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Cougars Samson ready to prove he’s more than a late-round Flyer

Ethan Samson of the Prince George Cougars is ready to take his game to new heights after being selected in the NHL Draft.

The 17-year-old blueliner was taken in the 6th round, 174th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Samson told MyPGNow.com it was a joyous occasion with his family back home in Delta.

“It was pretty crazy. I was watching with my family and we all kind of jumped up and down with excitement because it caught off pretty off-guard as I never talked to Philadelphia. I didn’t think it was a place I was going to go to.”

The Cougar defenceman noted he had no shortage of interest from teams before getting picked.

“I talked to a couple of other teams. Philly was not one of them so when I saw my name called by the Flyers it was a big surprise to me.”

Samson recorded 12 points in 22 games with the Cats during the Kamloops/Kelowna Hub season and is ready to take on a leadership role at both ends of the ice with the upcoming WHL season slated to start in October.

“I want to have the coaches rely on me to play a shutdown role against some of the other team’s top players and I know when I get my chance on the power play I can produce from there.”

“I realize that the work really starts now and I have to work that much harder to get to that next level. I skate two to three times a week and I work out four times a week. I need to be ready for camp this year in PG and have a good season.”

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Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Brendan Pawliw
Brendan Pawliw
Since moving to Prince George in 2015, Brendan has covered local sports including the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, Prince George Spruce Kings, UNBC Timberwolves, Cariboo Cougars AAA, and Northern Capitals U18 female hockey teams. Career highlights include play-by-play during the Spruce Kings' BCHL championship runs in 2018 and 2019, including the Doyle Cup win. He also covered the 2019 National Junior A Championship, the 2017 Telus Cup, the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship, and the 2022 BC Summer Games. Brendan is the news voice on 94.3 The Goat and Country 97 FM, reporting on crime, real estate, labour, and environmental issues. Outside of work, he officiates box lacrosse and fastball, sits on the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame board, and co-hosts the Hockey North podcast.

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