The Prince George Cougars will see a familiar friend tonight (Friday) in Portland when they visit the Winterhawks.
Goalie Taylor Gauthier was a mainstay with the Cougars since he was 16.
Now 20, Gauthier is in his final WHL season which to date is his best.
He joined the Winterhawks late last month after a deal with P.G., which saw 20-year-old defenceman Jonas Brondberg join the Cats blueline.
We have acquired defenceman Jonas Brøndberg and draft selections from the @pdxwinterhawks, in exchange for goaltender Taylor Gauthier.#NorthernUprising | #WHL
DETAILS ? https://t.co/nQPo6hHgz4 pic.twitter.com/aqBmzRcOID
— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) December 27, 2021
A change of scenery could not have worked out better for “Goats” following his first five games with his new team.
He is 5-0 with a sparking 0.937 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against-average in a Portland uniform.
After winning his debut with the @pdxwinterhawks, Taylor Gauthier has been named the WHL Goaltender of the Week!
? | https://t.co/ddPtBI11RL pic.twitter.com/fMQAQEMhr4
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 10, 2022
The 2016 first-round bantam draft pick (10th overall) from Calgary has played a total of 19 games this season (14 with P.G.) and his 0.927 save percentage is tied for number one in the WHL, along with the highly-regarded Dylan Garand of the Kamloops Blazers.
His 2.59 GAA is 8th in the league, although his Portland GAA would tie him for second behind Garand (2.0o GAA).
This is his last chance in juniors to impress scouts as Gauthier looks to sign a pro contract.
The (22-11-3-2) Winterhawks have been rejuvenated since he joined the team.
They are on a 10-0-0-1 streak and sit second in the U.S. Division and third in the Western Conference.
(Note: Gauthier did not play his first game for Portland until 10 days after the trade because he was in COVID-19 protocols)
?️ SAVE OF THE NIGHT ?️
Taylor Gauthier marked his @pdxwinterhawks debut with a 38-save victory. Here’s his best stop.@RealCdnSS | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/XXNPD5a3lr
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 9, 2022
Last weekend, Portland won three games in three days against U.S. opponents, with Gauthier playing two of the three.
The Cougars needed to make a deal for Gauthier because 18-year-old Tyler Brennan was ready to become the “starter” and 17-year-old Ty Young was ready to become the back-up.
It was a transition period in the net, that has worked out well for all parties concerned.
Ordinarily, a Winterhawks-Cougars match-up in late January is just another game on the schedule.
Based on the close bond and friendship built up between Gauthier and Brennan, these P.G.-Portland games take on added significance for them.
There is a chance the two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs, but regardless of whether that becomes a reality, Prince George fans in all likelihood will get another chance to see Gauthier in the net.
The Winterhawks play at CN Centre against the Cougars on Feb 25th and 26th.
Does Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb want to face Gauthier in the first round?
“Would we want to play Taylor Gauthier in the playoffs? I think Taylor Gauthier is good enough to win a playoff series by himself” was Lamb’s response in this week’s Catscan podcast.
I am sure the P.G. fans will give Gauthier a warm welcome back applause in appreciation of his outstanding service to the team for 4 ½ years.
That is until puck drop when the Cougars crowd will look at #35 in a Portland uniform and hope he comes out on the losing end just like they do for any other visiting goalie.
Cat Scan podcast:
CAT SCAN: @Hartley_Miller chats with @PGCougars Head Coach and GM Mark Lam on this week’s episode | https://t.co/DkoWCPOuVT #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc pic.twitter.com/B8uj9sVRea
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) January 27, 2022
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
Baseball’s eight-owner executive council has rejected the Rays’ bid to divide their home games between Tampa and Montreal. No word on whether it was a split decision.
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/
Maybe (unvaccinated Green Bay Packers QB) Aaron Rodgers should have done his own research on the San Francisco 49ers defense.
*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
On the bright side, Aaron Rodgers was given a year’s supply of Ivermectin as a parting gift.
*Contributor Marc Ragovin
The Packers had only ten players on the field when the 49ers kicked the game-winning field goal and Aaron Rodgers says he knows why. He says that due to the effects of the COVID 19 vaccine, the 11th player was on the sidelines communicating with the mother ship.
*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Nobody should be surprised Aaron Rodgers didn’t win. We all know he didn’t have a shot.
*Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg
In Case You Missed It:
A British fishmonger was robbed by two youths who grabbed a fish, hit her on the side of the head with it, and ran off. The victim suffered a loss of herring; the thieves have yet to be cod.
*Western Canadian comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the news and sports director/supervisor plus morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Country 97fm.
He also is the radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars’ home games.
Hartley has been on the Prince George airwaves since 1979 and is the author of You Don’t Say (sports quotes).