Cougars Sign Zach Pochiro

The Prince George Cougars have signed 1994-born forward Zach Pochiro (Las Vegas, NV) to a standard Western Hockey League contract.

Pochiro (6’2”, 162 pounds) spent last season with the Wichita Falls Wildcats of the North American Hockey League. He scored 18 goals and added 16 assists to go along with 154 penalty minutes in 52 games last season.

“I want to keep excelling and progressing in my hockey career and maybe someday be in the NHL,” said Pochiro. “I feel that Prince George can help get me there.”

Pochiro prides himself on his all-around ability. “I don’t mind going to the rough areas,” said Pochiro who says he tries to model his game after long-time Maple Leaf’s captain Mats Sundin. “I also feel like I have a knack for scoring goals.”

Prince George Cougars General Manager Dallas Thompson adds, “We are excited to add Zach and his gritty style of play to our line up.”

In his final season of Midget, he recorded 34 points in 31 games with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings during the 2010-2011 season.

Owsley Commits to St. Francis Xavier

The 2011-2012 Most Valuable Player for the Prince George Cougars will be continuing his hockey career out East in 2012-2013. Goaltender Drew Owsley has committed to St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and will suit up for the X-Men come the fall. 

“Hockey is a big out there, which was very appealing to me,” said Drew Owsley who plans to study business. “I think going out East should give me the best opportunity to get some kind of pro deal after I get my degree.” 

Drew Owsley was 22-38-0-1 for the Cougars during his 20-year-old campaign. He finished with a goals against average of 3.26 and a save percentage of .902. He also recorded three shutouts during the season. 

Though Owsley only spent one season with the Cougars, he has many fond memories from his time in Prince George.  “I just want to thank the Cougars organization for a great 20-year-old season,” said Owsley. “I’m pumped to see what good things are going to come from that young group of players in P.G.”

Jason Becker Audio

I apologize for the raspy voice. But as Jason Becker pointed out: At least it's not during a three-in-three weekend during the season.

Two Cougars Staff Members Named to Team Pacific at 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The Prince George Cougars are pleased to announce that Assistant Coach Jason Becker and Assistant General Manager, and Director of Player Personnel Wade Klippenstein will both have prominent roles with Team Pacific at the 2013 U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Quebec. Becker has been named Head Coach for Team Pacific, while Klippenstein has been named Head Scout. 

"I am honored to be named the head coach of Team Pacific. It is a great opportunity to coach elite athletes at an elite event,” said Jason Becker. “The U-17 is a huge international tournament and I am very excited to be a part of it in this way." 

“I’m excited to be a part of a very special program and a very elite event,” said Wade Klippenstein. “I’m looking forward to working alongside Hockey B.C. and Hockey Alberta in the selection process, and coming up with the best team possible to represent the Pacific region” 

“We are very proud of Jason and Wade for receiving these honors,” said Prince George Cougars General Manager Dallas Thompson. “We’ve sent quite a few players to this tournament in recent years, and now to send two of our staff members speaks volumes about the positive direction of our organization.” 

Becker joined the Prince George Cougars coaching staff in December, 2009 and will be looking to lead Team Pacific back to the podium in 2013. Last year Team Pacific finished fifth, but won a bronze medal in 2011. 

Klippenstein was named Director of Player Personnel for the Prince George Cougars in 2009 to go along with his Assistant General Manager title. Klippenstein has overseen the past three Bantam Drafts for the Prince George Cougars and he and his scouting staff were responsible for drafting four players who represented the Cougars at the U-17 tournament last season. Chase Witala suited up for Team Pacific while Alex Forsberg, Jarrett Fontaine and Jordan Tkatch played for Team West. 

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge kicks off in late December (2012), and wraps up in early January. The tournament will be taking place in both Victoriaville and Drummondville, Quebec.

Cougars Bantam Draft Summary

The Prince George Cougars were among the busiest teams in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft on Thursday. The Prince George Cougars added several key pieces to their hockey club both through the draft and through trades.

Cougars General Manager Dallas Thompson made a big splash early when he acquired the second overall pick in the 2012 draft from the Prince Albert Raiders. In exchange, the Cougars parted ways with the third overall pick and also a third rounder in 2013.

The Cougars used the second overall selection to draft forward Jansen Harkins out of North Vancouver. Harkins stands 5’11” and 160 pounds and played with the North Shore Winterclub Winterhawks this past season. Harkins tallied 68 goals and 122 points this season for the Winterhawks.

“The best word to describe him is ‘complete,’” said Prince George Cougars Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel, Wade Klippenstein. “We really like his character. He’s definitely a franchise guy.”

“I was pretty delighted,” said Harkins. “I know if they moved up one spot to get me, that they wanted me pretty bad. I’m happy.”

Harkins called Ryan Kesler and Henrik Zetterberg two of his favorite players. He does his best to model his game after both of them.

Harkins has some strong hockey bloodlines. His father Todd Harkins played 10 seasons of professional hockey, including some time with both the Calgary Flames and the Hartford Whalers.

