The goal crease just got crowded again for the Prince George Cougars.
Eighteen-year-old Nick McBride was traded Wednesday to the Cougars from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for the Cougars' second-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft.
McBride, a native of Maple Ridge, played 64 games over two seasons with the Raiders, compiling a 25-25-1-2 record with a 3.22 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. He posted two shutouts in 37 games last season, finishing with a 13-18-0-1 record, 3.41 goals-against average and .895 save rate.
"This is not because we're not happy with our goalies, this is setting our organization up for the future," said Harkins. "It's all about competition at our level and guys trying to earn icetime. We feel that competition breeds success. We're going to be patient with this and make sure that we do the right thing for all these kids.
"I knew there were a couple other teams in our conference that were really pushing to get Nick and we were able to get him for fair value for the future."
Ranked by NHL Central Scouting last spring as the seventh North American goaltender available for the 2015 draft, the six-foot-three, 185-pound McBride wasn't drafted but attended the Los Angeles Kings' prospects camp in July. In January he played for Team Orr in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and helped his team to a 6-0 shutout victory over Team Cherry. McBride also suited up for Team Pacific in the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He won the Darryl K. Seaman Award in May as the WHL's top scholastic player for the 2014-15 season.
The Cougars already have 19-year-old Ty Edmonds and 20-year-old Mack Shields to choose from to play in goal. Now, with a third goalie, it becomes a lot more difficult keeping everybody happy with playing time. Last season the Cougars had a three-goalie system, with Edmonds, Patrick Gora and Tavin Grant. Gora is no longer with the team and Grant remains on the protected list, playing for the junior B Kamloops Storm.
Edmonds and Shields have played well this season. Edmonds ranks sixth in the WHL with a 2.13 goals-against average and has a .936 save percentage, while Shields is 20th overall with a 3.17 average and .883 save percentage.
"We know for sure that Mack won't be around next year because he'll age out and with the year that Ty's having you never know, he could be an NHL draft pick and sign a contract and he's gone," said Harkins. "Goaltending is the most critical position on any team in hockey. You can't sit there and pass up an opportunity that will set your team up for the future by saying that we're OK now."
Harkins put out feelers around the league last season to indicate he was after a veteran goalie to take some of the burden off Grant as an inexperienced backup to Edmonds. Harkins and Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt were teammates in Phoenix when they played in the IHL and that relationship helped spawn the deal. McBride became expendable in Prince Albert when the Raiders brought up 16-year-old first-round pick Ian Smith to play with incumbent 19-year-old Rylan Parenteau.
Harkins knows McBride's family and has watched him move up the minor hockey ranks with the Burnaby Winter Club. The Raiders picked him 23rd overall in the 2013 bantam draft.
McBride is now in Kelowna, where he's been working with a goalie coach waiting until a trade was made. He's expected to join the Cougars for practice on Monday. The team boarded the bus Wednesday for Everett, where they'll play the Silvertips Friday. The Cats also play Saturday in Kamloops.
On Sunday, Cougars 19-year-old right winger Tyler Mrkonjic informed the Cougars he was returning to his home in St. Albert, Alta., and plans to enroll in post-secondary school. Mrkonjic was with the Cougars for two full seasons, playing in 151 regular-season games and five playoff games. He totaled 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points. In 10 games this season Mrkonjic had one goal.
