Game played on 1/28/2025.
General Game Notes: Despite the score, this game was actually closer than it looked after the first period. Three goals to start the second period really put the game into perspective. The depth from the Cougars combined with their top players out performing the others was the difference in tonight’s game.
Bauer Dumanski (D, L, 6’0″, 197, Prince George Cougars, 01/05/2005)
Grade: B+
Comments: Dumanski is a defensive defenseman whose game is best in his own end but found a way to find the back of the net tonight. He is not huge by any means but, his pivots are still a bit slow, which can be an issue when opposing players dump the puck behind him. When he is able to surf up and get the right gap, he excels against the rush. He uses his long stick which helps him maintain good gap control. When within range, he disrupts the play with his stick and steps up quickly, pushing players along the wall at the blue line, sometimes resulting in a solid hit, just sometimes, most of the time it is a forced dump. He did have a couple opportunities to be more physical and set somewhat of a tone tonight and chose to resort to stick play, not the wrong move and he actually was able to break up the puck but just a part of his game that could increase the momentum of players around him.
Jozef Viliam Kmec (D, R, 6’2″, 210, Prince George Cougars, 01/02/2004)
Grade: A
Comments: With five points on the night, Kmec was able to show a ton of offense in a lot of different ways. It is a cliche phrase to say he skates well for a guy his size, but In this case, it is very true. His forward speed is quite impressive. While he does not extend his stride enough, he transfers his body weight well and is able to generate power with shorter strides. This makes him uniquely mobile along the blue line. He does a good job at showing one move or showing he wants to go one way and then does the other. His deceptiveness is subtle with the puck but the way he is able to draw players in and not panic with the puck is how he is able to extend the possession for his team that much longer. He has a lot of traits given the size that he is to be an effective two way defenseman with a ton of offensive upside.
Koehn Ziemmer (C, R, 6’1″, 203, Prince George Cougars, 12/08/2004)
Grade: B+
Comments: Ziemmer scored a nice goal tonight following up the rush to the top of the crease where he received a pass from below the goal line and was able to bury it over the goalies shoulder. This goal showed his IQ and his ability to get the puck up quickly in tight. It was where he drifted to at the net front that showed his smarts, instead of being a body in a crowded space, he found a little pocket where his stick was available. Ziemmer was able to use his skating and has shown good crossover usage, in-motion plays, and cutbacks in the offensive zone. He does not get rid of the puck under pressure instead, has the awareness to use his body, draw players in, and escape to extend his possession.
Ben Riche (LW, L, 5’10”, 180, Prince George Cougars, 03/15/2005)
Grade: B+
Comments: Riche was able to show tonight that he has an effective and smart style of play thanks to his spatial positioning on the ice. To do this, he must be explosive and agile to activate at the right time. He was able to show this in the play leading up to his goal he scored at the end of the game. How he scored was not only impressive but tough way for the Broncos to get their eighth scored on. From the corner, the puck was turnover in the slot and a shot was quickly directed right at the goalie. After a blocker save, the puck was in mid air before Riche came through with a baseball swing and batted it out of mid air. Great poise with the hand eye coordination and instincts to get to the front of the net, but this is a great example of how Riche has been able to connect on twenty seven goals in forty games this year.
Riley Heidt (LW, L, 5’11”, 182, Prince George Cougars, 03/25/2005)
Grade: A-
Comments: Heidt has game breaking moves and speed. When he sees space and the play is in front of him, Heidt loves to take off with the puck and carry it into the opposing zone. However, when he does, he often skates into pressure, trying to force his way through the middle of the ice. His puck protection, combined with his speed and problem-solving stick handling, allows him to move up the ice effectively. Even though he likes to skate into pressure, it always looks intended, he wants to draw players in, use his skill, and find the outs that open up. Of course, this does not work every time, but within his skill set he has the ability to take defenseman wide and expose bad footwork.
Terik Parascak (RW, R, 6’0″, 176, Prince George Cougars, 05/28/2006)
Grade: A-
Comments: Parascak was able to show tonight that he is a real offensive threat with the puck and time and space. He is at his best when he is playing with pace, head up, and scanning the ice for the next play. He plays with his head up a lot of the time he has possession and this allows him to see passes beyond the first layer. Defensively, he had some shifts that he looked like he was lost. When the puck travels the perimeter and his team gets hemmed in, he has a tendency to get drawn out of position and baited out of coverage, becoming reactive rather than proactive in the defensive zone.
Aleksey Chichkin (D, L, 6’4″, 222, Prince George Cougars, 07/21/2005)
Grade: B
Comments: One of the best aspects of Chichkins game is how well he defends and use his size to his advantage. With that being said, In the defensive zone, he does not fall into the common trap of bigger defensemen who try to clear the front of the net at all costs, ignoring the rest of the play. He does a good job at pushing off of opponents, scanning where the puck is, then reengaging. A lot of players defending at the net front can lose track of the puck and next thing you know, the puck is back door with an easy tap in and could have been avoided earlier with a pre scan. Chichkin engages when he has to and follows the play until then closely. His foot speed could use some work, his first three steps is where he will lose a small area race but has the size to close if he does lose it.
Peyton Kettles (D, R, 6’5″, 190, Swift Current Broncos, 09/01/2007)
Grade: B-
Comments: Kettles was able to show tonight that he effectively uses his strength to take players out of the play and free up pucks. He enjoys delivering hits but does not overdo it. At times, it feels like he does not even need momentum to send players flying. In puck possession situations, he easily brushes off opponents and holds onto the puck using sheer strength. It was nearly impossible for players to strip the puck away from him, but that is where is game extended to tonight. The plays after contact, where he needs to find his teammate and get up ice he struggled with. Defending is where he was at his best and needs to find a way to be effective for his forwards looking to play at the other end of the ice.
Carlin Dezainde (C, L, 5’11”, 174, Swift Current Broncos, 12/29/2004, Connecticut)
Grade: B+
Comments: Dezainde picked up a nice goal with a quick wrister off of a cross ice pass. Dezainde was able to catch this puck in stride and without stick handling it, blow it pass the goalie over the shoulder. This was a type of goal that showed why he has twenty two on the season and how hard it can be to stop when he is able to collect it and get it off as fast as he did. Dezainde also showed a side of his game that is not necessarily pretty but is important given his how much he wants to the puck. He is capable of being a big piece when it comes to forechecking. He has an active stick which, along with his good reach, makes his presence felt when looking to recover pucks in the neutral zone, defensive zone, and offensive zone.
Clarke Caswell (LW, L, 5’11”, 176, Swift Current Broncos, 02/02/2006)
Grade: B+
Comments: Caswell scored a great goal shorthanded taking advantage of a confident Cougar power play breakout. He was able to get a stick on a pass right before the blue line, and with no one in the back feild, he uses his feet to gain that much more space for a break away. His first couple steps are quick and this allowed him to set his feet and take his time to decide what he wanted to do at the goalie. A quick shot beat the goalie between the legs and gave his team some life going into the third period. He is not the biggest player on the ice but he was able to show that he is a player who does not shy away from physical play along the boards and is able to gain possession of the puck in those duels.
Logo Courtesy of The Prince George Cougars