Moments later, the Cougars made another major move when they acquired the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft, along with Prince George product Jari Erricson from Everett in exchange for the rights to Jujar Khaira, the 11^th overall pick and a 2012 third round pick.

They used the seventh overall selection to pick forward Brad Morrison out of West Kelowna. Morrison (5’9”, 140 pounds) scored 83 goals and finished with 141 points with the Okanagan Hockey Academy.

“He’s a very dynamic player,” said Prince George Cougars Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel, Wade Klippenstein. “He scores goals, and that’s an area that we want to get better in. He’s a natural goal scorer.”

“It’s an honor for a team to trade up,” said Brad Morrison who has ties to the Prince George area. “I lived there for 12 years. It’s going to be very exciting to be there for the next for our five years.”

In Erricson, the Cougars acquire a local forward who scored six goals and recorded 19 points in 69 games last season with Everett. Ericcson (5’11”, 172 pounds) has recorded 33 career points in 129 career games in the Western Hockey League.

“Nobody ever expects to be traded, but coming to my hometown team makes it that much easier,” said Etricson. “I’m definitely looking forward to playing here.”

The Cougars took defenceman Tate Olson early (24^th overall) in the second round. Olson (6’1”, 157 pounds) played with the Saskatoon Stallions this season where he scored 21 goals, and added 29 assists in 36 games.

“He provides great size and energy,” said Prince George Cougars Assistant General Manager, Wade Klippenstein. “He plays the game with passion.”

“I like to jump up in the play and get involved on offense,” said Olson who highlighted Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty as one of his favorite defencemen.

Late in the second round, the Cougars picked forward Aaron Boyd (43^rd overall) out of Winnipeg. Boyd (6’0”, 153 pounds) played for the Winnipeg Hawks (Bantam AAA, Division 1) last season, and scored 16 goals and 35 points in 30 games. Boyd was the first Manitoba prospect selected by the Cougars in 2012.

In the third round, the Cougars used the 62^nd overall selection (acquired from Moose Jaw) to grab defenceman Shane Collins of Rosetown, Saskatchewan. Collins (6’0”, 161 pounds) played with the West Central Wheat Kings and managed eight goals and 34 points in 24 games this season. Collins added six points in two playoff games.

Before the draft lunch-break, the Cougars made a trade with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Prince George acquired 20-year-old defenceman Dallas Ehrhardt (Calgary, AB) from the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for 19-year-old defenceman Reid Jackson and a seventh round selection in 2013.

Ehrhardt (6’4”, 210 pounds) has spent the majority of his WHL career with the Moose Jaw Warriors. In 67 games last season, Ehrhardt posted a career high in goals (4) and points (22) along with 78 penalty minutes. He also added three points in 14 playoff games this season with the Warriors.

“At first I was shocked, but the Cougars are a young, developing team that is getting better. So it should be fun to be a part of the organization,” said Ehrhardt. “I’m coming off my best year so far. I’m feeling good moving ahead, and next year will be even better.”

Another forward was selected in the fifth round (92^nd overall) when the Cougars drafted winger Ethan Waitzner from Victoria. Waitzner (6’3”, 175 pounds) spent last season with the Victoria Racquet Club Tier 1 Bantam squad where he scored 19 goals, and totalled 61 points in 41 games. Waitzner also had 78 penalty minutes.

In the eighth round, the Prince George Cougars added another blueliner to the fold. They selected St. Albert product Stephen Wack with the 156^th overall pick. Wack (6’2”, 162 pounds) played for St. Albert and posted two assists and 26 penalty minutes in 32 games this season.

The Cougars then drafted goaltender Matt Kustra (Yorkton, SK) 167^th overall. Kustra played Bantam with Notre Dame last season, and finished with a 4-4 record in 10 games played.

With their ninth round selection, the Prince George Cougars went back to British Columbia and drafted forward Dylan McCann 178^th. McCann scored six goals and tallied 12 points in 20 games this season with the Cloverdale Tier 1 Bantam program.

The Prince George Cougars wrapped up the 2012 WHL Bantam draft by drafting two American born players.

Prince George selected defenceman Tristan Phillips (Anchorage, AK) with the 200^th overall pick (10^th round). Phillips played with the Alaska AAA Bantam All-Stars last season.

Phillips was the fourth defencemen selected by the Cougars during the 2012 draft.

In the 11^th round, the Prince George Cougars drafted forward Rem Pitlick (Plymouth, MN) with the 222^nd overall pick. Pitlick spent last season with Shattuck-St. Mary's Bantam Tier I team.

Pitlick was the sixth and final forward selected by the Cougars in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.

In the end, the Cougars selected six forwards, four defencemen and one goaltender. There were four players selected from B.C., three from Saskatchewan, two from the United States, and one each from Alberta and Manitoba.

“We made ourselves better today,” said Prince George Cougars General Manager, Dallas Thompson. “Not only are we happy with our draft, but we added two pretty good players (Erricson, and Ehrhardt) that we’re very excited about.”

Catching Up With Connolly.

