The Western Hockey League trade deadline came and went Tuesday afternoon and the Prince George Cougars got in the act just in the nick of time.
They acquired 19-year-old forward Zac Funk in a deal with the Calgary Hitmen for 18-year-old forward Carter MacAdams, a second-round draft pick in 2023, and the Cougars’ second- and fourth-round picks in 2024.
Funk, a native of Coldsteam, near Vernon, has been producing at nearly a point-per-game pace for the Hitmen. In 33 games he picked up 32 points, including 13 goals, and has amassed 45 penalty minutes.
Funk started his WHL career with the Hitmen in 2019-20, after they chose him in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft.
“Zac is the type of player we were looking for at the deadline,” said Cougars general manager and head coach Mark Lamb. “He’s got experience, he can score, and plays a heavy physical game.”
Listed at six-foot-two, 200 pounds, Funk has played 129 WHL games over three seasons and has 39 goals and 39 assists for 78 points in his major junior career.
Prior to joining the Hitmen he played in the BC Elite Hockey U-18 League for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and Okanagan Rockets. He also suited up for three games in the KIJHL in 2020-21 for the junior B North Okanagan Knights.
MacAdams played 36 games this season for the Cougars and had six goals and 15 assists for 21 points. In 117 WHL games over the past three years he collected 18 goals and 48 points.
The Cats drafted the Langley native 70th overall in the fourth round in 2019 out of Delta Academy.
The Cougars (16-17-3-0, seventh in Western Conference) begin a seven-game roadtrip tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets (13-20-3-0, eighth place), then will head to Alberta to play the six Central Division teams.
