WestLEAFfan
10-25-2007, 11:22 AM
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101304&Itemid=160
Cougars increase their American content
(Sports) Thursday, 25 October 2007, 00:16 PST
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
The Prince George Cougars are no doubt happy about the soaring value of the loonie against the the American dollar.
It’s costing them less to stock their roster.
The Cougars added one more American-born player to the mix Wednesday when they picked up free agent forward Matt Sokol. Sokol, an 18-year-old native of Los Angles, has been around the WHL for two seasons, having started his career in Medicine Hat.
The six-foot 185-pound Sokol played 63 regular season games last season for the Portland Winter Hawks, where he collected six goals and six assists for 12 points and 55 penalty minutes. He also had one assist in three playoff appearances. In 2005-06, with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Sokol picked up two assists and 11 penalty minutes in 14 regular season games, with one assist in eight playoff games.
The Cougars have been tracking Sokol’s progress since his days as an offensive-minded bantam in California.
“He’s got a nose for the net and we think he’s a guy who can push some of our other forwards we’ve wanted to score that haven’t yet,” said Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson. “We’re not bringing him in to be a defensive specialist, we want to create some more offence here and certainly we hope he can do that.”
Sokol was due to arrive in Prince George Wednesday night and is expected to suit up against the Chilliwack Bruins on left wing Friday at CN Centre (7 p.m.), the first of a two-game home series with the Bruins.
“I don’t know what line he’s going to be on, but we’re not bringing in an 18-year-old guy to play on the third or fourth line, we hope he can play on one of the top two lines and if not, we’ll look elsewhere,” Thompson said.
With 39 goals in 13 games, the Cougars (5-8-0-0) have averaged just 2.9 goals for so far this season.
With the addition of Sokol, the Cougars have six U.S.-born forwards, including Colin Haas (Texas), Parker Stanfield (California), Marcus Watson (California) and Alex Poulter (Colorado), and American goalie Tommy Tartaglione (California).
If the COUGARS keep this up, they'll have to sing both the Canadian and American anthems before each game! :thumb:
Cougars increase their American content
(Sports) Thursday, 25 October 2007, 00:16 PST
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
The Prince George Cougars are no doubt happy about the soaring value of the loonie against the the American dollar.
It’s costing them less to stock their roster.
The Cougars added one more American-born player to the mix Wednesday when they picked up free agent forward Matt Sokol. Sokol, an 18-year-old native of Los Angles, has been around the WHL for two seasons, having started his career in Medicine Hat.
The six-foot 185-pound Sokol played 63 regular season games last season for the Portland Winter Hawks, where he collected six goals and six assists for 12 points and 55 penalty minutes. He also had one assist in three playoff appearances. In 2005-06, with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Sokol picked up two assists and 11 penalty minutes in 14 regular season games, with one assist in eight playoff games.
The Cougars have been tracking Sokol’s progress since his days as an offensive-minded bantam in California.
“He’s got a nose for the net and we think he’s a guy who can push some of our other forwards we’ve wanted to score that haven’t yet,” said Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson. “We’re not bringing him in to be a defensive specialist, we want to create some more offence here and certainly we hope he can do that.”
Sokol was due to arrive in Prince George Wednesday night and is expected to suit up against the Chilliwack Bruins on left wing Friday at CN Centre (7 p.m.), the first of a two-game home series with the Bruins.
“I don’t know what line he’s going to be on, but we’re not bringing in an 18-year-old guy to play on the third or fourth line, we hope he can play on one of the top two lines and if not, we’ll look elsewhere,” Thompson said.
With 39 goals in 13 games, the Cougars (5-8-0-0) have averaged just 2.9 goals for so far this season.
With the addition of Sokol, the Cougars have six U.S.-born forwards, including Colin Haas (Texas), Parker Stanfield (California), Marcus Watson (California) and Alex Poulter (Colorado), and American goalie Tommy Tartaglione (California).
If the COUGARS keep this up, they'll have to sing both the Canadian and American anthems before each game! :thumb: