WHL Gameday Preview: Saturday, November 2nd

DUBNetwork Feature Game of the Night: November 2, 2019, Prince George Cougars 41001 @ Spokane Chiefs 661-0 7:05 PM (PDT)

For the fourth and final time, this season the Prince George Cougars and the Spokane Chiefs are set to do battle. Prince George won the first two games between the Western Conference rivals, with the Chiefs winning the most recent battle a 5-2 victory back on October 19. It has been a struggle to say the least for the Cougars this season, as they currently rank last in the Western Conference. Prince George has scored the third-fewest goals in the league this season with 32 in 15 games. Only the Swift Current Broncos (29) and the Victoria Royals (28) have scored fewer. Spokane is looking to rebound coming off two straight losses last weekend to the Portland Winterhawks and Prince Albert Raiders. Over the last five seasons, the Chiefs have held a slight edge in wins between the two teams with a 6-5 record.

Josh Maser (photo-Brett Cullen)

Through the Cougars’ struggles, they have been led offensively by overage forward Josh Maser. Now in his fourth season with the Cougars, Maser has played in 170 games in his WHL career. This season with the Cougars, Maser has collected 11 points in 15 games. Two seasons ago Maser set his career-high in points with 49, last season he set a new career-high in goals with 30. Helping Maser upfront has been the play of rookie Filip Koffer. Drafted tenth overall in the Import draft this summer, the Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic native has nine points in the Cougars15 games. On defense it has been the play of another overage player that has led the way. Ryan Schoettler, from Lloydminster, Alberta, has played his entire career with the Cougars. Having played in over 200 games with the Cougars, Schoettler set a career-high in points last season with 32. This season in 15 games, Schoettler has seven points. Fellow defenceman and the only drafted player currently on the Cougars roster Cole Moberg is just behind Schoettler in points this season with six. Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round this past summer Moberg is coming off a career year last season with the Cougars. Scoring 13 times while adding 27 assists, Moberg shatters his previous career highs in all offensive categories. The Cougars made a roster move this week, as theyve placed defenceman Austin Crossley on WHL waivers. The 20-year-old defenceman has since cleared waivers and is now a free agent. Another roster move has seen goaltender Tyler Brennan being named as one of six goaltenders named to Hockey Canadas roster for the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Adam Beckman (Photo: Spokane Chiefs/Larry Brunt)

Minnesota Wild third-round draft choice from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Adam Beckman has led the Chiefs in scoring this season. Coming off an impressive rookie season which saw Beckman register 62 points, including 32 goals. This season Beckman has picked up right where he left off picking up 20 points in 13 games. The 20 points are good for second in league scoring early on this season. Beckmans strong start this season has led him and his teammate Ty Smith, to be selected to play for Team WHLs for the upcoming 2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series. Smith, a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2018 NHL draft, returns for a second year to the event and will serve as captain for Team WHL. The second-year captain of the Chiefs has eight points in ten games so far this season. Ty missed the Chiefsfirst three games as he attended the Devilstraining camp. Last season, Smith set a career-high in assists with 62, while adding seven goals. Now in his fourth full season in the WHL, all with Spokane, he has skated in over 200 career WHL regular-season games. Filip Kral, third-year import and Toronto Maple Leafs fifth-round draft choice from 2018, is off to fast start this season. Scoring 36 points all of last year, Kral has already produced 13 points in 13 games. Helping Beckman upfront has been the play of Jack Finley. Selected by the Chiefs sixth overall in 2017, Finley has 10 points in 13 games this season, after putting up 19 all of last year. Spokane also has a member of their team attending the 2019 World Under-17 Challenge, as defenceman Graham Sward has been named to Hockey Canadas roster.

Jackson Shepard-Taylor Gauthier (photo-Brett Cullen)

Expected in goal:

Taylor Gauthier (Prince George) – Gauthier, in his third season, is coming off a season where he posted 15 wins in 55 appearances. He also finished with a 3.25 GAA and a .899 SAV%. The Calgary, Alberta native has seen the bulk of the work for the Cougars this season, appearing in 12 of 14 games. The Cougars’ first-round draft pick in 2016 has just two wins in those 12 games and a 3.34 GAA and a .898 SAV%.

Campbell Arnold (Spokane) Arnold, has appeared in ten games already this season. Having appeared in just one game in each of the previous two seasons, Arnold has taken over for Brett Balas who was acquired earlier in the season and Los Angeles Kings 2019 third-round pick Lukas Parik. In ten games this season Arnold has four wins while posting a 2.89 GAA and a .884 SAV%.

In other WHL action:

Lethbridge Hurricanes (10-4-0-3) @ Brandon Wheat Kings (7-9-0-0)

The Hurricanes lead the WHL with 62 goals. The Hurricanes are hot, posting points in nine straight games (7-0-0-2). Brandon has won their last two games, by a combined score of 10-1. Both wins came against the Swift Current Broncos. Brandon is 2-4-0-0 on home ice this season.

Swift Current Broncos (3-8-1-2) @ Winnipeg ICE (7-6-1-0)

The ICE has been outscored 19-39 on home ice this season through seven games. Their record is 3-4-0-0 at their temporary home of Wayne Fleming Arena. The Broncos have collected just nine points this season, six points back of the second wild-card spot. Carson Lambos is away with U-17 Team Canada White.

Saskatoon Blades (8-7-1-1) @ Calgary Hitmen (8-3-1-0)

Saskatoon has lost their last two games and recently found out that their star player, Kirby Dach, is unlikely to return to the Blades this season as he has earned a spot with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hitmen come as advertised, with just three regulation losses. Carson Focht leads the team with 15 points in 11 contests, Zamula has 15 in 12 games. Sean Tschigerl is with the U-17 Canada Black team.

Prince Albert Raiders (10-2-3-0) @ Moose Jaw Warriors (7-6-1-0)

The Raiders are once again the top team in the East Division. They have put up three straight wins and are 7-2-1-0 in their last 10 games. Defenseman Nolan Allan is away with Team Canada Red at the U-17 challenge. Braden Tracey scored four goals last night against the Rebels propelling the Warriors to their second straight win. Adam Evanoff made his season debut last night as well.

Seattle Thunderbirds (5-6-2-1) @ Portland Winterhawks (9-3-0-1)

Kamloops Blazers (9-5-0-0) @ Everett Silvertips (9-4-0-0)

Two evenly matched teams are playing at the Angel of the Winds Arena tonight. Both teams are missing players at the U-17 tournament, Olen Zellweger is with Team Canada Red as is Logan Stankoven. Both teams are coming off of loses and are looking to right the ship.

Vancouver Giants (7-8-1-0) @ Tri-City Americans (8-5-0-1)

The Giants are looking for a win after losing their last three contests (0-2-1-0) while the Americans have points in three straight (2-0-0-1). Sasha Mutala leads the Americans with 16 points in his 13 games while Tristen Nielsen has 15 points in 16 games to lead the Giants.

Medicine Hat Tigers(9-4-1-0) @ Victoria Royals (6-6-1-0)

Medicine Hat starts its West Coast road trip. It is their fourth road game of a season-high nine games on the road. The team is currently 1-2-0-0 on the trip. They’ll be missing Cole Sillinger who is with Team Canada White at the U-17 tournament. Nolan Bentham is with Team Canada Black and will miss the Royals’ next couple of games. The Royals will look to turn their fortunes around after their loss to the Rockets on Wednesday night.