The Prince George Cougars will play the Portland Winterhawks in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
With the BC Division banner on the line, the Cougars played one of their worst games of the season, losing 6-3 to the Victoria Royals.
“We didn’t start on time at all, way too many easy turnovers, give them easy goals, we we’re chasing the game the whole game and we just didn’t have enough at all,” said Cougars Head Coach and GM Mark Lamb on the post-game show on 94.3 the Goat.
The Cougars gave up turnover after turnover, which led to a few of Victoria’s goals.
“It’s not hard, you don’t have to look at the film to see that, it’s just the individuals got to make the right play at the right time, I don’t know if they had some nerves going into the game or whatever it was, but it certainly wasn’t good enough, and it’s a real tough lesson,” Lamb said.
“Every loss, it’s a lesson, and to lose like that, was just unacceptable.”
The Cougars got on the board with Carson Carels taking a feed from Evan Groening and sending Johnny Hicks’ jockstrap to the rafters.
🎥HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT🎥
Anyone else dizzy after that one?@PGCougars | #2026NHLDraft | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/1HC0DCdPUL
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 22, 2025
Riley Heidt scored the other two Cougars goals, briefly bringing some life to the 4,754 fans at the CN Centre.
Josh Ravensbergen made 25 saves in the loss.
The Royals outshot the cougars 31-29.
The box score is here.
The loss locks the Cougars (40-21-4-2) into 4th place in the Western Conference. They’ll open the WHL playoffs against the Portland Winterhawks. (36-27-3-1)
The WHL standings are here.
The Cougars will wrap up the regular season Saturday night with a meaningless game against Victoria.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
