When the Prince George Cougars hit the ice for their WHL game with the Tri-City Americans (8-4)tonight they'll have a couple new faces in the lineup.
After a seven-game road trip through the East Division and ending in Kamloops, which saw the Cougars post a 2-5 record, the club made a couple of trades. In addition to acquiring the rights to Campbell Elynuik from the Regina Pats, the Cougars picked up defenceman Reid Jackson from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for 19-year-old centre Nick Buonassisi.
The Cougars (3-6-0-1) were able to part with Buonassisi due to an over abundance of centres - eight before the trade.
Jake Mykitiuk is one of three rookie centres with the Cougars which made Buonassisi available.
"It's a huge jump from the 15-year-old [Alberta Minor Midget Hockey] league to the WHL, obviously the players are bigger and faster and smarter," said the five-foot-five Mykitiuk.
He credits his coach with the St. Albert Flyers, Rick Thompson, in helping him make the leap.
"He really helped me out and taught me how to be a tougher player and lead by example," said Mykitiuk.
The 15 year old put up 69 points, including 36 goals (six game winners) in 38 games with the Flyers last season. After nine games with the Cougars, Mykitiuk has two goals and an assist - his first goal came in the Cougars last game at CN Centre, a 6-5 loss to the Victoria Royals on Oct. 1.
During his bantam and midget days Mykitiuk was never afraid to skate right into bigger, stronger defencemen.
"It doesn't really get in my head, you've just got to battle harder," said Mykitiuk. "If you're smaller and not as strong you've just got to find other ways to get the puck and accomplish things."
Not drafted in the WHL bantam draft in 2010, Mykitiuk went to the Vancouver Giants training camp, but it didn't work out and a couple months later the Cougars added him to their protected list.
"We watched him and thought he'd be a guy with some good wheels and have some offence to him," said Cougars head coach Dean Clark. "His skating ability allows him to be in the league."
If Mykitiuk can chip in a few more offensive points it'll be a huge advantage for the Cougars, who are the second lowest scoring team in the WHL this season with 26 goals scored in 10 games - only the Seattle Thunderbirds have lower numbers with 18 goals in seven games.
CAT SCRATCHES: Veteran centre Charles Inglis has three games left to serve on a 10-game suspension, while defenceman Josh Smith has two games to serve from a four-game suspension. Martin Marincin leads the Cougars in scoring with nine points. Ty Rimmer, traded by the Cougars to the Americans in the summer, has a 6-2 record in the Americans' net this season with a .945 save percentage. Brett Connolly has played seven NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 19 year old can only play nine games before the first year of his NHL entry-level contract is guaranteed, meaning the Cougars will know within a week if the Lightning plan to keep Connolly all season.
