For the fifth time this season, Prince George Cougars right winger Terik Parascak has been selected the Western Hockey League’s Kal Tire rookie of the week.
The 17-year-old Lethbridge native had a five-point game last Friday with two goals and three assists and a plus-4 rating in two weekend games. Parascak had a hand in all five goals the Cougars scored in a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Giants. He was held off the scoresheet the following night in the Cats’ 6-3 win over the Giants but still finished a plus-1.
He currently leads all Western Hockey League rookies in scoring with 92 points (36 goals, 56 assists) - tops in the nation among first-year players in the CHL. Parascak sits ninth overall in the WHL scoring race. He’s considered by NHL Central Scouting the 14th-ranked North American skater available for this year’s NHL draft.
The two weekend wins gave the red-hot Cougars an 11-0-1-1 record in their last 13 games. They currently lead the Western Conference with a 43-15-1-3 record, one point ahead of the Portland Winterhawks (43-15-2-1) who play tonight in Spokane and have played one fewer game than Prince George.
The Cats board the bus today heading for Kelowna, where they will start a four-game trip against the Rockets (31-28-3-1, fifth place in West) who are on a 7-0-0-1 tear.
Rockets forward Andrew Cristall, a Washington Capitals pick, was named the WHL’s Tempo player of the week after he collected three goals and six assists in three games last week.
Cougars winger Zac Funk has crept to within two points of Moose Jaw Warrior forward Jagger Firkus for the WHL scoring lead and now has 109 points, just three shy of the Cougars’ all-time season record of 112 set by Quinn Hancock in ’97-98. Funk scored his 62nd and 63rd goals in Saturday’s game. Right behind him is Cougar centre Riley Heidt, who has 107 points.
The Cougars play Friday and Saturday in Victoria, then will travel to Langley for a Sunday afternoon game against the Giants. They’ll wrap up the regular season with a home-and-home weekend series with the Kamloops Blazers.
