[{"id":47904,"date":"2026-06-09T16:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47904"},"modified":"2026-06-09T16:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:08:45","slug":"carels-reid-and-dagenais-named-finalists-for-chls-2025-26-top-draft-prospect-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/carels-reid-and-dagenais-named-finalists-for-chls-2025-26-top-draft-prospect-award","title":{"rendered":"Carels, Reid, and Dagenais named finalists for CHL\u2019s 2025-26 Top Draft Prospect Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carson Carels<\/strong> of the Prince George Cougars (WHL), Chase Reid<\/strong> of the Soo Greyhounds (OHL), and Maddox Dagenais<\/strong> of the Qu\u00e9bec Remparts (QMJHL) have been named finalists for the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award presented by Kubota Canada, given annually to the top CHL player eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n

The recipient will be announced on Monday, June 15, during the 2026 CHL Awards ceremony in Toronto, Ont.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award has been won by many great players<\/span><\/a> including Joe Thornton (Soo Greyhounds \/ OHL), Vincent Lecavalier (Rimouski Oc\u00e9anic \/ QMJHL), Patrick Kane (London Knights \/ OHL), Steven Stamkos (Sarnia Sting \/ OHL), Connor McDavid (Erie Otters \/ OHL), Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re (Rimouski Oc\u00e9anic \/ QMJHL), Connor Bedard (Regina Pats \/ WHL), Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers \/ WHL), and most recently Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters \/ OHL).<\/span><\/p>\n

WHL Nominee \u2014 Carson Carels (Prince George Cougars)<\/b><\/a>
\n20G-53A, 73 PTS, +23 in 58 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranked No. 3 among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, Carson Carels continued to establish himself as one of the premier draft-eligible defencemen in the Canadian Hockey League.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 17-year-old from Cypress River, Man., was also named a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL Defenceman of the Year after a standout season on the Prince George blue line. Carels recorded 73 points, including 20 goals and 53 assists, in 58 regular season games, the second-highest single-season point total by a defenceman in Cougars history.<\/span><\/p>\n

If selected, Carels would add another first to his standout season by becoming the first Prince George Cougars player to win the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award.<\/span><\/p>\n

His 73 points tied for fourth among all WHL blueliners, while he was one of only six WHL defencemen to reach the 20-goal mark. His season also featured a 17-game point streak, tied for the fourth-longest by any WHL player in 2025-26.<\/span><\/p>\n

A dynamic puck mover with strong skating ability and offensive creativity, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound left-shot defenceman played a key role in helping the Cougars remain among the WHL\u2019s top teams. Carels also represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and was named captain of Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game, where he recorded four assists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally selected by Prince George in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Carels has accumulated 111 points, including 26 goals and 85 assists, in 125 career WHL regular season games.<\/span><\/p>\n

OHL Nominee \u2014 Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds)<\/b><\/a>
\n18G-30A, 48 PTS, +27 in 45 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranked No. 2 among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, Chase Reid enters the draft as the highest-ranked current CHL skater.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old defenceman from Chesterfield, Mich., enjoyed an outstanding season with the Soo Greyhounds, producing at better than a point-per-game pace with 48 points, including 18 goals and 30 assists, in 45 regular season games. He was also named a finalist for the Max Kaminsky Trophy, awarded annually to the OHL Defenceman of the Year.<\/span><\/p>\n

A win for Reid would give the Greyhounds their second CHL Top Draft Prospect Award recipient, following Joe Thornton, who captured the honour in 1996-97.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reid was the only first-year draft-eligible defenceman in the OHL \u2014 and one of just six across the CHL \u2014 to average at least a point per game during the 2025-26 season. Although he missed the final 17 games of the regular season due to injury, he made an impact upon returning, recording six points, including three goals and three assists, in eight playoff games.<\/span><\/p>\n

A gifted skater with high-end offensive instincts and the ability to play significant minutes in all situations, Reid earned recognition in four categories in the annual OHL Coaches Poll. He was voted the Western Conference\u2019s Best Offensive Defenceman while also receiving recognition for Best Skater, Best Shot, and Best Defensive Defenceman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reid also represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, where he scored once in two games, and represented the United States at the 2026 World Junior Championship, recording four points in five games.<\/span><\/p>\n

