Brett Roulston has gone from "protected" to "signed."
Roulston, a six-foot-one, 200-pound forward for the Cariboo Cougars this past Major Midget League season, scrawled his signature on a standard Western Hockey League education contract earlier this week. The Prince George Cougars -- who added him to their 50-player list in March -- are happy to have him locked up for 2012-13.
"We think we've got some special forwards that need a winger to flank them and go knock guys off the puck," said general manager Dallas Thompson. "We think he's the guy that can do that and if he can get in some spots he'll have some opportunities to score some goals."
With the Cariboo club, which finished second in the league with a 26-8-6 record, Roulston amassed 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 35 games. He's known for his powerful shot and his willingness to throw his weight into opposing players.
Roulston, from Whitehorse, missed all of the 2010-11 MML campaign because of the lingering effects of a slipped disc and two fractures in his back. The Kamloops Blazers, who had originally protected him, dropped him from their list while he was out with the injury.
For Roulston, that served as even more motivation to get himself healthy and back in the game.
"The year sitting out, I was really frustrated with how everything went but I wasn't going to give up," he said. "I trained all season long and came in with the Cariboo Cougars this year and I did my best -- really helped the team out.
"I'll do my best [with the WHL Cougars] and see where it leads me."
