If Jared Bethune wasn't already on the radar of NHL teams as a Western Hockey League player to watch, he is now.
He's brought that pro interest on himself, producing four goals and nine points in four games to start the season.
The 19-year-old Prince George Cougars left winger followed up a hat-trick performance Monday with a one-goal, one-assist effort in a 2-1 win over the Kelowna Rockets Tuesday night in Kelowna.
The win left the Cats with a perfect 4-0 record to start the season, the first time in their 23 years in Prince George they've accomplished that feat.
Yan Khomenko's goal 18:14 into the second period provided the margin of victory.
Ty Edmonds made 32 saves for his third win of the season in net for the Cougars, who outshot the Rockets 32-26.
Bethune opened the scoring with his WHL-leading fourth of the season just 56 seconds into the game when he snapped in a slot pass from Justin Almeida. The smooth-skating Bethune, a native of Fort Frances, Ont., picked up where he left off Tuesday when he posted his first three-goal game in a 7-6 win over the Vancouver Giants in Langley.
Brad Morrison had an apparent first-period goal after Bethune scored but it was disallowed due to incidental contact with goalie Michael Herringer. The 20-year-old Herringer came up with one of his biggest saves of the night when he denied Bethune with a sparking left pad save five minutes into the second period.
The Rockets tied the game 1-1 with a shorthanded goal 13:53 into the second period. Cal Foote chased down a loose puck in the Cougars' end and set up a wide-open Tomas Soustal for his first of the season.
The Cougars answered that miscue with an even-strength goal late in the period. Khomenko, the Cougars' Russian import, scored with a sharp-angle shot that slipped in behind Herringer. Bethune forced a turnover and drew the assist on Khomenko's goal, his first of the 2016-17 season. Bethune's nine points puts him atop the WHL scoring race.
"He's doing the little things right, he's going in on the forecheck, moving his feet and he's our high guy where all the pucks are coming to and he's shooting the puck well right now," said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk, in the post-game broadcast.
"It was Bethune's forecheck, he turned the puck over, and it was a great shot (from Khomenko) to give us the gamewinner."
The Rockets will be the Cougars' opponents when they open their home schedule this weekend with games Friday and Saturday at CN Centre. The Cats started the season last weekend in Victoria, winning both games against the Royals, 3-1 and 5-1.
Cougars defenceman Max Martin, 17, who scored his first career WHL goal Friday in Victoria, did not play Wednesday. He left the game against the Giants late in the first period with a minor upper-body injury and was held out of the lineup in Kelowna as a precautionary measure. Martin missed all but 10 regular season games last year after shoulder surgery.
Earlier Wednesday, the Cougars cracked the Canadian Hockey League's top-10, ranked No. 8 behind two other WHL teams, the second-ranked Brandon Wheat Kings and fifth-ranked Seattle Thunderbirds. The defending Memorial Cup-champion London Knights are on top of the CHL list. The Regina Pats dropped to honourable mention status after starting the season ranked 10th.
Two Cougars forwards - Jansen Harkins (Winnipeg Jets) and Jesse Gabrielle (Boston Bruins) and defenceman Sam Ruopp (Columbus Blue Jackets) remain in their respective NHL camps. Five other NHL prospects - Morrison (New York Rangers), Tate Olson (Vancouver Canucks), Josh Anderson (Colorado Avalanche), Brogan O'Brien (Colorado), Kody McDonald (Montreal Canadians) - have been returned to the WHL. All played for the Cougars on Wednesday.
The Rockets still have five players away with pro teams, including forwards Nick Merkley (Arizona), Dillan Dube (Calgary), Calvin Thurkauf (Columbus) and Justin Kirkland (Nashville), and defenceman Lucas Johanson (Washington).
Dube has been sent back to Kelowna and is expected to be in the Rockets' lineup Friday.
Game Summary
Cougars 2, Rockets 1
First Period
1. Prince George, Bethune 4 (McAuley, Almeida) 0:56.
Penalties - Soustal Kel (tripping) 10:42; Dosanjh P.g (interference) 14:13.
Second Period
2. Kelowna, Soustal 1 (Foote) 13:53 (sh).
3. Prince George, Khomenko 1 (Bethune) 18:14.
Penalties - Lind Kel (tripping) 5:50; Stephens Kel (tripping) 13:08.
Third Period
No Scoring.
Penalties - Morrison P.g (inter. on goaltender) 3:58; Wishnowski Kel (tripping) 9:33; Morrison P.g (tripping) 10:27; Wishnowski Kel (hooking) 19:04; Lind Kel (cross checking) 20:00.
Shots on goal by
Prince George11105-26
Kelowna81015-33
Goal - Prince George: Edmonds (W, 3-0-0-0). Kelowna: Herringer (L, 1-2-0-0).
Power plays (goals-chances) - Prince George: 0-6; Kelowna: 0-3.
Referees - Adam Griffiths, Mark Pearce. Linesmen - Kevin Crowell, Cody Wanner.
Attendance - 4,341 at Kelowna, B.C.
