Prince George Cougars fans would love to have seen what Riley Heidt could have accomplished this week wearing a Team Canada jersey.
Maybe they would still be playing for a medal instead of packing their suitcases.
Heidt certainly deserved to be there in Ottawa playing in the world junior championship but didn’t make the cut and the Cougars no doubt benefitted from having him around in the latter half of December.
In those five games since rejoining his Cougar teammates Dec. 14 from the national team selection camp Heidt racked up with four goals and two assists. In 27 games this season he has 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points, third in team scoring, and he’ll get a chance to add to those totals tonight (7 p.m.) at CN Centre where the Cats host the Seattle Thunderbirds in the first of a two-game weekend set.
The two goals the Cougar captain scored on New Year’s Eve in Seattle left him with 102 in his career. He’s already annihilated the all-time Prince George franchise record for career points, with 343 and counting, and the signed Minnesota Wild draft pick is just 18 goals away from tying Chase Witala’s team record for most goals.
Thinking back to the day he became a Cougar when he was a 15-year-old, drafted by Prince George second overall in 2020 right behind Connor Bedard, Heidt says he considers himself fortunate he got in on the ground floor of a rebuilding team that’s made winning a habit late in his junior career.
“I think it’s just the right timing and just the work every day, I’m doing everything I can every day to improve my game and help my team win,” said Heidt. “I’ve been playing with a lot of good players my whole career here and it’s been a great organization for me. My coaches have all helped me out so much in both zones, not just offensively but defensively, and I’m comfortable in all areas right now.
“You do what you can to try to help and we’ve kind of turned it around and we feel great as an organization and staff right now with all the work we’ve put in together the last four or five years and the team’s excited.”
Halfway through the season, the Cougars appear to be serious contenders for the WHL crown once again. They’re 21-9-3-2, leading the BC Division by four points over Victoria with a game in hand, and their .671 winning percentage ranks second only to Everett in the entire league.
Having a player of Heidt’s calibre flashing his playmaking skills with consistency is a treat for Cougar fans and there no doubt he helps sell tickets. The Cougars have climbed into the upper half of the league with their home attendance, averaging 4,036 per game (10th in WHL), up considerably from their 3,519 regular season average in 2023-24 (16th).
“He’s a special player and I think the fans and the whole city recognizes it, it’s hard not to,” said Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb. “He’s got the package to be a pro, he’s got the details and the experience. The fans are coming out to see him and there’s more to come.”
The Citizen spoke to Heidt Thursday afternoon, just before Canada’s junior team was eliminated in a 4-3 quarterfinal loss to Czechia. Heidt knows a lot of those players well from his time with two U18 national teams and one of his best friends is Team Canada captain Brayden Yager. He knows it’s been a pressure-cooker for them, not living up to the crushing expectations the whole country had for them.
“Stuff happens, it’s a short tournament and they’re trying their best and at the end of the day the puck sometimes doesn’t go in, “ Heidt said. “I can’t touch on nothing around the team, everyone goes through their own struggles but I think that’s just between them.
“Any time I’ve suited up for events in the past with them you obviously bring it everywhere you’re playing hockey and you’re trying to find that extra level every game. A lot of eyes are on you and you’re playing for your country and they all know that. When you’re there you feel honoured to be there and the chance to do it for your country is awesome and every guy goes out there and gives it his all to earn his spot.”
Puck stops here, Ravensbergen earning rave reviews
Cougars goalie Josh Ravensbergen had an exceptional weekend coming off the Christmas break, earning WHL goalie-of-the week honours after he allowed just two goals in two games to help guarantee the doubleheader sweep in Victoria.
In their 2-1 shootout win Friday, Ravensbergen took away an overtime breakaway opportunity then blanked all three Royals he faced in the shootout and finished with 28 saves. In the rematch Saturday, Ravensbergen matched a season high with 37 saves in a 2-1 regulation win. That improved his record to 18-4-3-1, and he’s sporting a 2.89 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.
“He put us on his back there in Victoria on the weekend and it’s no surprise for him, he knows he can do that himself every weekend,” said Heidt. “He’s finally found his game here and he’s been working really hard since the start of the year to keep improving and he wants it bad and it’s good to see and he’s going to keep going.”
Cooper Michaluk made 27 stops in Tuesday’s 6-4 win in Seattle, which was the Cougars’ fifth-straight victory.
Vaughan bolsters blueline
Friday’s game will mark the Prince George debut of Cougars defenceman Corbin Vaughan, an 18-year-old acquired in a trade from Regina Dec. 8 for 19-year-old defenceman Ephram McNutt and a second-round pick in 2025. Vaughan has been held without a point through seven games with Prince George but it’s not his offensive abilities that made him so coveted by the Cougars.
“He’s brought a lot of stability to our back end,” said Lamb. “Everybody knows he brings a physical side to the game, he’s an ’06 and he’s got a lot of experience in the league but he’s still a young guy back there. He’s a real tough physical player and in the short time we’ve had them you can just see it against the teams we’re playing against he gets a lot of respect out there.”
The Jan. 10 trade deadline is rapidly approaching and Lamb will likely be glued to the phone until that date looking for the right deal, the kind that could put the Cougars over the top come playoff time.
“We’re looking, no different than we were last year and my job is no different than it was in September or October, it’s just that there’s a deadline looming and there’s some names out there and lot of rumours out there and we’re looking to better our team,” said Lamb.
“It’s been a good first half and we’re sitting in a good spot going into the second half, so I’m pretty happy. We’ve got a good team and we’re moving in the right direction.”
