The Prince George Cougars selected top goaltending prospect Taylor Gauthier with their first pick in today's Western Hockey League bantam draft in Calgary.
The Cats selected Gauthier ninth overall in the first round. He was the first netminder chosen.
"Taylor Gauthier is the best goaltender in this draft and one of the best goaltending prospects that I have seen," said Cougars general manager Todd Harkins in a media release. "He's big, athletic, moves well and his compete level is off the charts. He's determined to one day be an NHL goaltender and that is the exact type of mindset and intensity that our organization covets."
Gauthier, from Calgary, has been named the top goalie in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (South) in each of the past two seasons. This season, as a member of the Calgary CBHA Bisons, he had a 15-1-3 record, with seven shutouts and a goals-against average of 1.22. His save percentage was a stellar .948.
Gauthier's numbers from his first season of bantam hockey were equally impressive. During the 2014-15 season, he went 16-0-1 with a 1.21 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. Along the way, he posted five shutouts.
Gauthier stands six-feet, weighs 172 pounds and catches with his right hand.
In their Prince George history, the Cougars had never selected a goalie in the first round. The only goaltender selected earlier in a WHL draft was Carey Price, who was nabbed seventh overall by the Tri-City Americans in 2002.
