2012 Preseason Roster

After starting Training Camp with over 70 players, the Prince George Cougars have cut that number down to 32 ahead of this weekend’s trip to St. Albert.

The following players are still here:

GOALTENDERS (3):

Devon Fordyce (94)                                  

Brett Zarowny (95)

Ty Edmonds (96)

DEFENCEMEN (11):

Dan Gibb (92)

Dallas Ehrhardt (92)

Rinalds Rosinskis (94)

Michael Mylchreest (95)

Marc McNulty (95)

Joseph Carvalho (95)

Raymond Grewal (95)

Tanner Lishchynsky (95)

Jordan Harris (96)

Sam Ruopp (96)

Tate Olson (97)

FORWARDS (18):

Brock Hirsche (92)

Daulton Siwak (93)

Colin Jacobs (93)

John Odgers (93)

Caleb Belter (93)

Troy Bourke (94)

Jari Erricson (94)

Zach Pochiro (94)

Brett Roulston (94)

Alex Forsberg (95)

Chase Witala (95)

Jake Mykitiuk (95)

Jordan Tkatch (95)

Jarrett Fontaine (95)

Carson Bolduc (96)

Jansen Harkins (97)

Brad Morrison (97)

Aaron Boyd (97)

Thoughts?

Black and White Post-Game Audio:

Dean Clark:



Jason Becker:



Daulton Siwak:



Brock Hirsche:



Dallas Ehrhardt:

Young Guns Roster Announced.

Tonight's Young Guns roster is official:

Game Four - CHARA vs. HAMHUIS

- Here it is, the final scrimmage of the weekend, and the final opportunity for some of these prospects to impress the scouting staff. Tomorrow night there will be a Young Stars game played at CN Centre, and then some of these kids might even stick around for the trip to St. Albert next weekend.

- A terrific shift by Tate Olson results in a goal for Hamhuis. Olson centered a puck brilliantly through a few opposing sticks, right to the waiting Treavor Gagne who pots the first of the game. 1-0 Hamhuis leads Chara.

- Mitch Traichevich with an outstanding stop on Duncan Campbell. Jansen Harkins found him alone in front, but Traichevich stood tall to make the stop. still 1-0 Hamhuis. Five minutes to go in the first half.

-The final score of this one was 3-0 for Team Hamhuis. Regan Yew and Brad Morrison added goals in the second half to seal the deal for Hamhuis.

- I didn't live blog the second half for a very good reason, which I will explain in a later post. But for now, I'm going to go and soak up the final few hours of my weekend.

What a great experience it was this weekend, and here's to an exciting Young Stars game and Intrasquad game later this week.

GAME THREE - Chara vs. Hamhuis (Part Two)

- Zach Nedelec fires one from the right point that deflects in off the chest of a Hamhuis defender, it's 3-1 Chara.  20 minutes remaining. It's been a much more hotly contested defensive affair so far.

- Joshua Shank robs Brad Morrison from in close to keep the game at 3-1 for Team Chara. That was Morrison's best chance of the game so far.

- Tate Olson rings one off the goal post from point blank range, and Team Hamhuis starts to gain a little momentum. Joshua Shank continues to make some impressive saves.

- Alex Methorst helps bridge the gap with a nice goal from in close. Chara still leading 3-2, but Hamhuis is coming on strong.

- Tate Olson does a great job to break up a two-on-one for Team Hamhuis. Less than nine minutes remaining in this game. 3-2 Chara leading and looking for their first win of the weekend.

- Matt Jones comes oh so close to tying the score at three. He split through the D and just ran out of room. He celebrated like he scored, and then the very next shift Carson Bolduc rings one off the post. Joshua Shank is holding his team in this. Chara still up 3-2.

- Brad Morrison on a breakaway has tied the game at three. A beautiful backhand move.

- Joshus Shank denies Jagger Thomas from point blank range to keep the game tied at three. Hamhuis is on fire right now.

- We are tied three-three after two 35 minute halfs. Looks like a shootout.

HAMHUIS:

Carson Bolduc - SAVE
Brad Morrison - SAVE - hit post.

CHARA:

Jansen Harkins - GOAL - backhand
Chase McKersie - SAVE
Dylan McCann - GOAL - forehand

4-3 Final for Team Chara.

The next scrimmage goes tonight at 7 from CN Centre.

