[{"id":47874,"date":"2026-05-13T15:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/?p=47874"},"modified":"2026-05-13T15:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:54:10","slug":"william-thompson-excited-for-future-with-the-prince-george-cougars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-cougars\/article\/william-thompson-excited-for-future-with-the-prince-george-cougars","title":{"rendered":"William Thompson Excited for Future with the Prince George Cougars"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRINCE GEORGE, BC – <\/strong>Prince George Cougars fans are getting their first look at a highly competitive and skilled forward after the club selected Will Thompson with the 41st overall pick in the second round of the 2026 WHL Prospects Draft.<\/p>\n

The 6\u20191\u201d forward captained the U15 North Shore Warriors this past season and put together an impressive offensive campaign, recording 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 30 games. Beyond the numbers, Thompson prides himself on being a dependable two-way centre with a strong hockey IQ and relentless competitiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a centre who can score and has a high hockey IQ,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cI\u2019m very competitive and work very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Thompson, hearing his name called by Prince George was a moment he will never forget \u2014 even if he almost missed it entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I was actually on the ice when it happened,\u201d Thompson laughed. \u201cI had a practice, so as soon as I got off I had like 100 missed calls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the excitement settled in, the newest Cougars prospect quickly realized what kind of organization he was joining.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super excited to go to such a great organization,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cThe coaching staff and the GM all reached out. It seems like a great organization. I\u2019m super excited to meet the guys and get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson\u2019s season with the Warriors showcased steady growth and development. While the year began slowly, both he and his team found another level as the season progressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a bit of a slow start, but as the season went on we got more comfortable and picked it up,\u201d he explained. \u201cNear the end of the year we did really well in one tournament and that kind of flipped the switch for us. We had a way better end to the year. It was kind of the same for me \u2014 I got more comfortable and just kept improving more and more through the year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leadership was another major part of Thompson\u2019s season. Serving as captain for the second time in his young career, he embraced the responsibility and helped guide a close-knit Warriors group throughout the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an honour this year,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cI enjoyed it with our team. We were like a family and brothers, so it honestly wasn\u2019t too hard. We pushed each other to be better every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

When describing his game, Thompson points to one of the NHL\u2019s premier two-way forwards as a player he models himself after.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say probably Anze Kopitar,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel like my game resembles a lot of his. A two-way centre that can make things happen and also has a very high hockey IQ.\u201d<\/p>\n