For the third time this season, Prince George Cougars right winger Terik Parascak has won the Western Hockey League’s Kal Tire Rookie of the Week Award.
This is his first WHL season but the 17-year-old from Lethbridge is playing like a seasoned veteran and in two games last week he put up six points (three goals, three assists) to keep the Cougars on the winning track.
Parascak had a goal and two assist in the Cats’ 7-1 win over the Kamloops Blazers Saturday at CN Centre. Then on Sunday, in a 7-5 victory over the Central Division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers he collected two goals and an assist.
Parascak now leads the WHL with 14 goals and his 25 points rank him third in the WHL scoring race, trailing only his linemates Ondrej Becher (27 points) and Zac Funk (26 points).
He’s on a three-game point streak in which he’s recorded three goals and four assists. On five occasions he’s produced three points or more in a game.
Cougars associate coach Jim Playfair says Parascak’s scoring touch, his versatility on special teams and the responsibility he’s shown defensively will continue to draw the interest of NHL scouts making their choices ahead of the 2024 draft.
“Certainly, when you watch him play he’s a really well-rounded 200-foot hockey player, he plays well with or without the puck, he blocks shots, he’s becoming a penalty killer for us and he’s working the power play,” said Playfair. “The neat thing, with the disappointment of going back (to his academy team) last year, he turned that into a positive and recognized it was good thing for him to go back and play at that level and now he’s coming in with a lot of confidence.
“He’s earned that right to be put in different situations. It’s a great start and the challenge will be to continue on and not look too far ahead, but just focus on being a good player in the next game.”
The Cougars head to Saskatchewan to begin a five-game East Division tour that gets underway Saturday in Moose Jaw.
