The Prince George Cougars will try to do their best impression of a rubber ball. Tonight in Calgary, they'll try to bounce back with a solid effort against the Hitmen after getting scorched on Sunday by the Kamloops Blazers.
The Cougars fell 9-1 to the host Blazers in what was Prince George's third game in three days. The Cats started last weekend with home-ice wins Friday and Saturday against the Edmonton Oil Kings - 4-2 in the opener and 6-1 in the rematch.
General fatigue and too much time in the penalty box cost the Cougars dearly in the Kamloops game but the Cats should be refreshed for the Hitmen tonight. Prince George enters the Western Hockey League contest with a 10-8-1-0 record, good for third place in the Western Conference's B.C. Division. As for the Hitmen, they have a similar mark in the Eastern Conference's Central Division - 11-10-0-1, also good for third spot.
The Cougars and Hitmen have already squared off twice this season. In games played Oct. 20-21 in Prince George, the Cats were the superior team in 5-2 and 5-0 victories.
After tonight's game, the Cougars will continue their road trip with stops in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, Friday and Saturday night respectively.
The Cougars announced the signing of forward Josh Curtis to a standard WHL player agreement on Tuesday.
Curtis, a 1998-born player from Winnipeg, was selected by the Cougars in the eighth round (156th overall) of the 2013 WHL bantam draft. The six-foot, 160-pounder started this season with the junior A Winnipeg Blues and posted three goals and 11 points in 18 games.
"We have been monitoring Josh's progress closely for quite some time and his play as of late has demonstrated that he is ready to take this next step in his career," said Cougars general manager Todd Harkins in a media release. "We are very pleased that Josh and his family have decided to commit to the Prince George Cougars. He's a terrific skater with strong offensive instincts and we expect him to make a positive impact in all areas of the ice with our group. This is a great signing for us."
Curtis will join the Cougars in time for tonight's game in Calgary.
