Sports

Cougars looking to *.
build on last season

COUGAR |

Brady Stark
Team Member

he Prince George Cougars made a
monumental shift on and off the ice
last year by revamping the team’s image in

the community, as well as improving their
standings in the WHL with a playoff berth
and their first playoff win in 8 years. But,
according to team president Greg Pocock,
the team and organization is no comfortable
with the status quo. The Cougars are poised
to make waves in the WHL this year by not
only gaining another playoff berth, but also
making a deep run in the playoffs. Here are
the 4 keys to the Cougars making it to the
Promised Land and beyond.

The Cougars had an amazing showing at
the 2015 NHL Entry draft in Sunrise, Florida
in June by having 4 of their players drafted
to NHL teams. Jansen Harkins got the party
started by becoming a Winnipeg Jet early in
the 2nd round. Sam Ruopp was drafted this
year by going to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Brad Morrison got to taste a bite of the Big
Apple when the Rangers selected him in the
middle of the draft. Last but certainly not
least was the Vancouver Canucks making

sure that their relationship between them
and the Cougars was as strong as ever by
selecting Tate Olson late in the draft. Now,
it’s all well and good to get drafted, but
why is this a key to the Cougars success this
season? The answer lies in experience. The
drafted player have to now take what they
learned from players like the Sedins, Rick
Nash, Ryan Johansen, and Andrew Ladd
and apply their mentality and lessons to
the WHL season. Being in a NHL training
camp gives you invaluable tools to bring
back to you minor league club and share
them with your teammates and coaching
staff. All four of these drafted players need
to build off of what they have already
accomplished to lead their team on and off
the ice. If these players do not step up for
the Cougars, the season might be in Jeopardy
and their professional careers might be
over before they really even started.

Veteran leadership showing the way:
As most fans of the CHL know, their team
can only have three overage players on the
roster per year. It is up to players like Chase
Witala to be a rock for the younger players to
look up to and try to gain experience from.
Witala has the added experience this year of

being able to go to the Dallas Stars training
camp and play with the likes of Spezza,
Benn, and Seguin before coming back to
Prince George for his final year. Witala made
huge strides last year on the ice when he
was part of the dangerous duo of him and
Harkins that dominated the offensive zone.
Witala has to make sure that he keeps up
his offensive flare, while building on a more
balanced game, which includes making sure
that he sets a good professional conduct
example for the younger players. This will
be his time to show what he is really made
of and work alongside Harkins and Ruopp
to lead the Cougars to a successful season.

Justin Almeida is just 16 years old, but that
doesn’t mean that he won’t be counted on to
chip in offensively this season. Bursting onto
the scene during the Canada Winter Games,
Almeida has shown fans that he has the skill
and the drive to become an elite player in
the WHL. His puck handling ability reminds
us of Brad Morrison, his skating is akin to
the likes of Hamhuis or Connelly, and his
vision is quickly becoming similar to Jansen
Harkins’ view of the ice. Despite the fact that
he is still a year away from being eligible
for the NHL draft, Almeida needs to prove

whL.ca

that scouts should be looking at him as he
becomes a staple of the new-look Cougars.

Ty Edmonds is the quintessential Jekyll
and Hyde type of goalie; when he is on his
game, there are few better in the CHL, but
when he is off his game, a beach ball could
get by him. Edmonds had the opportunity
to show Cougars fans and NHL scouts alike
that he was the reason that the team went
anywhere at all last year, but unfortunately
there were some games where the team
had to bail him out. He needs to work with
the goalie coach to make sure that he is
controlling his rebounds and cutting off the
angles so he doesn’t flop around and get
flustered like so many goalies do. Edmonds
needs to make sure that he can see most
of the shots that are coming, challenging
the shooter, and being consistent with
his play if the Cougars are to have any
chance of making the playoffs this year.

The Cougars are continuing to turn this
once failing franchise into a team that
fans and players alike are wanting to take
pride in once again. As long as these 4
key items are met, the Cougars are going
to be playing well into the playoffs.