QMJHL Nominee \u2014 Maddox Dagenais (Qu\u00e9bec Remparts)<\/b><\/a>
\n30G-32A, 62 PTS, +\/- NA in 62 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranked No. 15 among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s final rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft, Maddox Dagenais continued his rise as one of the QMJHL\u2019s premier young forwards during the 2025-26 season.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 6-foot-4, 196-pound centre from Montr\u00e9al, Que., took a major step forward in his second season with the Qu\u00e9bec Remparts, recording 62 points, including 30 goals and 32 assists, in 62 regular season games. After being limited by injury during his rookie campaign, Dagenais more than doubled his production from a year ago, when he finished with 26 points.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should Dagenais earn the award, he would become the first Qu\u00e9bec Remparts player to be named the CHL\u2019s Top Draft Prospect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dagenais finished as Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s second-leading scorer while leading the Remparts with 10 power-play goals and 25 power-play points. His 273 shots on goal also ranked fourth in the QMJHL, further underlining his ability to generate chances and drive offence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Selected first overall in the 2024 QMJHL Entry Draft, Dagenais followed in the footsteps of his father, former NHL forward Pierre Dagenais, who was also a first-overall pick in the QMJHL. Throughout the season, Maddox showcased the size, skill, puck protection, and finishing ability that have made him one of the top prospects available for the 2026 NHL Draft.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dagenais also represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, where he was one of four QMJHL players selected for the event and recorded one assist. He also stood out at the QMJHL Prospects Game, scoring in regulation before adding the shootout winner. His continued development has solidified his status as one of the most promising young power forwards in the Canadian Hockey League.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carels, Reid and Dagenais are finalists for the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award, given annually to the top CHL player eligible for the NHL Draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/09112309\/1920x1080-Nominees8.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47902,"date":"2026-06-09T16:08:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47902"},"modified":"2026-06-09T16:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:08:32","slug":"ravensbergen-fetterolf-and-guimond-named-finalists-for-chls-2025-26-goaltender-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/ravensbergen-fetterolf-and-guimond-named-finalists-for-chls-2025-26-goaltender-of-the-year","title":{"rendered":"Ravensbergen, Fetterolf, and Guimond named finalists for CHL\u2019s 2025-26 Goaltender of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joshua Ravensbergen<\/strong> of the Prince George Cougars (WHL), Ryder Fetterolf<\/strong> of the Ottawa 67\u2019s (OHL), and Rudy Guimond<\/strong> of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) have been named the three finalists for the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award, presented annually to the top goaltender in the Canadian Hockey League.<\/span><\/p>\n

The finalists for the award are determined by the recipients of each Member League\u2019s top goaltender honour, including the WHL\u2019s Del Wilson Memorial Trophy, the OHL\u2019s Jim Rutherford Trophy, and the QMJHL\u2019s Patrick-Roy Trophy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The recipient of the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award will be announced at the 2026 CHL Awards ceremony on Monday, June 15, in Toronto, Ont.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award has been won by many sttandout netminders<\/span><\/a>, including Trevor Kidd (Brandon Wheat Kings \/ WHL), Jocelyn Thibault (Sherbrooke Faucons \/ QMJHL), Martin Biron (Beauport Harfangs \/ QMJHL), Ray Emery (Soo Greyhounds \/ OHL), Cam Ward (Red Deer Rebels \/ WHL), Carey Price (Tri-City Americans \/ WHL), Jake Allen (Drummondville Voltigeurs \/ QMJHL), Dustin Wolf (Everett Silvertips \/ WHL), William Rousseau (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies \/ QMJHL), and most recently Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers \/ OHL).<\/span><\/p>\n

WHL Nominee \u2014 Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George Cougars)<\/b><\/a>
\n32-13-0-0 record, 2.51 GAA, .919 SV% & 4 SO in 46 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joshua Ravensbergen became the first Prince George Cougars goaltender to capture the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy, and just the third netminder in franchise history to earn the honour, joining Grant Fuhr (1980-81) and Kevin Eastman (1979-80), who accomplished the feat while the franchise was located in Victoria.<\/span><\/p>\n

The San Jose Sharks prospect finished the 2025-26 WHL season with a 32-13-0-0 record, a 2.51 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and four shutouts. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound netminder from North Vancouver, B.C., ranked first in the WHL in both wins and save percentage, tied for second in shutouts, and placed fourth in goals-against average<\/span><\/p>\n

Named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team, Ravensbergen helped Prince George record a third consecutive 40-win season, as the Cougars finished third in the WHL\u2019s Western Conference with a 44-22-0-2 record. In 25 of his 46 appearances, Ravensbergen allowed two goals or fewer, while three of his four shutouts came on the road.<\/span><\/p>\n

