definitely fall into that category as only three 19-year-old players even made the trip to St. Albert.
WHO’S UP FRONT:
For under-age forwards Justin Almeida (first round, fifth overall) and Ethan O’Rourke (third round, 53rd overall), this will provide them with their first taste of WHL competition against a real opposing team. Both Almeida and O’Rourke flourished in their first WHL training camps, and the hope is that both will become major impact players for the Prince George Cougars down the road. It will also be a special game for Ethan O’Rourke as his Dad Steve is an assistant coach with Red Deer, and will be on the opposing bench.
WHO’S ON D:
For under-age defenceman Max Martin (second round. 27th overall), this will also be his first taste of legitimate WHL action against an opponent in a different uniform. Martin turned many heads during his first WHL training camp, and the Cougars management and coaching staff are excited to see how his skill-set translates into games. Martin plays a solid two-way style of defense, and hopefully he will get to make a solid impact in the early stages of his WHL career.
WHO’S IN GOAL:
The Cougars have come to St. Albert with three goaltenders: Ty Edmonds, Matt Kustra and (the newly signed) Tavin Grant. Both Edmonds and Kustra are no strangers to St. Albert or WHL competition, while Grant will be coming into this weekend having yet to face opposing WHL shooters. The Cougars are undoubtedly looking for one of Kustra or Grant to rise to the occasion this weekend.
X-FACTOR:
While victories in the preseason are always nice, it’s perhaps even more important for the Cougars to establish the right type of competitive tone this weekend. Are they finishing checks? Are they drawing penalties instead of taking them? Are they paying the price for their teammates? These are all the types of things that coaches will be looking at just as closely (if not more so) than the final score itself. The biggest goal for the Cougars today is to set the proper tone for the remainder of their preseason. And if they happen to win the game? Well that’s just a really nice bonus.
