2020-21 WHL Season Preview: Prince George Cougars

As the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season comes to fruition, we preview each of the Clubs that will compete in an unprecedented divisional format featuring a 24-game schedule.

General Manager & Head Coach: Mark Lamb
2019-20 Record: 20-34-4-4, 48 points
2019-20 Divisional Finish: Fifth Place (B.C.)
2019-20 Top Scorers: LW Josh Maser (29-19–48); D Cole Moberg (13-24–37); D Ryan Schoettler (3-31–33)

2020-21 – 20-year-olds: C Ilijah Colina (9-15–25); D Jack Sander (4-24–28)
2020-21 – Season Opener: Saturday, March 27 – Kamloops Blazer at Prince George Cougars

Last Game: Saturday, March 7, 2020 – Giants (3) at Cougars (4) OT

Overview: During the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season, the Prince George Cougars took the B.C. Division by storm winning 45 games and capturing the division. In the three years since 2016, the Cougars have struggled, finishing last place in the division every year since winning the banner.

The Cougars want to change those fortunes and guiding the Cougars this season is a combined 1,411 games of NHL experience split between Head Coach Mark Lamb and Associate Coach Jason Smith. The duo will have new options this year with the addition of four 16-year-olds sliding into the Cougars lineup. 2019 WHL Draft third and fourth overall picks, Keaton Dowhaniuk and Koehn Ziemmer as well as fellow 16-year-olds Jaren Brinson and Kyren Gronick will all have opportunity and ice time once the Cougars start playing in the Okanagan.

Returning to the Cougars are several veterans who will be leaned on to take another step this season. 20-year-old Ilijah Colina is poised for an offensive explosion while Tyson Upper and Connor Bowie both need to provide more offence for the Cougars this season. On the backend Ethan Samson and Majid Kaddoura will each be given more responsibility and opportunity once the puck drops on March 27 in Kamloops.

Key Players: 20-year-old Jack Sander was named captain of the Cougars on Wednesday afternoon, after enjoying a breakout season last year recording 28 points (4G-24A), 21 more than the previous season.

Centre Ethan Browne will be counted on to provide and create offensive opportunities for the Cougars this season. Browne was limited to only 36 games last season where he recorded 19 points (5G-14A) but the 2016 WHL Draft first-round pick has shown he can produce after recording 31 points (9G-22A) in his 17-year-old season.

In the blue paint is a familiar face for the Cougars – World Junior silver medalist Taylor Gauthier. Gauthier finished the 2019-20 campaign as the only goaltender in the WHL to have faced over 1,500 shots while having a save percentage over .900 (.917) and a goals-against average under 3.00 (2.93). Last season, Gauthier faced an average of 33 shots a night and has faced on average of 31 shots a night in his WHL career. This season, Gauthier will be counted on to be his best every night to provide leadership and stability to a developing Cougars defence.

Tidbits: Riley Heidt, the Cougars’ first pick the 2020 WHL Draft is also on the roster as an affiliate player. Heidt, the second-overall selection, started this season with the Saskatoon Contacts in the Saskatchewan Male Under-18 AAA Hockey League. He was third in team scoring with 10 points (3G, 7A) in six games.

Here it is, our roster for the 2020-21 season.????#GameOn | #WHL

DETAILS ???? https://t.co/GC4BwDM6Ez pic.twitter.com/bOX1HPx4h9

— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) March 10, 2021