Nobody needs to tell NHL scouts about Prince George Cougars goalie Tyler Brennan and defenceman Viliam Kmec.
They’re already on the radar, listed as potential prospects for the NHL draft next summer.
Friday night in Kelowna they each played huge roles in lifting the Cougars to an unexpected 3-2 win over their WHL B.C. Division nemesis, otherwise known as the Kelowna Rockets.
Kmec, a 17-year-old native of Slovakia who joined the Cats over the summer after they picked him in the CHL import draft, set up Craig Armstrong’s go-ahead goal five minutes into the second period, then scored what would stand up as the game-winner midway through the period in front of 4,062 spectators at Prospera Place in Kelowna.
Brennan
21 of 22 shots the Rockets fired his way while on their way to outshooting the Cougars 39-22. Max Graham made it close for Kelowna when he scored with about three minutes left and despite getting outshot 22-2 in the final period the Cats hung on for their ninth win in 23 games this season.
The teams were tied 1-1 after one period. Connor Bowie tipped in a point shot from Ethan Samson to open the scoring 3:31 in. The Rockets took advantage of a too many men penalty to the Cougars and tied it on a shot from Andrew Cristall at the 7:43 mark.
The win moved the Cougars (9-14-0-0, seventh in Western Conference) to within seven points of the fifth-place Rockets (11-8-0-3). The Rockets won the first four games of the season series, outscoring the Cougars a combined 16-4.
The Cougars will be on home ice Saturday night (7 p.m.) to face the Kamloops Blazers on Toque and Teddy Bear Toss Night at CN Centre. The Blazers lost 6-1 Friday in Kamloops to the Seattle Thunderbirds in front of a crowd of 4,210 - the third loss in four games for the conference-leading Blazers. The Cougars are limited by pandemic-driven provincial health restrictions to only half of CN Centre’s capacity of nearly 6,000a. They are the only team in the 22-team WHL not allowed to have a full building.
