A significant stepping stone towards a potentially bright future for the Prince George Cougars lies on the welcome mat of the organization’s front door.
For the first time in nearly a decade, not one but two current Cats will compete at the World Junior Hockey Championships as Filip Koffer confirmed to the team today (Dec. 11) that he will be on the Czech Republic’s final 25-man roster for the 2021 tournament in Edmonton.
On Thursday (Dec. 10), Taylor Gauthier was selected to play for Canada at the bubble event from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5, the first ever Prince George franchise goaltender to wear the major junior maple leaf.
Per @Fraser_PG, Filip Koffer will represent the Czech Republic 🇨🇿 at the 2021 World Jr. Championships, making him the 2nd @PGCougars at the Edmonton tournament along with Taylor Gauthier for Canada 🇨🇦 | https://t.co/mwgHm502vm #CityOfPG @PGMatters https://t.co/nEFt8yxe6b
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) December 11, 2020
An early Christmas present indeed for northern B.C.’s team as it was back in 2012 when two Cougars last shared a World Junior stage.
Both Brett Connolly (Canada) and Martin Marinčin (Slovakia) competed for their respective countries in Alberta, and in Buffalo the year before.
Connolly walked away with a silver (2011) and bronze (2012), while Marinčin settled for eighth- and sixth-place finishes.
So no gold in the trophy case, but both Cougars alumni went on to have professional careers at the NHL level that included a Stanley Cup for true Prince George born-and-raised Connolly in 2018 with the Washington Capitals.
With two fresh faces back at the international event once again, Prince George’s front office has much to celebrate and look forward to when all is said and done.
“It’s starting to show. The fruits of our labour,” said Cougars broadcaster Fraser Rodgers to PrinceGeorgeMatters on Zoom.
“There used to be, about 10 or 12 years ago, a stigma that high-end talent would not play for the Prince George Cougars given location, track record, and [everything else] that people would throw at the organization.”
Unfortunately, that statement reigns true in most aspects.
Prince George has not made it past the first round of the WHL playoffs since 2007, a potential glory run in 2017 after winning their first B.C. Division banner was cut short in the first six postseason games by Portland (a second wild-card seeded team) and a ladder-half comeback race last year was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2020-21 season hasn’t begun yet, with the league hoping for a Jan. 8, 2021 puck-drop, but this week alone has turned the eyes of many fans and has gained back some respect.
“And now you look at it, in 2020, we have players being selected to play on the biggest stage in junior hockey,” said Rodgers of Koffer and Gauthier’s promotions.
“I think it’s a huge feather in the cap for the organization because it shows where we’ve been going in the last couple of years, especially under General Manager and Head Coach Mark Lamb.”
Koffer was drafted by Prince George in 2019, 10th overall in the first round of the CHL Import Draft, and has been a strong force on the wing since his transition to North American ice.
.@PGCougars newest Import Filip Koffer represented his home country 🇨🇿 at the #U18Worlds earlier this year, scoring 6 points (4G, 2A) in 5 tournament games 👇 | #CityOfPG @CHLHockey @PGMatters https://t.co/5Og6JKAGLC
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) June 27, 2019
His rookie campaign alone touted 24 points in 59 games, including three in the final four games prior to the 2019-20 season’s abrupt cancellation.
That’s the third-best regular-season performance by a Cougars’ import player during their first year in the WHL the last 10 years; Marinčin with 56 points (2010-11) and Vladislav Mikhalchuk with 33 (2017-18).
Internationally, Koffer has a multitude of experience with the Czechs at the Under-17 and -18 championships, the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and various inter-European competitions that included a stint with his country’s senior team.
“It’s such a gift for the community too,” said Vice-President of Business Andy Beesley when asked for his thoughts on two Cats at the World Juniors.
“When Fraser put [Gauthier to goaltend for Canada announcement] up on our Facebook page, I think we got close to 13,000 reactions already and many, many people commenting on Taylor’s selection to Hockey Canada. We’re just so delighted on behalf of the community too. People are so anxious for something to cheer about and be proud about and be happy about.”
Rodgers credits Cougars’ ownership, by way of GM Lamb and Scouting Director Bob Simmonds, for making generous financial investments in hockey scouts to bring in such talent to the north.
He believes will benefit in the next five to seven years and could include more future stars to possibly graze the CN Centre benches with names like Riley Heidt, Koehn Ziemmer, Keaton Dowhaniuk, Caden Brown and Dylan Johnson.
Until then, like his Prince George office counterparts and fans across the city, Rodgers is looking forward to ringing in the new year like a true Canadian.
“For me, it’s super-exciting. To be able to watch TSN come Boxing Day and I see two of our players on TV, especially one hopefully starting in goal for Team Canada in Taylor Gauthier. It’s great news and just shows the great investment this organization has had the last couple years.”
Gauthier and Canada’s quest for a 19th World Junior gold starts on Dec. 26 against Germany.
Koffer and the Czechs are seeking a third historic medal, their first since 2001, and will take the ice against Sweden in the match prior to Canada’s.
The Cougars stars aren't likely to meet each other until the playoff round as both are in separate preliminary groups.
