Mitch Kohner is officially in the mix.
Kohner, a 2002-born forward from Rosemount, Minn., has signed a standard Western Hockey League player agreement with the Prince George Cougars. The Cats secured Kohner's rights when they selected him in the 10th round (121st overall) in the 2017 bantam draft.
"Mitch plays a WHL style of game which is impressive for his age," said Cougars general manager Mark Lamb. "He skates well, he's physical and has the potential to be a very good player at this level."
Kohner was in the lineup last weekend when the Cougars picked up preseason wins against the Vancouver Giants (7-3) and Victoria Royals (3-2).
For the past two seasons, Kohner was a member of the Lakeville North High School Panthers. In 49 career games with the Panthers, he had nine goals and 12 points. Physically, he's listed at five-foot-11 and 193 pounds.
The Cougars, holders of a 3-1 record in the preseason, will play their final exhibition game on Saturday (7 p.m. faceoff) at CN Centre against the Kamloops Blazers.
The Cats will open the regular season - their 25th in Prince George - on Sept. 21 against the host Royals. The teams will also do battle the next night and then the Cougars will visit Kelowna for a tilt with the Rockets on Sept. 26. The home-opener for the Cougars is Sept. 28, with the Rockets as the opponent.
