Zac Funk found his own way to thank PG’s first responders.
Funk scored a hat-trick and added two assists as the Prince George Cougars thumped the Kamloops Blazers 7-1 on the first night of Community Heroes weekend.
Does this hat-trick smell Funky to you? @PGCougars | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/zYztTbQywi
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 22, 2023
The CN Centre was filled with 4,516 somewhat tame fans, as many tickets were purchased and donated to front line workers, first responders, and many others who make our community a better place.
The Cougars gave the crowd plenty of reasons to cheer in the first period, jumping out to a 4-0 lead, courtesy of Funk, Hudson Thornton, and the “Super Rookie” Terik Parascak.
Dylan Ernst could have earned himself the nickname of “the mouse” from the PG faithful, as the Cats chased him out of the net 14:34 into the first frame, allowing the four goals on just 11 shots.
FROM DOWNTOWN!🚀@PGCougars pic.twitter.com/tWDZINHfuf
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 22, 2023
Hudson Thornton’s first goal came shorthanded from the Cougars’ side of the red line.
It was the team’s 8th shorthanded marker of the season, matching their total for all of last season.
Riley Heidt also scored in the win.
“Our offense was key tonight, but there was a lot of areas we could’ve cleaned up,” said Cougars Head Coach and GM Mark Lamb on last night’s Post Game show on 94.3 The Goat.
“It wasn’t a real polished game for us, even though we scored that many goals.”
Someone (probably Hartley Miller) must have uttered the words “shutout” briefly before the clock hit 1:41 of the third period, when Ashton Ferster put Kamloops on the board.
The full box score can be found here.
One thing for Cougars fans to keep an eye on, Carlin Dezainde left the game after taking a big hit.
The Cougars (8-3-0-0) will continue with Community Heroes weekend tonight (Sudnay) at 5:00 against the Medicine Hat Tigers (7-3-1-0).
The full Cougars schedule can be found here.
The full WHL standings can be found here.