麻豆社区

Three Whitehorse hockey players have survived the first round of cuts in their quest to make the top midget team in the North.

Riley Pettitt, Alex Hanson and Kole Comin were three of the 45 players invited to attend the second Prince George Cariboo Cougars camp, scheduled for Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.

Following the next round of cuts, 25 players will head into the exhibition season in early September.

More than 80 players attended the opening training camp in Prince George last weekend.

Local players Jack Blisner, Wyatt Gale, Jarrett Malchow and Josh Tetlichi did not make the cut.

The Cariboo Cougars, one of 11 teams in the British Columbia Major Midget League, is made up of northern hockey players from the area surrounding Prince George, with boundaries at 100 Mile House, Fort Nelson, Valemount, Prince Rupert and the Yukon.

The Yukon connection is an important one for the Cariboo Cougars, with top players like Andrew Pettitt, David Stephens and Brett Roulston making big impressions in recent years.

"Whitehorse has some great coaches and the players by the time they hit midget are looking to move on and see what else is actually out there,鈥� said general manager Trevor Sprague.

"The Cariboo Cougars are a great fit for them to be noticed and also to play some better hockey than what they've been exposed to.鈥�

The Yukon players who do make the team have been key players who play their roles well, Sprague added.

The Cariboo Cougars finished second in league standings last season, and have had a lot of players move on. Just three forwards, three defensemen and a goalie are slated to return.

Pettitt, 16, is expected to return to the squad this year, after tallying four goals and five assists in an injury-shortened season.

"Riley's a guy that we've committed to. He's going to be here for another year. If you can put in two solid years with the Cariboo Cougars, you're going to move on,鈥� Sprague said. "He's going to be a top-two line guy for us, and we're going to expect a lot out of him.鈥�

As for Hanson and Comin, Sprague said it was the intangibles that kept them around.

"They do a lot of the small things right,鈥� he said. "You don't see that a lot from guys that have come from smaller communities. They caught our eye on a lot of little things they do, and we'll see if they can do bigger and better things. It gets tougher, and we're going to see if they can have that same success at the next camp.鈥�

Pettitt said playing major midget is a key moment in any young player's development.

"The Cariboo Cougars are known for hard work and dedication,鈥� he told the Star. "We're probably one of the top hard-working teams in the league. To make the team, it's a real honour for anyone.

"It's a good stepping stone for anyone coming out of Whitehorse, because it's really all we've got besides Fort St. John. It's just like that next level above midget. It's better hockey, you get used to travelling all the time ... it gets you ready to play in junior and handle the games. It prepares you in the right way for Jr. A or WHL.鈥�

Last weekend's camp was a high-intensity, up-tempo affair said 15-year-old Comin.

The powerful right-winger said having a chance to play in Prince George this season would be an "awesome鈥� experience.

"I would love to play there,鈥� Comin said. "I think I have a good chance.鈥�

Comin said he gave it his all in the opening camp, and used his body effectively to create scoring chances. Despite getting an invite back to the second camp, the youngster knows he will have to "do something impressive鈥� to make it past the next round of cuts.

Comin played for the Whitehorse Midget Mustangs last season, recording seven goals and 15 assists in 25 games. He was also one of three Yukoners to play for the men's Team North at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

Meanwhile, Hanson said making the Cariboo Cougars has been a personal goal for a long time.

"I'm obviously happy to make the first cut, but the real work has definitely just started,鈥� he said. "I think I have a decent shot at the team. I know I need to go in with the mentality that I'm going to make it, and then just work as hard as I can. If I leave my best out there, I won't have any regrets.鈥�

The 15-year-old finished second in Whitehorse Midget Mustangs scoring last season with 16 goals and 13 assists in 27 games.

The centre played left wing during the opening camp, and said he would play whatever position necessary in order to make the squad.

"The team basically represents the North,鈥� Hanson said. "There's a lot of guys from a lot of small towns who are quite good. There's some good quality play there for sure.鈥�

Hanson said he hopes to one day play hockey at the university level, and said playing major midget would be a good first step.

"Major midget has developed a lot of players that have wound up playing Jr. A and Jr. B.,鈥� he said.