Undrafted into the WHL, Ravensbergen has become one of the league\u2019s top goaltending stories over the last three seasons. He owns a 91-30-4-2 record, a 2.68 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and 10 shutouts across 135 career WHL regular-season appearances. Selected 30th overall by San Jose in the 2025 NHL Draft, Ravensbergen also represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping his country earn a bronze medal<\/span><\/p>\n

Should he win the CHL honour, Ravensbergen would become the first Prince George Cougars player to capture the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award.<\/span><\/p>\n

OHL Nominee \u2014 Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67’s)<\/b><\/a>
\n29-9-2-1 record, 2.07 GAA, .923 SV% & 6 SO in 41 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signed by Ottawa as an undrafted free agent last summer, Ryder Fetterolf quickly emerged as one of the OHL\u2019s top goaltenders during a historic rookie campaign with the 67\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 18-year-old from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, finished the regular season with a 29-9-2-1 record, a franchise-record 2.07 goals-against average, and a CHL-leading .923 save percentage. His six shutouts also set a new OHL record for the most by a rookie goaltender in a single season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fetterolf\u2019s 2.07 goals-against average led the CHL and stands as the fifth-lowest single-season mark by an OHL goaltender in league history. It also ranks as the second-best single-season GAA ever recorded by an OHL rookie, behind only Ryan MacDonald of the London Knights, who posted a 2.06 mark in 2003-04.<\/span><\/p>\n

By also leading the CHL in save percentage, Fetterolf became just the second rookie since 1997-98 to top the league in both goals-against average and save percentage while playing at least 40 per cent of his team\u2019s minutes and more than 1,600 minutes. The only other rookie to accomplish that feat over that span was Evan Gardner of the Saskatoon Blades in 2023-24.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fetterolf earned OHL Rookie of the Month honours in October before later being named both the league\u2019s top rookie and top goaltender for the month of March. He also shared the Dave Pinkney Trophy with Jaeden Nelson as the OHL\u2019s lowest goals-against tandem and received the F.W. \u201cDinty\u201d Moore Trophy as the rookie goaltender with the league\u2019s lowest goals-against average.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fetterolf became just the second Ottawa 67\u2019s goaltender to win the Jim Rutherford Trophy, joining Craig Hillier, who earned the honour in 1995-96. He is also the first American-born goaltender to receive the award since Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers in 2013-14, and the first rookie goaltender in his first two years of OHL eligibility to be named the league\u2019s Goaltender of the Year.<\/span><\/p>\n

If selected as the CHL\u2019s top goaltender, Fetterolf would become the first Ottawa 67\u2019s player to win the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award. He would also become only the second rookie\/first-year CHL goaltender to capture the CHL honour \u2014 and the first in 31 years \u2014 following Martin Biron (Beauport Harfangs \/ QMJHL, 1994-95). Fetterolf would also become just the third American-born netminder to win the award, joining Michael Houser (London Knights \/ OHL, 2011-12) and Dustin Wolf (Everett Silvertips \/ WHL, 2019-20).<\/span><\/p>\n

QMJHL Nominee \u2014 Rudy Guimond (Moncton Wildcats)<\/b><\/a>
\n40-7-1-2 record, 2.27 GAA, .922 SV% & 3 SO in 50 GP during the 2025-26 season<\/i><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Rudy Guimond captured the QMJHL\u2019s Patrick-Roy Trophy after a dominant season in which he established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the CHL.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Detroit Red Wings prospect led all QMJHL goaltenders in wins (40), goals-against average (2.27), save percentage (.922), and minutes played (2,990). He also ranked third in games played with 50 and fifth in shutouts with three, helping guide Moncton to a second consecutive QMJHL regular-season championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guimond\u2019s 40 wins led both the QMJHL and CHL in 2025-26, making him the first CHL goaltender to reach the 40-win mark since Dustin Wolf recorded 41 victories with the Everett Silvertips in 2018-19. His total is tied for the 11th-most by a goaltender in a single season in QMJHL history and stands as the highest mark by a QMJHL netminder since Alex Dubeau won 41 games with Moncton in 2014-15.<\/span><\/p>\n

A model of consistency throughout the year, Guimond became just the sixth QMJHL goaltender since 2000 to record a 40-win season. He also concludes his QMJHL career with a league-record 2.14 career goals-against average, surpassing the previous mark of 2.31 set by Colten Ellis in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

