A pair of division leaders will do battle tonight when the Prince George Cougars host the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Cougars (13-2-2-0, 28 points) hold top spot in the Western Hockey League's B.C. Division, while the Tigers (10-4-1-0, 21 points) are in first place in the Central Division. The puck drops at
7 p.m. at CN Centre.
The Tigers' stop in Prince George marks the third game of a five-game road swing and they won the first two, 5-2 against Red Deer on Friday and 7-3 against Edmonton on Saturday. The Cougars, meanwhile, are back home after a three-game trip that saw them earn five of a possible six points. They ended the journey on Saturday with a 3-2 overtime loss to Calgary.
Scoring goals hasn't been a problem for the Tigers so far this season. They've lit the lamp a league-high 71 times through their first 15 games and are being led offensively by the WHL's top point-getter, centreman Mason Shaw, who turns 18 on Thursday. In 14 games, Shaw has five goals and 25 points, two ahead of Spokane's Kailer Yamamoto (10-13-23) and Portland's Cody Glass (7-16-23).
Other Tigers to watch for include forward Chad Butcher (five goals, 20 points), rookie winger and Swedish import John Dahlstrom (six goals, 16 points) and Matt Bradley (six goals, 16 points). Dahlstrom is a 2015 NHL draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks (seventh round, 211th overall) and Bradley's rights belong to the Montreal Canadiens, who chose him in the fifth round, 131st overall, in 2015.
As for the Cougars, currently ranked fourth in the Canadian Hockey League, they have benefited from a great start to the season by 19-year-old centre Brad Morrison. The six-foot, 170-pound Morrison - a 2015 draft pick of the New York Rangers (fourth round, 108th overall) - has seven goals and 20 points through his first 16 games and is currently sixth in the WHL scoring race.
In goal, 19-year-old Nick Schneider has carried the load for the Tigers and has a 9-2-1-0 record to go along with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. His goals-against mark is eighth-best in the league.
For the Cougars, 20-year-old Ty Edmonds has sparkled between the pipes. He sports a 9-1-1-0 record, a 2.07 goals-against average (ranked third in the WHL) and a save percentage of .924.
After tonight, the Cougars will start preparing for the Kamloops Blazers, who will provide the opposition on Saturday night.
On Monday night at CN Centre, Jansen Harkins of the Cougars will skate for Team WHL in the opening game of the Canada Russia Series. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