Game Three - CHARA VS. HAMHUIS (First Half)

- A much stronger start for Team Chara who are outshooting Hamhuis in the early going.

- They are rewarded for their efforts as Shane Collins scores on a shot from the right point. 1-0 Chara.

- Sam Ruopp ties the score at one after he pinched in from the point, and shoveled in a low back-hand shot past Matt Kustra. 1-1.

- Excellent puck pressure again from Team Chara, but Bailey DePalma continues to shut the door.

- Carson  Bolduc with some nice work alongside his linemate Matt Jones. They forced the puck back to Alex Gran who just missed on a point-shot from the left side.

- Great save by Bailey DePalma who keeps the game tied. He went from left to right, and robbed a two-on-one.

- Duncan Campbell has made it 2-1 for Team Chara after a great effort by Jansen Harkins in the corner to free the puck out front. Great to see Campbell back on the ice after an injury yesterday.

- Matt Jones continues to impress. He's listed at 5'8, 177 pounds but he skates well and is very strong on his feet.

 - BREAK! 2-1 Chara after the first half.

Wade Klippenstein Speaks.

Prince George Cougars Assistant GM/Director of Player Personnel, Wade Klippenstein shares his thoughts on what he saw during the first full day of scrimmaging at Prince George Cougars Training Camp:

TEAM CHARA VS. TEAM HAMHUIS (Game Two. Second Half)

- Heading into the second half, Team Hamhuis has a 3-1 lead. It will be interesting to see how Chara responds to start this frame. No doubt the likes of Jansen Harkins, Dylan McCann and Aaron Boyd will be looked upon to provide some offense and get Chara back into this game.

- Right on cue, Jansen Harkins scores on his first shift to make it 3-2 for Hamhuis. Harkins did all of the work as he skated down the right side, and was able to stuff the puck in on the short side.

- Tate Olson rings one off the goal post at the other end for Team Hamhuis. So far it's a much more back-and-forth period. 3-2 Hamhuis halfway through.

- Jagger Thomas has extended Hamhuis' lead with his second of the game. Great job by Carson Bolduc to create traffic in front.

- Sam Ruopp throws a big hit along the boards and keeps play onside for his team. Ruopp has quietly had himself two strong games today.

- A point shot  by Alex Gran was deflected in, quite possibly by Treavor Gagne. It's now 5-2 for Hamhuis.

- A nifty passing play by Ethan Waitzner and Zach Paxman results in a sixth Hamhuis goal. Paxman converted on a gorgeous pass from Waitzner.

- Brad Morrison takes a penalty shot for Team Hamhuis and makes a gorgeous drag move to increase the lead to 7-2 for Team Hamhuis. Brad Morrison has had a marvelous day at Cougars camp.

- Carson Bolduc strikes again, and once again he outwaited everybody with some dandy stick handling. I'd say that Bolduc has easily been the most pleasant surprise of today's games for me personally.

- Ethan Waitzner gets a penalty shot, and is stopped by Matt Kustra. Still 8-2 for Hamhuis.

- Hat-Trick for Morrison.  9-2

- Each squad converts once more. Paxman for Hamhuis and McKersie for Chara. 10-3 Final.

CHARA VS. HAMHUIS (Part Two. First Half)

- Chara wastes no time in getting on the board as Jordan Harris cleared the zone and Dylan McCann did the rest as he skated in from the left side and tucked one past the goaltender Mitchell Traichevich to make it 1-0 for Chara.

- A good start for Jansen Harkins as he shrugs off a check or two and then passes back to Stephen Wack for a point-shot. The shot was stopped, but it was a smart play all around. Lots of physicality early on too.

- Carson Bolduc continues his strong play, but unfortunately for him he was robbed by Joshua Shank after a nice backhand move towards the goal. 1-0 Chara.

- Joshua Shank to the rescue again as this time he denies Brad Morrison from in close.

- We're tied. Brad Morrison wins a race for a loose puck behind the Chara net, and slides a perfect pass out front to the waiting Jagger Thomas. 1-1 with 20 minutes remaining in the first half.

- Brad Morrison strikes again! Morrison put home a rebound in front of Joshua Shank, and Team Hamhuis has a 2-1 lead.

- Carson  Bolduc has padded the lead for Team Hamhuis. He puts home a very nice pass from Jagger Thomas. Once again the likes of Bolduc and Morrison continue to impress. 3-1 Hamhuis leads with 13 minutes to go in the first half.

