Hartley’s Sports Shorts; Thursday, May 8th

WHL:

The Prince George Cougars selected high-scoring forward Cohen Baker from the Burnaby Winter Club Academy U15 Prep team with their first round pick, 17th overall, in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

Baker, who turned 15 yesterday (May 7th) notched 64 points (34 goals) and 80 penalty minutes in 33 games this season.

“I’m a hard-working player who likes to make plays and set up my teammates. I’m a pass-first guy, but I can score too, and I bring a lot of intensity” – Cohen Baker

Baker was selected 17th overall in the opening round of the WHL Prospects Draft!https://t.co/zeb9l3fIeI… pic.twitter.com/RkDUIcdFgR

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) May 8, 2025

With the 23rd and last pick of the first round, the Regina Pats selected forward Logan Henry of Prince George (a teammate of Cohen Baker) who notched 51 points (32 goals) in 31 games with the Burnaby Winter Club U15 Prep team.

The Prospects Draft will continue today (Thursday; Rounds 2-12) following the U.S. Priority Draft.

The Cougars have the 40th overall pick in the second round.

The Western Hockey League completed the first round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft on Wednesday afternoon.

For the complete list of all players selected, head over to https://t.co/sfq4z0lqwg.

📝 | https://t.co/LGEZJOQHlY pic.twitter.com/t91DXCkAWS

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 8, 2025

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The Prince George Cougars lost (2005 born) forward Matteo Danis to the Penticton Vees in the WHL Expansion Draft.

The Vees selected a total of 22 players (4 goalies, 7 defenceman and 11 forwards) in the Draft.

Ahead of their inaugural Western Hockey League season in 2025-26, the @PentictonVees have acquired 22 players during the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft.

📝 | https://t.co/PB85FBomn3 pic.twitter.com/pLPYUfrtWY

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 7, 2025

The WHL Championship Series between the Tigers and Chiefs will open with the first two games in Medicine Hat Friday and Sunday.

The series shifts to Spokane in the 2-3-2 format for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 13th and 14th.

17-year-old forward Chase Herrington of Prince George plays for Spokane.

Defenceman Tanner Molendyk, who turned 20 this year and is from McBride, plays for the Tigers.

The WHL playoff schedule and results can be found here.

KIJHL:

Former Prince George Spruce Kings head coach Alex Evin has been named head coach and assistant general manager of the Castlegar Rebels of the KIJHL.

Evin, a Castlegar native, signed a two-year contract.

He was released by the Spruce Kings midway thru the 2024-25 season.

NHL Stanley Cup playoffs: (2 Wednesday games)

Dallas  3  Winnipeg  2  (The Stars lead 1-0 with Game 2 Friday in Winnipeg)

Toronto  4  Florida  3  (The Maple Leafs lead 2-0 with Game 3 Friday in Florida)

There are two Stanley Cup playoff games tonight (Thursday); Carolina at Washington (4:00) and Edmonton at Vegas (6:30).

The Hurricanes and the Oilers lead 1-0.

The NHL playoff schedule and results are here or here.

The second round schedule of all four series can be found here.

PG Senior Lacrosse—(Wednesday, May 7th result)

Devils  15  Bandits  5 
(The Devils are off to a 2-0 start)

NBA: (2 Wednesday playoff games)

Oklahoma City  149  Denver  106  (The best-of-7 second round series is tied 1-1)
(The Thunder set an NBA playoff record for first-half points with 87)

New York  91  Boston  90  (The Knicks lead 2-0)
(The Knicks erased a 20-point, 3rd quarter deficit for the second straight game)

There is just one NBA playoff games tonight (Thursday 5:30) and that has Golden State at Minnesota.

The Warriors lead 1-0 but they will be without Stephen Curry for at least a week due to a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

The NBA schedule and results are here.

MLB:

LA Angels  5  Toronto Blue Jays  4

The (16-20) Blue Jays continue their 6-game West Coast road trip tonight (Thursday 6:38) against the (15-20) Angels as the Angels go for a 3-game sweep.

The Blue Jays 2025 schedule and results are here.

The MLB schedule and results are here.

The MLB standings are here.