Cast into a role as captain of the Prince George Cougars, Dennis Cholowski did all that was expected of him.
Now the 19-year-old defenceman's value to the team can be measured in the considerable price he fetched Wednesday on the WHL trade market. The Cougars sent him to the Portland Winterhawks along with the rights to 18-year-old goalie Ty Taylor for a boatload of prospects.
In return, the Cougars received 17-year-old forward Ilijah Colina, 16-year-old forward Connor Bowie, along with the Winterhawks' first- and third-round bantam draft picks in 2020, second-round picks in 2018 and 2019, and a conditional sixth-round choice in 2019.
It was the sixth trade Cougars general manager Todd Harkins swung in the past nine days and the Cholowski deal might go down as the best trade he's made in three seasons as the Cougars' GM.
"Ty Taylor wasn't going to play for us so I got seven pieces for one player," said Harkins. "I guess I outdid Calgary (who got five players or picks when they traded Jake Bean to the Tri-City Americans).
"I wanted to get younger and better and I think that's what we did and we've set ourselves up very nicely for now and for the future. We're not only getting two players we believe will make an impact going forward, but these draft picks over the next three years will help set this team up for years to come."
Now in his second season with the Winterhawks, the five-foot-nine, 170-pound Colina had three goals and 15 points in 37 games and had three power-play goals. He put up 12 points in 46 games last season as a rookie. In 2015-16 he played in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League for the Valley West Hawks and collected 52 points in 32 games to finish third in the league scoring race. The North Delta native was the Winterhawks' eighth-round bantam pick in 2015.
"Ilijah is a very dynamic, skilled centreman, who's tenacious on both sides of the puck," said Harkins. "He's got great vision, a natural playmaker and someone we've watched for quite some time and he's always been near the top of his age group."
Bowie, a six-foot-one, 179-pound native of Fort St. John, plays for the Northeast B.C/Yukon Trackers in the Northern Alberta Midget (double-A) Hockey League and leads the team in scoring with 20 goals and 35 points in 18 games. In 28 games last season for the Trackers he had 22 goals and 34 points. In the WHL preseason with the Winterhawks he collected a goal and four points in five games.
"Connor has the prototypical power-forward makeup and is a centreman and has shown to be a proven goal-scorer at the bantam and midget levels," said Harkins. "We believe he can make an impact at this level, playing down the middle."
Cholowski arrived in August armed with impeccable credentials as a first-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings. He signed with the Wings last summer after one season in the NCAA at St. Cloud State and quickly established himself as a major junior star on the Cats' blueline.
Through 37 games, Cholowski was second in team scoring with 39 points and had 13 goals. He led the Cougars with 26 assists, a plus-9 rating and also had a team-high 15 power-play assists. He ranked sixth in scoring among WHL defencemen, second in goals and eighth in assists.
Not bad for a 10th round bantam pick.
Harkins was just about to be named the Cougars' head scout when he convinced then-general manager Dallas Thompson to use his 10th round choice in the 2103 draft to acquire the rights to Cholowski. At that time, the 15-year-old kid from Langley weighed 125 pounds and stood just five-foot-five. He made it known to WHL scouts he was intent on playing for a U.S. college team once his junior days with the Chilliwack Chiefs were behind him and that scared off most WHL teams from taking a chance on him.
All but the Cougars.
Four years later, Cholowski stands six-foot-one without his skates, weighs 200 pounds and is showing the signs he'll soon be drawing fat paycheques playing with the pros.
"When Dennis came here in the summer, (the question was) can he get to the promised land and the playoffs and I don't think that's far off, he got us pretty close and we're not done," said Harkins. "I think with these young guys when they get settled down in the dressing room I think we'll have a push here to catch one of these teams and make the playoffs."
As a result of their trades this past week the Cougars will have two first-round picks for the next three years and will also have two second-rounders in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
"I'm a firm believer you have to draft great hockey players and develop them," said Harkins. "We wanted to get away from trading for players and get into drafting for players. We didn't have a lot in the cupboard last year and we were going for it and I had to trade a first-round pick when we got Brendan Guhle.