With his combination of poise, athleticism, and technical consistency, Guimond leaves the QMJHL as one of the league\u2019s most accomplished goaltenders of the modern era.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should he win the CHL honour, Guimond would become the first Moncton Wildcats player to capture the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ravensbergen, Fetterolf, and Guimond are finalists for the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award, honouring the CHL\u2019s top goalie.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/09104819\/1920x1080-Nominees2.jpg",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47901,"date":"2026-06-09T15:59:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T19:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47901"},"modified":"2026-06-09T16:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:01:50","slug":"ravensbergen-and-carels-nominated-fo-chl-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/ravensbergen-and-carels-nominated-fo-chl-awards","title":{"rendered":"Ravensbergen and Carels Nominated for CHL Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE. BC –\u00a0<\/strong>The Canadian Hockey League announced today that goaltender and San Jose Sharks prospect Josh Ravensbergen and draft-eligible defenceman Carson Carels have been nominated for CHL Awards.<\/p>\n

For Ravensbergen, he has been nominated for the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year. Ravensbergen was the receipent of the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy, awarded to the WHL’s goaltender of the year. Ravensbergen posted another outstanding season in Cougars colours which saw him sport a 32-13-0-0 record. Those 32 wins was the most by any WHL goaltender on the campaign. He also led the league in save percentage (.919). The other goaltenders nominated are Rudy Guimond (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL), and Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67’s, OHL).<\/p>\n

For Carels, he has been nominated for the 2026 Top Draft Prospect Award. Carels owned a monster sophomore season with the Cougars, compiling 73 points in 58 games. Carels was ranked as high as #3 on NHL Central Scouting’s rankings. The two other nominees for the CHL Top Prospect award is Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds, OHL) and Maddox Dagenais (Quebec Remparts, QMJHL).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE. BC –\u00a0The Canadian Hockey League announced today that goaltender and San Jose Sharks prospect Josh Ravensbergen and draft-eligible defenceman Carson Carels have been nominated for CHL Awards. For Ravensbergen, he has been nominated for the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year. Ravensbergen was the receipent of the Del Wilson Memorial Trophy, awarded…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2026\/03\/31154453\/KD11.05.25-3rd-Period-26-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47897,"date":"2026-06-09T13:35:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47897"},"modified":"2026-06-09T13:35:56","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:35:56","slug":"2026-nhl-draft-highlight-reels-arsenii-anisimov","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/video\/2026-nhl-draft-highlight-reels-arsenii-anisimov","title":{"rendered":"2026 NHL Draft Highlight Reels \u2013 Arsenii Anisimov"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[438],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-video","category-438","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/06\/08173613\/HR-1920-2.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47899,"date":"2026-06-09T13:35:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47899"},"modified":"2026-06-09T13:35:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:35:44","slug":"2025-nhl-draft-highlight-reels-carson-carels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/video\/2025-nhl-draft-highlight-reels-carson-carels","title":{"rendered":"2025 NHL Draft Highlight Reels \u2013 Carson Carels"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[438],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-video","category-438","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/06\/09102025\/HR-1920-3.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47894,"date":"2026-06-02T16:17:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47894"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:17:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:17:12","slug":"north-dakota-bound-carels-could-return-to-cougars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/north-dakota-bound-carels-could-return-to-cougars","title":{"rendered":"North Dakota-Bound Carels Could Return to Cougars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article by Ted Clarke – PG Citizen<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are\u00a0317 kilometres of highway between Cypress River, Man., the hometown of Carson Carels, and Grand Forks, N.D., where he\u2019s signed to play hockey next season for the University of North Dakota.<\/p>\n

That shaves about 20 hours of steady driving time to connect from his current home on the farm in southern Manitoba to Prince George, Carel\u2019s hockey home for the past two seasons with the Cougars.<\/p>\n

If his new NCAA address comes into play next season that 2 1\/2-hour trip will make it a lot easier for his parents, Ryan and Stacy, and the rest of the Carels clan to make the trip across the border to watch his games playing defence for the Fighting Hawks.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s still a remote chance Prince George fans could see Carels back for another season in the WHL. It all depends on which NHL team picks him in next month\u2019s draft and where that team decides would be best for his development.<\/p>\n

Ranked as a top-six-overall pick on most draft lists, Carels is sure to be among the first handful of players chosen at the first-round draft proceedings Buffalo, N.Y. on June 26.<\/p>\n