(Photo By: Ralph Posteraro)

Fresh off his first season in the National Hockey League, Prince George Cougars alumni forward Brett Connolly has a lot to feel good about. The soon-to-be 20-year-old from Prince George, B.C. played in 68 games and scored four goals and 15 points with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Connolly also represented Canada for a second time at the World Junior Hockey Championships, and scored five goals in six games, helping Canada to a bronze medal.

Brett Connolly recorded 152 career points in 144 games as a Prince George Cougar. He ranks fifth all-time in goals with 86, and sits 15^th on the all-time franchise scoring leaders list. Heading into the 2011-2012 season, Connolly still had two more years of junior eligibility, but a strong summer in the gym and an even better training camp helped him stay in Tampa Bay permanently.

“My goal going into this season was to make the team out of training camp, and it was nice to play a full year,” said Brett Connolly who is back in Prince George for a few days visiting his family and friends. “I learned a lot. There were a lot of things that I took from a lot of different people. It was a very exciting season for me.”

As Connolly reflects on his first professional season, he acknowledges that it was a season full of learning both on and off the ice. “I was fortunate to have a very good group of leaders around. They made it a lot easier for me,” said Connolly. “It’s nice being around guys who have won Stanley Cups before. They taught me how to be professional, and I want to take that into next year for sure.”

Connolly has always prided himself on being an offensive player, and he doesn’t have to look far inside his own locker room to find offensive motivation. He had the luxury of watching and learning from the NHL’s top goal scorer Steven Stamkos. “You see a guy like Stamkos, who scored 60 goals, and is in the gym every day,” said Connolly. “It rubs off on you and it’s nice to be around that type of attitude.”

Connolly’s stay in Prince George won’t last long. He’ll be heading home to Toronto shortly, and will begin training for his sophomore season in the NHL.

Though he now lives in Toronto, Brett Connolly will forever hold the city of Prince George, and the Prince George Cougars organization in the highest regard. “The Prince George Cougars believed in me from at a very young age,” recalls Connolly. “I always enjoyed the management,  all of the teammates I’ve had over the years, and the city of Prince George as a whole. I owe a lot to the organization.”

Troy Bourke Reflects on U-18's.

(Photo By: Ralph Posteraro)

Prince George Cougars forward Troy Bourke returned to Canada on Monday night after helping Canada secure a bronze medal at the World Under-18 Championships in the Czech Republic. The draft-eligible forward from Onoway, Alberta reflected on his experiences with the voice of the Cougars, Dan O’Connor.

 DO: Talk first about the overall experience of the Under-18’s and what the experience meant to you?

 Troy Bourke: It was amazing. Obviously we would have liked to have come back with a gold medal. But the teams there were all very good, and to bring a bronze medal home was a big accomplishment for me and the boys. It was awesome. Europe is a whole different experience, and a whole different lifestyle and I just tried to take everything in, live day-by-day. It was pretty cool.

 DO: Not a bad tournament for you by any means. You play seven games, and end the tournament with seven points (all assists). Happy with the role you had with the team and your offensive output?

 Troy Bourke: Yeah for sure. Obviously it would have been nice to get a few goals in there, but I think my role was mainly a setup man. I think I did a pretty good job playing with guys like Kerby Rychel (Windsor, OHL) and Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat, WHL), they can put the puck in the net. They were both 40 goal scorers in their own leagues, and my role in this tournament was to set those guys up for big goals, and I think I did a pretty good job.

 DO: What were some of the specific things that allowed you three to find the chemistry that you did?  

Troy Bourke: I think it was mainly our speed and our quickness in the corners. Those guys both scored over 40 goals, they know how to put the puck in the net, they know where to go on the ice to get the puck. My role was to try and be an offensive guy, and with those kinds of players it’s easy to find them on the ice and for them to score.

 DO: Tell me about the leadership of (captain) Matt Dumba (Red Deer, WHL), and what the presence of a guy like that had in that locker room with that club?  

Troy Bourke: He’s pretty remarkable. He’s one of my good friends off the ice and obviously on the ice he leads by example, and he leads vocally. He led the tournament in points (12), which is remarkable for a defenceman to bring that offensive spark. He brings all of the elements to a good d-man’s game, and as far as leadership goes, he’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever played with.

DO: What does this tournament do for your confidence moving forward, knowing that the NHL draft is looming in June?  

Troy Bourke: It was huge for my confidence. I didn’t have the best year that I would have liked in Prince George offensively, but I finished the season strong. I think I brought that kind of offensive style into this tournament and it gave me a lot of confidence to play that style. I know that I can play with the best players in the world and it gives me a lot of confidence heading into the draft. I’m trying not to really worry about that because I know that anything’s possible. I might go, I might not go. But I’m not too worried about it. I just want to have fun with the experience and I’m looking forward to what’s next.

DO: Knowing that you’ve just had the chance to represent your country internationally as an 18-year-old. What does that mean to you at this stage of your life?

 Troy Bourke: It was one of the most special things that I’ve ever experienced in my life. It gives me tingles to think about representing our country, and doing well bring home a bronze. Putting on the Maple Leaf is something that I’ll never forget no matter what level I get to, it’s something I will always look back on.