- Dylan McCann showing some great wheels as he gets a pass and races in alone. Mitchell Trachevich shuts the door to keep the score 3-1 for Hamhuis.

- First half has come to an end. What a period for Brad Morrison and Jagger Thomas. Each had two points, and were dominant at times for Team Hamhuis.

BREAK!

Audio from Brad Morrison and Carson Bolduc.

Carson Bolduc scored the Game Winner in this morning's scrimmage:



Brad Morrison had a goal and an assist for Team Hamhuis:

Team CHARA vs. Team HAMHUIS (Second Half.)

- The intensity appears to have increased early on in the second half. The first great chance came off the stick of Shane Collins, who dinged one off the goalpost for Team Chara. Still 3-2 early on.

- Hamhuis comes close at the other end as Zach Paxman fires wide on a nice centering feed.

- Mitchell Traichevich and Joshua Shank are now in goal for their respective teams. Traichevich for Hamhuis, and Shank for Chara.

- Carson Bolduc showing some strong hands yet again as he stick handles through more guys. Joshua Shank robs him to keep the game at 3-2.

- Still awaiting our first goal of the second half. Credit the goaltenders for making saves, and the defense for keeping play largely to the outside.

- Brad Morrison with a tremendous pass in front to Matt Jones, but there is Joshua Shank to keep the game 3-2. Less than 13 minutes remaining in this one.

- Jansen Harkins busts through two defenceman but is denied point blank by Mitchell Traichevich. We're still at 3-2.

- Carson Bolduc converts top shelf after he dangles his way through more defenders. So far it's easily the top goal of Training Camp. 4-2 Hamhuis.

- Back comes Chara as Jansen Harkins makes no mistake in front of the net. Less than three minutes to go.

- Net empty for Chara.

- Game Over.


My personal Three (Four) Stars:

1) Carson Bolduc
2) Brad Morrison
3) Jordan Harris/Jansen Harkins

Team CHARA vs. Team HAMHUIS (Game One, First Half.)

Time for the first scrimmage of the 2012 Prince George Cougars Training Camp. My observations will be posted below:

- Good early pace to this game. No shots on goal, but these kids aren't afraid to throw their weight around.

- Matt Kustra with two solid saves early for Team Chara. Left a rebound, but made the stop in close with his right pad to keep the game tied.

- Brad Morrison centers a beautiful pass to Judd Repole in the slot. Repole one-times it home to give Hamhuis a 1-0 lead.

- Jordan Harris is an early standout for Team Chara. His patience, and positioning are strong early.

- Two quick goals at both sides. Chase McKersie appeared to score for Chara at the side of the goal, but less than a minute later Joe Falsetta capitalized for Hamhuis to make the score 2-1 for the Grey-shirts.

- So far Hamhuis is winning the puck possession battle. Matt Jones from Peoria, AZ has done some good things, and they just seem to be a little more in sync with each other here in the early going. 11 minutes remaining in the first half of this scrimmage.

- Carson Bolduc with some nifty stick handling around the Chara goal. He was able to maneuver his way through two defenders, but didn't pull the trigger. Nice to see Bolduc skating with some confidence though. Still 2-1 nearing the half-way point.

- Sam Houston has tied the game at two. A shot from the left point that found it's way through traffic. Jansen Harkins and Dylan McCann should get assists.

- Brad Morrison makes it 3-2 as he scores on a rebound off the stick of Alex Gran. The second assist on the play goes to Matt Jones.

BREAK!

Cougars Camp - "The Goalies"

The future has never been brighter as far goaltending is concerned for the Prince George Cougars. The management and scouting staff have worked tirelessly through the past three seasons to assemble a cast of young goaltenders who all have the potential to do great things in the Western Hockey League.

Last season it was a foregone conclusion that Drew Owsley was going to lead the Cougars into battle on most nights, but his departure to the University of St. FX means that a golden opportunity has now been presented to four young and talented netminders in the Prince George Cougars system.

DEVON FORDYCE - 1994, Cochrane, AB

It's strange to think that at age 18, Devon Fordyce is the elder statesmen of this current group of goaltenders. Fordyce won the backup job at last year's camp, and spent a full season learning from one of the best in Drew Owsley. Fordyce dressed in 14 games last season for the Cougars, and while his 4.30 GAA and .875 save percentage were probably not to his liking, Fordyce definitely showed that he belongs in the WHL.