It was announced May 18 that Carels has committed to North Dakota for next season, coming off a spectacular 17-year-old season with the Cougars in which he scored 20 goals and had 73 points in just 58 games and maintained a point-per-game pace in the playoffs with a goals and nine assists.<\/p>\n

It may seem inevitable that\u00a0he\u2019ll be joining his Cougars teammate Bauer Dumanski on that North Dakota team this fall. But Carels says if he signs this year with the NHL team that drafts him that could still mean he will be wearing a Cougar jersey again in 2026-27.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the draft still so undetermined there a chance I could sign and be back there (in Prince George), so you never really know, it\u2019s just a waiting game honestly,\u201d said Carels.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A CHL-NHL agreement specifies that signed NHL players aged 18 or 19 who do not make the active roster and play fewer than 10 NHL games must be returned to their junior team. They aren\u2019t allowed to play on any other pro team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I sign with them and have an NHL contract then I\u2019ll play the games they allow me or try to make the NHL and obviously if I don\u2019t work out in the NHL I\u2019ll be sent back to Prince George and play there and have another great season with the team and try to bring it back to PG and go for it,\u201d Carels said.<\/p>\n

As a Cougars fan favourite, Carels led the team into the playoffs seeded third in the Western Conference. After dispatching the Spokane Chiefs in a seven-game opening round series the Cougars\u2019 season ended with a six-game series loss to the Penticton Vees.<\/p>\n

If he doesn\u2019t return for a third season he says he\u2019ll miss the thrill of stepping out onto the ice at a sold-out CN Centre to feel the chills running down his spine. The Cougars ranked second in the WHL for attendance during their 13-game playoff run and the fans made the rink an exciting place to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s why Prince George is probably the best hockey town in the WHL,\u201d Carels said. \u201cJust all the fans support us and know who we are and it\u2019s just a great fan base. It\u2019s a professional environment and it has that small-town vibe too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know where it will take me to next year but I hope it\u2019s somewhere I\u2019m appreciated as much as I was in Prince George,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d be more than happy to go back and do it for those fans and those people again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Victoria Royals lost five players to the NCAA during the off-season in 2025, including forward Cole Reschny (picked by the Calgary Flames 18th overall in the 2025 NHL draft) and defenceman Keaton Verhoeff (projected as a top-three draft pick this year). Both bolted to North Dakota. The Royals also were powerless to stop defenceman Justin Kipkie (Arizona State) and forwards Teydon Trembecky (Michigan Tech) and Nate Misskey (UMass-Lowell) from signing with NCAA teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the new life we\u2019re living, it really sucks,\u201d said Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb. \u201cI have no idea what\u2019s going to happen, nobody does. When you don\u2019t have anything in your control you just have to play it out and let things happen and hope for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Players who sign an entry-level NHL contract are ineligible to play in the NCAA, and that\u2019s what the Cougars are hoping will happen with Carels. At least then they\u2019ll have a shot at getting him back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he\u2019s going to school he can\u2019t attend an NHL camp,\u201d said Lamb. \u201cWhat we need is a team that thinks he can play in the NHL right now and wants to see. Give him the nine games, that type of thing. Other than that, that\u2019s when the schools come in. They don\u2019t sign a contract, so they can\u2019t play pro.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carels was picked 15th overall by the Cougars in the WHL Prospects Draft and fit in right away when he joined the Cougars full-time from Pilot Mound Academy in Manitoba just before the playoffs in 2024. He played regular shifts as the Cougars advanced to the Western Conference championship, which they lost in six games to Portland.<\/p>\n

He thrived under coaching of Lamb and Jim Playfair who have been mouding him into a hard-hitting two-way defenceman.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all the little habits (Playfair) wanted to focus on, it wasn\u2019t anything I was doing wrong or anything, it was just reminders and obviously he taught me the game and take care of my end zone and it helped be who I am as player today,\u201d said Carels.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark, too, has helped me in so many ways. He has so much experience and I earned so much from him. You can\u2019t get any better than those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carels leaps off the charts for his ability to make quick decisions to find open ice and thread bullet passes to open forwards and he\u2019s known for closing ground quickly in the defensive zone to defuse scoring chances.<\/p>\n

Carels, who turns 18 on June 23, finished high school a year early and is ready to step into the general studies program at North Dakota. With Dumanski, the former Cougar captain, also heading there, Carels won\u2019t have to go looking for a roommate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I do end up going there I\u2019ll be with my best bud and my roomie and I can imagine we\u2019re going to room together again and keep growing that connection,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be real exciting and I\u2019m really proud of him, to play hockey and get an education at such a good school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carels, his brother and three sisters live on a 2,000-acre farm near Cypress River with 500 head of cattle to look after and now is calving season so there no shortage of chores to do. Aside from the NHL draft he\u2019s also looking forward to attending Canada\u2019s world junior camp that starts July 28 in Windsor, Ont. As a 17-year-old playing in a 19-year-old tournament, Carels helped Canada win the bronze medal at this year\u2019s championship in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be with my age group this year so I\u2019ll obviously have a bigger role with the team and we\u2019ll try our best to bring home the gold and kind of start getting on that winning streak for Canada,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Article by Ted Clarke – PG Citizen There are\u00a0317 kilometres of highway between Cypress River, Man., the hometown of Carson Carels, and Grand Forks, N.D., where he\u2019s signed to play hockey next season for the University of North Dakota. That shaves about 20 hours of steady driving time to connect from his current home on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47895,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2026\/06\/02153427\/PGC_7357-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47890,"date":"2026-06-01T13:48:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47890"},"modified":"2026-06-01T13:48:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:48:43","slug":"carels-and-lemire-in-buffalo-for-2026-nhl-scouting-combine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/carels-and-lemire-in-buffalo-for-2026-nhl-scouting-combine","title":{"rendered":"Carels and Lemire in Buffalo for 2026 NHL Scouting Combine"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC –\u00a0<\/strong>Carson Carels and Kayden Lemire are two of 90 prospects that are in Buffalo, NY for the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine.<\/p>\n

The Combine, which will run June 1-6, provides the 32\u00a0NHL teams with physical and medical assessments of the top prospects ahead of the 2026 draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo June 26-27.<\/p>\n

There will be 56 forwards, 29 defensemen, and five goalies attending the combine. All are listed in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings of North American and International skaters and goaltenders.<\/p>\n

Teams can have 1-on-1 interviews with prospects at KeyBank Center from June 1-5. The medical examinations will take place June 3, the Maximal VO2 bike test and isokinetic squat test, which is new to the Combine, will take place June 5, and the remaining eight of the 12 fitness tests will occur at HarborCenter on June 6 (standing height\/wingspan, horizontal jump, force plate vertical jumps, bench press, pro agility test, pull ups, 10-meter sprint, Wingate Cycle Ergometer test). The 10-meter sprint, also new to the Combine, will be conducted in conjunction with the pro agility test.<\/p>\n

Carson Carels (6-2, 198), No. 3 among North American skaters, finished with 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games with the Cougars this past season. He was a finalist for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL defenceman of the year. Carels was also awarded the Eric Brewer Defenceman of the Year for the Cougars and was named a co-winner of the Dan Hamhuis Most Valubale Player Award (Carels and Josh Ravensbergen).<\/p>\n

For Lemire, he also burst onto the scene in his sophomore season with the Cougars. The Edmonton, AB product owned 29 points (9-20-29) and played the full 68 game regular season. The 6’4 forward was ranked #58 on NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings.<\/p>\n

Carels and Lemire are two of five Cougars from the 2025-26 season that were named to NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings. Dmitri Yakutsenak, Brock Souch, and Arsenii Anisimov were also named to that list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC –\u00a0Carson Carels and Kayden Lemire are two of 90 prospects that are in Buffalo, NY for the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine. The Combine, which will run June 1-6, provides the 32\u00a0NHL teams with physical and medical assessments of the top prospects ahead of the 2026 draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo June…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2026\/06\/01134747\/Combine-2026.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47887,"date":"2026-05-29T13:55:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T17:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47887"},"modified":"2026-05-29T14:04:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:04:53","slug":"carson-janko-signs-whl-scholarship-and-development-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/carson-janko-signs-whl-scholarship-and-development-agreement","title":{"rendered":"Carson Janko Signs WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC \u2013<\/strong> The Prince George Cougars<\/span><\/span> are pleased to announce the signing of forward Carson Janko (2010) to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.<\/p>\n

Janko was originally selected by the Cougars eighth overall in the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.<\/p>\n

