4 Years since the Prince George Cougars have been to Red Deer!!! Arjun Bawa is back and also with the Rebels Ben King is playing for the first time in three months. Kyle Kelsey also made his first start for the Rebels since December 17th. Prior to the game, Matteo Fabrizi was presented with the Rebels Telus scholastic player of the month award for January
Kalan Lind opened up the scoring for the Rebels at 14:37 with assists on that goal going to Kai Uchacz and Frantisek Formanek. Then moments later Kai Uchacz made Viliam Kmec and Chase Wheatcroft look like pee wee players. He stripped Kmec of the puck and then danced around Wheatcroft and sniped in his 35th goal of the season. With under a minute remaining in the first period while on the Power Play Mats Lindgren scored from the slot assisted by Uchacz and Christoffer Sedoff. 3-0 Rebels at the end of the first.
Kmec how ever made up for his pee wee type defence in the first period by scoring a pee wee type goal in the second period. I don’t know what mis communication occurred out here but WOW. Its kind of funny now that you think about it. Plus it went to a good cause Kmec got redemption. Basically the Rebels pulled their goalie on a delayed penalty and scored on their own net. Ondrej Becher scored for the Cougars on an absolute rocket of a shot cutting the Rebels lead to 3-2. The Cougars kept scoring as Jaxson Wiebe notched his 8th of the season beating Kyle Kelsey top shelf tying the game at 3. Then while on the Power Play 3 minutes later the Cougars scored again with Koehn Ziemmer (Craig Button’s 21st ranked player for the 2023 NHL Draft) scoring his 23rd of the year assisted by Chase Wheatcroft and Flyers prospect Ethan Samson.
While on the Power Play with a minute something left in the second period Kai Ucacz sets up Finn Christoffer Sedoff at the point to unleash a cannon beating goalie Ty Young. Young was actually looking around wondering what the hell just happened after that goal happened. Tie Game. While on the Power Play again the Rebels had control in the Cougars end Jayden Grubbe back hand passed it to Sedoff who passed it to Uchacz who scored his second goal of the night. 4 minutes later while on the power play again Mats Lindgren (the kid not his father the former Islander) scored his second goal of the night from Lind and Grubbe.
While on the Power Play again Ben King scored his 6th goal of the season 1st from being back in his first game. Assists went to Jace Isley and Jace Weir. Making it 7-4. Koehn Ziemmer scored his second for the Cougars a few minutes later. Then Jayden Grubbe insured the win for the Rebels with a goal assisted by Hunter Mayo and Lindgren.
Other Notes
Red Deer Rebels next game is at home Saturday January 21st against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Kai Uchacz had a 5 point night and Jayden Grubbe had a 4 point night.
I know I ribbed on Kmec earlier the kid did have a great game.
With a last name like Wheatcroft it should be mandatory for Chase Wheatcroft to play with Brandon Wheat Kings. I remember years ago they had a player called Wheaton King. It is like Martin St. Louis in the NHL should of automatically had to play for the St. Louis Blues. It just stops confusion.
The games three stars were Uchacz, Lindgren, and the Cougars Koehn Ziemmer.
Kai Uchacz was CHL 2nd star on Friday Night.
