The third and final first-round bantam draft pick for the Prince George Cougars this year has officially joined the WHL club.
Ryker Singer has signed a standard player agreement, which means the Cats have rallied their three top picks to commit to the organization for the years to come.
“It’s truly an honour to sign with such a great organization that’s filled with amazing people. I can’t wait to get started,” said the 15-year-old in a team release.
Singer was taken 22nd overall in the 2020 draft last month, the last pick in the opening round, and is the reigning co-winner of the Alberta Major Bantam League’s top forward and MVP awards.
Congrats to Lloydminster Bobcats forward Ryker Singer on being selected 22nd overall in the 2020 WHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/E7yXiKzQz9
— Bantam AAA Bobcats (@BantamBobcats) April 22, 2020
The Lloydminster, Alta. product is a 30-goal scorer after accomplishing that feat this past season with his hometown-Bobcats, which caught the eye of Prince George Scouting Director Bob Simmonds.
“We wanted to get players that could score goals, we wanted to get players that could set up players to score goals and, you know, notionally, I had it in the back of my head that our first couple of picks would be forwards,” he explains in an earlier interview with PrinceGeorgeMatters about his crew’s draft strategy.
“Of course, [first-pick] Riley Heidt was an absolute no brainer and to start from that point was tremendous. Even when Ryker Singer was there for our third pick in the first round, we looked at each other and we were very very happy and pleasantly surprised that he was even there as an option.”
Singer combined for 51 points in 32 games in his 2019-20 campaign, but was also a physical force with more than 128 penalty minutes.
The Cougars’ first-overall pick, Riley Heidt, signed his agreement a day after the draft took place, April 23.
Caden Brown of Fort St. John committed to the team on Monday (May 4).