"Now, when you have multiple picks in the first round and you ever get that chance and you're going for it, you can just trade one off and you still have a first-round pick. Now we're way ahead of the curve. The future's bright for us."
Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk, a Stanley Cup-winning defenceman with the Dallas Stars in 1999, said Cholowski established himself immediately as an impact player, on and off the ice, and said he will be missed.
"Dennis is an NHLer without a doubt, he's made a commitment that he really wants to play pro hockey and the way he carries himself, the things he does on and off the ice, like no other, it's just a matter of time before he's in a Red Wings uniform," said Matvichuk.
"His leadership where he brought the kids along - the (Cole) Mobergs, the (Jack) Sanders - and they just followed him. It was great to have him here. It's a chance for us to rebuild and a chance for him to go be successful and play in some big games, playing some big minutes, which is what he's going to need once he gets to Detroit."
Detroit picked Cholowski 20th overall in the 2016 NHL draft. In his four months as the 23rd captain in the Cougars' franchise history, Cholowski drew the attention of the league in November when he was selected for Team WHL at the CIBC Canada Russia Series. He was also one of 32 players invited to the tryouts in December for Canada's world junior team.
"I really enjoyed my time with such a first-class organization, said Cholowski. "From the coaches, front office, my teammates to the community, it's been a fantastic experience and an honour to be the captain. I'll cherish my time in Prince George and the lasting memories I made here."
He's going to a first-place Portland team that's built to go far in the WHL playoffs this spring.
"I'm excited, it's a great team, great organization in Portland but I'm also sad," he said. "I had a great time in Prince George and I'm leaving a lot of good friends. Everybody was so welcoming and right away I built friendships coming in.
"So far the season's gone well and hopefully I can just carry it over into Portland. They have a lot of firepower there and hopefully we can make a deep playoff run.
"The Cougars did pretty well in the trade, lots of guys and lots of picks, so I'm sure they're happy about it too. They will be a good team.
"A few years down the line they'll be a force to be reckoned with."
Dressed in his Cougars toque and bundled up for the -18 C afternoon, the Langley native gathered for media interviews Wednesday afternoon in the Kin Centre atrium. He plans to drive back to Langley today and will fly to Portland for the Winterhawks' game against the Tri-City Americans on Friday.
"It's pretty cold here," Cholowski said. "I know it will be a little warmer in Portland."
Taylor, who was listed by the Cougars, is in his second season with the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. Through 22 games this season the native of Richmond has a 1.90 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.
In one other roster move the Cougars put 20-year-old winger Nic Holowko on waivers and released him.
In 10 games since he joined the Cougars in mid-December, Holowko had a goal and four assists and nine penalty minutes. That leaves forwards Jared Bethune, Aaron Boyd and Brogan O'Brien as the three overagers. O'Brien is on pace to return from a knee injury in two weeks.
Prince George Cougars deadline deals
Jan. 1 - Cougars sent 18-year-old C Ethan O'Rourke to Everett for 16-year-old centre Ethan Browne.
Jan. 5 - Cougars sent 20-year-old RW Jesse Gabrielle and 17-year-old D Jonas Harkins to Regina for 16-year-old C Kjell Kjemhus, 15-year-old D Ethan McColm, and the Pats' third- and fifth-round bantam picks in 2018.
Jan. 6 - Cougars sent 19-year-old RW Kody McDonald and a conditional third-round pick in 2018 to Prince Albert for 16-year-old D Rhett Rhinehart, 18-year-old D Austin Crossley, and the Raiders' first-round pick in 2018.
Jan. 7 - Cougars sent 19-year-old defenceman Josh Anderson to Swift Current for the Broncos' first-round pick in 2018 and their first-round pick in 2019.
Jan. 9 - Cougars sent seventh-round pick in 2018 to Medicine Hat for 18-year-old D Cameron MacPhee.
Jan 10 - Cougars sent 19-year-old defenceman Dennis Cholowski and the rights to 18-year-old goalie Ty Taylor to Portland for 17-year-old C Ilijah Colina, 16-year-old F Connor Bowie, the Winterhawks' first-round pick in 2020, their second-round picks in 2018 and 2019 and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2019.
