SERIES PREVIEW: Spokane Chiefs (8) vs. Prince George Cougars (1)

It’s as enticing a First-Round matchup as you could ask for.

The one-seed Prince George Cougars, fresh off the winningest season in the team’s history in the Northern Capital, will take on the eight-seed Spokane Chiefs, another high-scoring team that managed to tie the regular season series at 2-1-1-0.

Every game but one was decided by a single goal, two of which came in overtime.

The Cougars scored the second-most goals of any WHL team with 316, led by Washington Capitals prospect and CHL goals leader Zac Funk.

Funk, Minnesota Wild prospect Riley Heidt and 2024 NHL Entry Draft-eligible Terik Parascak all surpassed the 100-point plateau, while fellow top prospect Berkly Catton and Conner Roulette hit triple digits for Spokane.

Prince George Captain Hudson Thornton matched last season’s 74 points while standout rookie netminder Joshua Ravensbergen was among the top goalies in the league, allowing the second-fewest goals in the WHL.

On the flip side, Dawson Cowan earned an invitation to the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game after a strong showing to open the season.

The Cougars and Chiefs have met in the postseason three times- most recently in the 1999-2000 season, where Spokane defeated Prince George in five games to advance to the WHL final.

STAT PACK

*As the Victoria Cougars

Regular Season Series: Tied 2-1-1-0
December 2, 2023- Prince George 6, Spokane 3
January 26, 2024- Prince George 3, Spokane 4
March 1, 2024- Spokane 5, Prince George 4 (OT)
March 2, 2024- Spokane 4, Prince George 5 (OT)

GAME BREAKERS

Prince George Cougars: Zac Funk wasn’t just the top goal-scorer in the WHL with 67 tallies this season- he led the entire CHL. The newly-signed Washington Capitals prospect finished three points behind Jagger Firkus for the WHL’s Bob Clarke Trophy and CHL points title with 123. He also has 31 powerplay goals, nine game-winners and an astounding eight hat tricks. The Coldstream, B.C. product had four goals and an assist in four meetings against Spokane in 2023-24. Funk looks to extend his regular-season success to playoffs, where he had five goals and three assists in 10 games for the Cougars last year.

Spokane Chiefs: Top 2024 NHL Entry Draft prospect Berkly Catton has been the guy for Spokane from the jump. Catton finished third in the WHL goals race with 54, fourth in the points race with 116 and led the league with seven shorthanded markers. The Saskatoon, Sask. centreman led his team with five goals and three assists in four regular-season matches against Prince George. The projected first-round pick returns to the postseason after a one-year absence. He was held pointless in four playoff games in his rookie campaign in 2022.

GOALTENDING

Prince George Cougars: Impressive rookie Joshua Ravensbergen took the league by storm, leading all first-year netminders with a 26-4-1-1 record and league-leading six shutouts. His 2.46 goals-against average put him fourth in the league, while his .907 save percentage was sixth. The 17-year-old was named Kal Tire WHL Rookie of the Week once, Giuseppe WHL Goaltender of the Week twice, and WHL Goaltender of the Month once this season. This series will mark Ravensbergen’s WHL playoff debut. Ravensbergen only faced the Chiefs in one game in the regular season, a 5-4 overtime loss for the Cougars on March 1.

Spokane Chiefs: Dawson Cowan saw a lot of rubber in his first season as the Chiefs’ starter. The 2024 NHL Entry Draft prospect posted an 18-20-2-1 record, a 3.59 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. The 18-year-old was named Giuseppe WHL Goaltender of the Week in late November after a 2-1-0-0 run, a 2.00 goals-against average, a .942 save percentage, a goal and an assist against the top-ranked Portland Winterhawks. Cowan went 1-0-0-0 in his lone appearance against Prince George in the regular season, turning aside 30 shots in a 5-4 overtime win for Spokane.

X FACTOR

Prince George Cougars: Rookie scoring leader Terik Parascak stunned with 43 goals and 62 assists for 105 points and a +49 rating in his first full WHL season. He also led first-year players with 12 powerplay goals, four shorthanded goals and seven game-winners. However, Parascak was relatively quiet against Spokane with a goal and two assists in the regular season. Can the 2024 NHL draft-eligible forward help the Cougars continue one of its most successful seasons ever?

Spokane Chiefs: Spokane was quietly the seventh-highest-scoring team in the WHL with 268 goals- more than half of which came from Catton and linemate Conner Roulette. Roulette is enjoying a career-best season that’s seen him score 45 goals and add 63 assists for 108 points. With Roulette and Catton taking the offensive reigns, the Chiefs have become one of three teams to boast multiple 100-plus point players and one of five teams with two 40-plus goal-scorers. The Winnipeg, Man. product earned eight assists against Prince George in the regular season. This marks Roulette’s final season in the WHL, and he’ll lean on his 43 games of postseason experience to help his side battle the top-ranked Cougars.

*- If necessary