Cougars acquire defenceman from Pats, McBride's Molendyk shipped to Medicine Hat

The Prince George Cougars announced Tuesday morning they’ve acquired 19-year-old defenceman Aleksey Chichkin from the Regina Pats in return for a fourth-round pick in 2027.

In 32 games with the Pats this season Chichkin had three goals and seven points as well as 55 penalty minutes and 54 shots on goal. The native of Vancouver played for the Calgary Hitmen in 2023-24 and collected 10 points in 61 games played.

“Aleksey is a big and rangy player that plays physical and makes simple plays,” said Cougars general manager and head coach Mark Lamb. “He will really complement our d-core.”

The Cougars (22-10-3-2) return to action tonight (7 p.m.) at CN Centre, where they’ll face the Vancouver Giants.

The Cougars have won nine of their last 11 games and are in first place in the BC Division, seven points ahead of Vancouver.

The Giants (19-14-4-0) are winners of seven of their last 10 games, including a 7-0 win Saturday over the Rockets in Kelowna. Burke Hood  earned a 44-save shutout in that game, the second of the season for the 17-year-old netminder.

Prince George native Cameron Schmidt, the Giants’ speedy top-line right winger, leads the team in scoring with 28 goals 15 assists for 43 points in 32 games.

In other WHL transactions, the Saskatoon Blades have traded 19-year-old defenceman Tanner Molendyk and winger Misha Volotovskii to the Medicine Hat Tigers for 17-year-old forward Hayden Harsanyi, 17-year-old defenceman Jack Kachkowski, a first- and second-round pick in the 20025 WHL Prospect Draft, a third- and fourth-round pick in 2026 and a fifth-rounder in 2028.

Molendyk, a native of McBride, the Nashville Predators’ 24th overall pick in 2023, will be reunited with his Canadian world junior teammate Gavin McKenna in Medicine Hat.

The Kelowna Rockets are building a team to host the 2026 Memorial Cup and they sent 19-year-old defenceman Caden Price to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for 17-year-old defenceman Will Sharpe, 17-year-old goaltender Harrison Boettiger, a first- and fourth-round pick in 2026, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2025 and a fifth-round pick in 2027 and a sixth-round pick in 2025.

Price was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the third round, 83rd overall in the 2023 NHL draft.

The WHL trade deadline is on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT.