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Moberg makes NHL's draft list

Whether he gets drafted into the NHL or not, Cole Moberg plans to be there in person this summer to answer the call. The 18-year-old Prince George Cougars defenceman won't have far to go.
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Prince George Cougars defenceman Cole Moberg jumps into the boards in celebration after scoring a goal against the Seattle Thunderbirds on Nov. 3 at CN Centre. – Citizen file photo

Whether he gets drafted into the NHL or not, Cole Moberg plans to be there in person this summer to answer the call.

The 18-year-old Prince George Cougars defenceman won't have far to go.

The June 21-22 draft takes place in Rogers Centre, home of the Vancouver Canucks, not far from Moberg's family home in North Vancouver.

Moberg found out on Monday he's ranked 175th on NHL Central Scouting's list of North American skaters available in the draft and he joins Cougars goalie Taylor Gauthier on the list of prospects. Gauthier, 17, is ranked fifth among North American goalies available for the draft.

"That was a confidence-booster for sure," said Moberg. "I got a text from Gauthier when he was flying to Red Deer (for the CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game) and he said I was on the list.

"It's nice, it'll be easy. I just have to go across the bridge to get there and we'll see what happens, if I go (in the draft) or not."

After 64 games with the Cats last year, Moberg has continued to improve. His skating stride, his poise under pressure while carrying the puck and his quick decision-making made the scouts take notice. He's also grown more adept at using his six-foot-three, 195-pound bulk to move bodies out of the way in the defensive zone.

As Cougar fans who have seen him knock down clearing attempts at the blueline would certainly attest, Moberg also has great hands, no doubt aided by the fact he was an accomplished Little League baseball pitcher growing up in North Vancouver.

"I have more confidence with the puck, jumping up in the play and just reading it, picking off passes and I'm more confident shooting the puck, just getting them through," he said. "I'm coming into my own in the defensive zone. I've really worked on it and now I'm closing down right away, it's coming to me now."

Through 43 games in his second WHL season with the Cougars Moberg has scored nine goals and has 16 assists and his 26 points rank third in team scoring. He's the obvious frontrunner as the Cougars' most improved player in 2018-19 and NHL scouts have taken notice.

"It's a huge accomplishment and hopefully he just keeps growing within," said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk. "The more he matures and the more he plays the better he's getting and it's good to see (NHL) teams are recognizing it.

"It's the way he can skate, the way he sees the ice, and his ability to jump in at the right time. His weakness, if at all, we thought was defence but he's really buying into what we're teaching and things are getting better for him. He can play a 200-foot game and he does have the offensive ability, as we see with his puck control."

The Cougars finished off a five-game homestand Tuesday with a 3-2 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Moberg, picked as the second star, assisted on the second Cougar goal and had four shots on net while helping his team hold the Warriors to just 16 shots.

"We shut them down pretty well. Their top line (Justin Almeida, Tristan Langan, Brayden Tracey) got shut down well by (Joel) Lakusta, (Ryan) Schoettler, (Josh) Curtis, (Ilijah) Colina and (Tyson) Upper - they did a really good job keeping them off the scoresheet until overtime," said Moberg, a North Shore Winter Club product placed on the Cougars' protected list in August 2016.

With Gauthier away, Isaiah DiLaura drew his first start in net for the Cougars since Dec. 30 and he played well. The Cougars did their jobs in front of him, only rarely allowing the Warriors to operate in the offensive end.

"They had 16 shots on net and 10 scoring chances - we wanted two points and got one and hopefully we can look back when it's playoff time and say that point helped us," said Matvichuk.

That tight defensive coverage will have to continue for the Cougars to make the playoffs. They've averaged just 2.26 goals per game. Only the last-overall Swift Current Broncos have scored fewer goals (98) than Prince George (102).

The Cougars begin a three-game road trip tonight (6 p.m., 94.3 FM The Goat) in Calgary against the Hitmen (21-19-3-1). The Cougars will be in Red Deer to face the Rebels Saturday (6 p.m. PT), then travel to Edmonton to take on the Oil Kings Sunday at 3 p.m.

Prince George (16-24-3-2) is fifth in the B.C. Division, tied in points (37) with the fourth-place Kamloops Blazers, who have played one fewer game than the Cougars. The Cats and Blazers are just two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. The Cougars have 23 games left in the regular season, including four games against division rivals Vancouver, Victoria and Kamloops, and one against Kelowna.

The next five games for the Cats are on the road.

"I liked our energy (Tuesday night) so hopefully we can bring the same thing on the road. We've been a good road team as of late," said Matvichuk. "It's three games in 2 1/2 days and we have to be ready to go."

Cougars winger Josh Maser will serve the remainder of his three-game suspension and is expected to be back in the lineup for the Edmonton game. Maser, the team's leading goal-scorer with 18, was banished after the league watched the video of his hit on Kamloops Blazers defenceman Quinn Schmiemann during Sunday's game at CN Centre, which left Schmiemann with a concussion.