Nominees for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy that goes to Western Hockey League’s top rookie were announced Wednesday and it’s no surprise Prince George Cougars right winger Terik Parascak is the B.C. Division candidate.
The 17-year-old from Lethbridge joined the Cougars from the Edge School U-18s and made an immediate impact as a skillful top-line forward who shredded the Cougars record book, scoring 43 goals and 62 assists for 105 points in 68 regular season games.
Parascak became the first WHL rookie to break the 100-point barrier since Pavel Brendl of the Calgary Hitmen did it in 1998-99.
Ranked 14th by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters available for this year’s draft, the five-foot-11, 179-pound Parascak was named the WHL rookie of the month in September/October, December and March and was rookie of the week six times.
He started the season on a point-producing tear, ringing up eight goals and four assists in the first four games, including a four-goal, six-point game against Victoria Sept. 29.
The other top rookie nominees are:
Central Division – Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, Yukon), Medicine Hat Tigers
East Division – Evan Gardner (Fort St. John), Saskatoon Blades
U.S. Division – Julius Miettinen (Helsinki, Finland), Everett Silvertips
McKenna, who turned 16 on Dec. 20, is one of the youngest players in the league. The 6-foot, 165-pound left winger finished second in rookie scoring and 12th overall with 97 points (34G-63A) in 61 games. He won’t be NHL draft-eligible until 2026.
Gardner, 18, sparkled in net for the Blades in their run to the Scotty Munro Trophy as regular season champions, leading the league in goals-against average (1.91) and save percentage (.927). He also posted four shutouts, tied for second in the league, while compiling a 21-5-9-1 record.
Miettinen, 18, finished third in rookie scoring with 31 goals and 36 assists for 67 points in 66 games. Listed at six-foot-three, 207 pounds, the Finnish left winger collected three or more points in eight games this season.
