After five years playing hockey in Minnesota, Canadian Jared Bethune has returned north of the 49th parallel, all the way to Prince George and the Western Hockey League.
Bethune, a 17-year-old left-winger from Fort Frances, Ont., began the 2014-15 season with the Lincoln Stars in Minnesota, but found out the USHL junior team was going to trade him.
Already listed with the Cougars and having met earlier with general manager Todd Harkins, Bethune left the U.S. two weeks ago to try the Canadian major-junior route in the WHL.
"I'm loving it so far and it's a hard league with all the ups and downs, but this is the right route for me," he said after Tuesday's practice at CN Centre. "I love the coaches and it's an adjustment but I'm really happy."
To complicate matters, Bethune was committed to an NCAA college scholarship with the University of Minnesota Duluth for 2015-16. When he chose the major-junior route, he had to forfeit his scholarship because major-junior players aren't eligible for them.
"It was a tough decision to make and the NCAA is a great route to go," he said. "This is a really good league and Prince George is really turning it around this year. I was at the [under-18] camp with Team Canada this summer and all those guys are going this [major-junior] route. I figured I was ready for this league and I can challenge myself to become a pro."
Bethune arrived in Prince George Oct. 10 in time to watch the Cougars sweep the Vancouver Giants in a pair of 2-1 wins at CN Centre.
He practiced all week with the Cats and then suited up for the team in his first game in Seattle on Friday, a 3-1 Cougars victory. He picked up an assist on Chance Braid's power-play goal and also added a helper on Chase Witala's goal in Saturday's 9-1 loss to Vancouver.
On Friday, the six-foot, 185-pound Bethune spent time on a line with Braid and David Soltes.
"I like him - it's a tough transition for him to move up from the States," said Cougars head coach Mark Holick. "He was really good in Seattle. Besides Edmonds, he was our best player in Vancouver. He's big and strong and he goes to the net and that's what we need down the middle."
Bethune will be in the Cougars lineup tonight at CN Centre when they host the 8-2-1 Brandon Wheat Kings in the lone meeting of the season between the two teams.
At 7-5, the Cougars sit third in the B.C. Division, good for fifth overall in the Western Conference.
The Wheat Kings whipped the Portland Winterhawks 10-3 Saturday in Brandon prior to their departure for Prince George to begin a seven-game road trip.
Brandon sits second in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers (9-1-1).
The Wheaties are a big, young but veteran group that can score, led by top sniper Rihards Bukarts, a 19-year-old forward from Latvia who's tallied five goals and 12 assists and sits fifth in WHL scoring. The five-foot-nine 192-pound left-winger potted 28 goals and 26 assists last season, his first in the WHL.
Other top players to watch out for include forward Jayce Hawryluk, a five-foot-10, 197-pound centre who has nine goals and four assists; 18-year-old Ryan Pilon, a six-foot-two, 212-pound defenceman who has two goals and 11 assists; and 17-year-old left-winger Jesse Gabrielle (six-feet, 214 pounds), who's tallied seven goals and five assists.
"Brandon is right there in the same category as the Kelownas of the league," said Holick. "They're deep, solid throughout, especially at centre. We're going to have to be at our best."
The Cougars returned home from Vancouver early Sunday morning and hope to extend their winning streak at home to five games.
"They're more motivated now and hopefully they'll turn it around and we're moving forward," Holick said of his players.
Centre Jansen Harkins leads the team in scoring with three goals and 14 assists, sixth overall in league scoring.
After tonight's game, Brandon moves south to Kamloops Friday and Kelowna Saturday.
The Cougars leave for Red Deer Thursday morning for a three-game road swing to Alberta, their first trip to the Prairie province this season.
They'll use Red Deer as their base for the weekend, traveling to Edmonton Saturday to take on the Oil Kings and to Calgary to face the Hitmen on Sunday.
Ice chips: Holick said centre Haydn Hopkins and right-winger Cal Babych will remain out of the lineup with upper body injuries tonight and Babych won't play this weekend in Alberta.
