Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Ryan signs contract with Cougars

Liam Ryan is officially part of the Prince George Cougars' future. Ryan, a six-foot, 180-pound forward from New Westminster, has signed a standard Western Hockey League player agreement with the local club.
SPORT-Cougars-sign-Ryan.19_.jpg
Forward Liam Ryan of New Westminster signs a WHL player agreement with the Prince George Cougars. The six-foot, 180-pound Ryan played this past season for the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League.

Liam Ryan is officially part of the Prince George Cougars' future.

Ryan, a six-foot, 180-pound forward from New Westminster, has signed a standard Western Hockey League player agreement with the local club. The Cougars chose him in the seventh round (139th overall) in the 2015 WHL bantam draft.

As a second-year member of the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs this past B.C. Hockey Major Midget League season, Ryan served as an alternate captain and recorded 15 goals and 43 points in 38 games. His totals represented a substantial jump from his rookie campaign with the Chiefs, in which he had eight goals and 29 points in 36 outings.

"He's worked very hard over the past two seasons to put himself in this position," said Cougars general manager Todd Harkins in a Tuesday media release. "Since the day he was drafted he has continued to develop into a solid, impact player. Speed, skill and leadership are all major strengths to his game."

Ryan helped Vancouver Northeast to a second-place finish in the 2016-17 regular season. The Chiefs' mark of 32-5-0-3 put them behind the Cariboo Cougars (34-5-1-0), who went on to add a playoff title and are now preparing to host the Telus Cup national midget hockey championship, which starts on Monday at CN Centre. In playoffs, the Chiefs were upset in the semifinals by the Greater Vancouver Canadians.

Ryan, who skated for Team B.C. at the 2015 Western Canada Challenge Cup, is the fourth member of the Cats' 2015 draft class to sign with the team. The others are forwards Jackson Leppard and Reid Perepeluk and defenceman Jonas Harkins.