TYLER SANTOS - 1994, Sherwood Park AB

Tyler Santos is another signed goaltender in the Prince George Cougars system that has a great opportunity to shine over the next few days. Santos was acquired at the 2010 Trade Deadline in a deal that sent Marek Viedensky to the Saskatoon Blades. Santos split time last season with the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL and the Knights of Columbus Pats in the Alberta Midget AAA League. It will be an important couple of days for Santos to prove that he can push the likes of Devon Fordyce, Brett Zarowny, and Edmonds for playing time.


BRETT ZAROWNY - 1995 - Edmonton, AB

There is no denying the importance of the 2012-2013 camp for Brett Zarowny. Taken in the 2010 Bantam Draft in the third round, Zarowny has put himself into a strong position to compete for minutes in 2012-2013. Last season's experience playing for the Telus Cup no doubt had a profound impact on his game, and we'll soon find out whether that can translate into a full time WHL gig. His 2.05 GAA and .924 save percentage last season were both impressive totals. Zarowny will be practicing with the veterans throughout camp, and will be facing a lot of pressure from the get-go here in PrinceGeorge.
 
TY EDMONDS - 1996 - Winnipeg, MB

The Prince George Cougars feel they have a keeper in the 16-year-old Ty Edmonds. Edmonds signed a standard WHL contract with the Cougars in January of 2012, and put together an extremely impressive Midget campaign with the Winnipeg Wild. A 1.78 GAA and a save percentage of .916 on a very talented Winnipeg Wild squad.  His playoff numbers were even better with a save percentage at .955 over five starts. Could Edmonds crack the Cougars as a 16-year-old? Stranger things have definitely happened.

WAITING IN THE WINGS:

Matt Kustra - Yorkton, SK (97)
Joshua Shank - Kamloops, BC (97)
Bailey DePalma - Kamloops, BC (97)
Mitchell Traichevich - Dawson Creek, BC (97)

Cougars Training Camp Schedule.

 PG COUGARS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

Registration & Fitness Testing                                    3:00 pm

Team CHARA Practice                                               5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Team HAMHUIS Practice                                           6:45 pm – 7:45 pm

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2012

Scrimmage Team CHARA vs. Team Hamhuis          9:00 am – 10:30 am

Veterans’ Practice                                                      11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Scrimmage Team HAMHUIS vs. Team CHARA       7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2012

Scrimmage Team CHARA vs. Team HAMHUIS      9:00 am – 10:30 am

Veterans’ Practice                                                      11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Scrimmage Team HAMHUIS vs. Team CHARA       7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

Practice – Rosters TBA                                              10:00 am – 10:45 am

Veterans’ Practice                                                      11;00 am – 1:00 pm

Young Guns Game                                                      :00 pm – 9:30 pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

Practice – Rosters TBA                                               9:00 am – 10:15 am

Practice – Rosters TBA                                               10:45 am -12:00 pm

Intra-squad Game                                                       7:00 pm – 9:30 pm

 

(Intra-squad game will cost $2 for adults, and will be free for children under 12.)

Five 'Must See' Games in 2012-2013.

The Prince George Cougars regular season begins on Saturday, September 22nd in Everett, WA. From there, the Cougars will play 36 games at home, and 36 games away from CN Centre. This time last season, I had just started my first day in the Prince George Cougars office, and felt completely overwhelmed when I thought of what lied ahead.

While I still feel slightly overwhelmed when I look at the upcoming season, I confess that there is some added comfort now that I have a full season under my belt. There are only three WHL cities that I have yet to visit: Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Kootenay, and the fact that I have seen every WHL team play the Prince George Cougars at least once makes it much easier to prepare for 72 radio broadcasts.


As each coach will tell you, one game is never more important than another in the grand scheme of things. That being said there are five home games that I think all fans need to take note of, because they promise to add a 'little something extra.'



SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2012 - SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS (HOME OPENER)

Not only does this game mark the home opener for the Prince George Cougars, but it also provides an opportunity for newly acquired forward Colin Jacobs to face his former team for the first time. Dallas Thompson acquired Jacobs on August 3rd in a trade that sent Jesse Forsberg south to Seattle. Jacobs has a ton of offensive upside, and will no doubt want to strut his best stuff against his former squad. The only hinderance here might be if Jacobs is still attending Buffalo Sabres Training Camp. But with a possible NHL lockout looming, fans can look forward to an intense battle and a lively atmosphere. It's also worth noting that Colin Jacobs has 9 career points in just six career games played in Prince George. Here's hoping those trends can continue in 2012-2013.

NOVEMBER 9TH, 2012 - EDMONTON OIL KINGS (DEFENDING WHL CHAMPS)

Technically fans will get their first look at the Edmonton Oil Kings during the exhibition season on September 7th and 8th, but November 9th marks the first date when the defending WHL champs play at CN Centre. The Prince George Cougars were 1-2-0-0 against the Oil Kings last season, but their one victory may have been the most exciting home game of the 2011-2012 season. The Prince George Cougars won a 5-4 thriller in overtime and forward Daulton Siwak led the way with two goals and three points. November 9th will signify a true 'measuring stick' type of game for the Prince George Cougars.

NOVEMBER 16TH 2012 - SASKATOON BLADES (2013 MEMORIAL CUP HOSTS)

This season the Prince George Cougars fans will get to see all six Eastern Conference teams including the 2013 Memorial Cup hosts, the Saskatoon Blades. The Blades are the only team in the entire CHL that receives an automatic bid to the Memorial Cup, and will no doubt feature a roster that will be a tough threat on most nights. Fans will only get the once chance to see Saskatoon face off against the Cougars during the regular season, and it takes place on November 16th.

DECEMBER 16TH 2012 - VANCOUVER GIANTS (TEDDY BEAR AND TOQUE TOSS)

This season, the Prince George Cougars Teddy Bear and Toque Toss game will once again feature their BC Division rivals from Vancouver. There is a slightly different wrinkle this time around given the fact that this game will take place on a Sunday afternoon, starting at 4:00. The Teddy Bear and Toque Toss night is always a fun night for fans who get a chance to support a great cause, and the Cougars will certainly be looking for a measure of revenge against Vancouver, who defeated the Cougars 4-1 during last season's Teddy Bear and Toque Toss.

FEBRUARY 22ND 2013 - PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS

Prince George Cougars fans will have to wait until late February for their chance to watch the Portland Winterhawks up close. The Winterhawks made it to Game Seven of the WHL Championship series before falling to the Edmonton Oil Kings, and are one of the pre season favorites in the Western Conference. Their lineup could once again feature the dangerous Ty Rattie, and fans will get a first-hand look at top prospect Seth Jones who will most likely be a Top-Five pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The Cougars earned a 4-3 overtime victory against Portland back in December 2011 in a game that was easily one of my favorites in 2011-2012.

Is there a game that you are particularly excited about? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

A Long Time Coming.

Good evening Cougars fans, and welcome to what I hope will be the first of many personal blog entries this season.

Truth be told I have hummed and hawed for quite some time about the future of this blog. I've had it going for four full seasons now, and given the increasing popularity of Twitter and how easy it is to voice one's opinion using that device - I debated whether or not to keep the blog going for 2012-2013. I've decided to keep it going, but with a few new wrinkles.

Last season I posted 72 game previews, and 72 game recaps on this blog that were identical to the ones that were posted onto the Prince George Cougars website which I am largely responsible for. That will not be the case this season. I don't want this blog to be redundant.

My goal is to use this blog for more 'feature' type things. I want my readers to come here to enhance their fandom with more interactive tactics. My goal this season is to post more audio, and to make it more fun, both for myself and for the reader.

My Dad actually gave me the idea to post a weekly column on the blog describing the 'Week That Was.' I love this idea, and it is something that I am really going to work hard to accomplish.

With Prince George Cougars Training Camp just under three days away, you are going to find a lot more Cougars content on this site in the upcoming days. It is my intention to live-blog as much of Training Camp as possible in order to provide fans and parents with the information that they covet.

Leading up to camp I will also discuss some of the 'Burning Questions' that surround the 2012-2013 Prince George Cougars, and provide some insight into what will hopefully be a very exciting and rewarding season for the Prince George Cougars organization and their fan-base.

My first 2012-2013 personal piece will be posted shortly. Thank you for your continued support and readership,

Dan O'Connor
(The Voice of the Cougars)