Sam Ruopp became the newest member of the Prince George Cougars on Tuesday.
Ruopp, a 1996-born defenceman from Zehner, Sask., was chosen by the Cats in the fourth round (76th overall) of the 2011 Western Hockey League bantam draft. He has signed a standard WHL education contract with the Cougars.
"You can never have too many quality kids who come from strong families," said Wade Klippenstein, assistant general manager and director of player personnel for the Cougars. "We believe that Sam Ruopp will be an excellent Prince George Cougar for years to come."
This past season, the six-foot-two, 170-pound Ruopp manned the blueline for the Regina Pat Canadians of the Saskatchewan midget triple-A league.
"He will be a very good player in the WHL," said Regina head coach Norman Johnston. "Sam competes at practice and every shift that he plays and is very coachable and well-liked by his coaches and teammates."