The Highland Village, Texas product spent the 2025\u201326 season with the Dallas Stars Elite 16U AAA program, where he registered 34 points (10G\u201324A) in 50 games played.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarson signing a Development Agreement is a big step and a testament to where our organization is at,\u201d said Cougars Director of Player Personnel Bob Simmonds. \u201cCarson comes out of the Dallas Jr. Stars program and brings a lot of potential. We are excited to welcome him back to training camp and expect him to continue building on a strong season.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Prince George Cougars<\/span><\/span> would like to congratulate Carson and his family on this exciting achievement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC \u2013 The Prince George Cougars are pleased to announce the signing of forward Carson Janko (2010) to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Janko was originally selected by the Cougars eighth overall in the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft. The Highland Village, Texas product spent the 2025\u201326 season with the Dallas Stars…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2026\/05\/29140150\/Janko-Website.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47884,"date":"2026-05-26T14:31:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T18:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47884"},"modified":"2026-05-26T14:31:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T18:31:27","slug":"cougars-sign-william-thompson-to-whl-scholarship-and-development-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/cougars-sign-william-thompson-to-whl-scholarship-and-development-agreement","title":{"rendered":"Cougars Sign William Thompson to WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC \u2014<\/strong> The Prince George Cougars have signed 2011-born forward William Thompson to a Western Hockey League Scholarship and Development Agreement. Thompson was the Cougars\u2019 first selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft (2nd Round, 41st Overall).<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-1, 162-pound forward spent the 2025\u201326 season with the North Shore Warriors U15 Prep program, serving as team captain. In 50 games, he recorded 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points, along with 46 penalty minutes. He also added seven points (3G, 4A) in three playoff games and earned a call-up to the North Shore U17 team, posting one goal and two assists in three appearances.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super excited to join such a great organization,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cThe coaching staff and general manager reached out after the draft. I\u2019m excited to meet the guys and get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWill is a big body and a responsible two-way player,\u201d said Cougars Director of Player Personnel Bob Simmonds. \u201cHis defensive game is just as strong as his offensive ability. He has excellent detail for a young player and a lot of upside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were surprised he was still available at 41,\u201d added Cougars Director of Scouting Leland Mack. \u201cHe\u2019s a talented two-way centre with size who fits well into our draft class. We\u2019re excited to see him at training camp.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC \u2014 The Prince George Cougars have signed 2011-born forward William Thompson to a Western Hockey League Scholarship and Development Agreement. Thompson was the Cougars\u2019 first selection in the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft (2nd Round, 41st Overall). The 6-foot-1, 162-pound forward spent the 2025\u201326 season with the North Shore Warriors U15 Prep program,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2026\/05\/26142332\/Thompson-Signed.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":47880,"date":"2026-05-21T13:55:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47880"},"modified":"2026-05-21T13:55:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:55:45","slug":"former-cougars-set-to-battle-in-echl-eastern-conference-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/former-cougars-set-to-battle-in-echl-eastern-conference-final","title":{"rendered":"Former Cougars Set to Battle in ECHL Eastern Conference Final"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC – <\/strong>The road to the Kelly Cup Final will feature a strong Prince George connection.<\/p>\n

Former Prince George Cougars players Taylor Gauthier and Cole Moberg are set to face off in the ECHL Eastern Conference Final, as Gauthier\u2019s Wheeling Nailers take on Moberg and the Florida Everblades in what promises to be an exciting series.<\/p>\n

Gauthier, who spent parts of five seasons with the Cougars, has continued to build his professional career between the pipes. Known for his athleticism and compete level during his time in Prince George, the Calgary, Alberta product has become a key part of Wheeling\u2019s playoff run.<\/p>\n

\"\"On the other side, Moberg has played an important role on the Everblades blue line. The towering defenceman suited up for the Cougars from 2019-2022 and quickly became a fan favourite with his physical style, steady defensive presence, and offensive ability. Florida enters the series looking to continue their pursuit of another Kelly Cup championship.<\/p>\n

\"\"

S<\/p><\/div>\n

To celebrate the exciting alumni showdown, the Cougars are also launching a new game-worn auction featuring a game-used Taylor Gauthier blocker and glove from his time in Prince George.<\/p>\n

Fans looking to own a unique piece of Cougars history can place their bids now HERE.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Prince George Cougars teammates Taylor Gauthier and Cole Moberg will face off for a trip to the Kelly Cup Final as the ECHL Eastern Conference Final gets underway.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":47883,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":false,"class_list":["post-47880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-437","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2026\/05\/21135527\/BCP_5402-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]