Jake Mykitiuk is headed to Prince George, B.C., with something to prove.
The Everett Silvertips winger is hoping to show the Prince George Cougars just what they’re missing.
Everett kicks off its second long road trip of the month when the Tips face the Cougars in games Tuesday and Wednesday at Prince George, and nobody is looking forward to those games more than Mykitiuk.
“I’m really excited,” Mykitiuk said about the prospect of facing his former team. “I haven’t been to Prince George since I left. I’m excited to see my old billets and some old buddies, for sure.”
Mykitiuk, a diminutive 19-year-old from St. Albert, Alberta, broke into the WHL with Prince George as a 16-year-old in 2011-12. He spent two seasons with the Cougars, totaling seven goals and 14 assists in 126 games. However, he was unceremoniously dumped by Prince George during the 2013-14 preseason. He kicked around the Alberta Junior Hockey League for one-plus seasons before being handed a second WHL chance by the Tips earlier this season.
Mykitiuk has proven a good addition for Everett, especially for a player plucked off the waiver wire. He’s added some grit and attitude to the lineup, despite his 5-foot-7 frame. He’s also scored goals in each of Everett’s past two games since being placed on a line with leading scorer Nikita Scherbak. He’s hoping to keep his offensive momentum going against the team that released him a year-and-a-half ago.
“That definitely would be nice if I could (score some goals),” Mykitiuk said. “But obviously the most important thing is going there and getting four points. But if I can chip in a little offensively that would be great, too.”
Tuesday’s game kicks off a challenging four-games-in-five-nights trip for the Tips. First come two games against Prince George. Then on the way back to Washington Everett stops off in Kelowna for games Friday and Saturday against the league-leading Rockets.
The trip comes right on the heels of Everett’s six-game swing through the East Division. The Tips were home less than a week from that trip before they headed out Sunday morning for Prince George. But Everett did well on its trip east, going 5-1, and the Tips are confident heading into this road trip, too.
“We’ve been ready,” winger Carson Stadnyk said. “Right after Christmas we knew these (road trips) were going to come quick.
“It’ll be hard, but we just have to play within our systems and have a lot of fun on the road,” Stadnyk added. “We have to play our game, not play their game, and not get into the stuff after the whistle.”
Everett will have to navigate the two games in Prince George minus a defensive stalwart. Defenseman Noah Juulsen will not be with the team as he will be participating in the CHL Top Prospects Game in Toronto. The game, which features the 40 best draft-eligible players from the WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, is Thursday.
Juulsen is Everett’s leading scorer among defensemen with 32 points (five goals, 27 assists) in 44 games, and he’s tied for second on the team in plus/minus with a plus-19.
“He’s been a big part of our team this year,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “He’s so productive for us offensively, he’s part of that (Ivan) Nikolishin power-play group, he’s our top plus/minus defenseman. We will miss him, he’s a very good player. But at the same time we’re just so excited for this opportunity because he’s worked incredibly hard over the last year-and-a-half. He’s earned his chance to be a part of that Top Prospects Game. As big a loss as it is for us, it’s a huge plus for him in his career and we’re proud of him for being able to be a part of that.”
Prince George also loses a key player to the Top Prospects Game as leading scorer Jansen Harkins is also taking part.
Juulsen is scheduled to meet the team in Kelowna on Friday and should be available for the games against the Rockets.
Around the WHL
Brandon Magee became the all-time leading scorer in Victoria-Chilliwack franchise history. The 20-year-old forward had an assist in the Royals’ 4-3 overtime victory at Edmonton on Sunday, giving him 242 career points. That bests the previous franchise mark of 241 points set by Kevin Sundher. … Tri-City received a commitment from one of its top prospects when 15-year-old forward Michael Rasmussen, the team’s first-round pick (eighth overall) in the 2014 bantam draft, signed a WHL education contract with the Americans. … Brandon’s Tim McGauley was named the WHL Player of the Week. The 19-year-old forward had two goals and four assists as the Wheat Kings went 3-0.
WHL leaders
Points — Trevor Cox (Medicine Hat) 73; goals — Rourke Chartier (Kelowna) 38; assists — Cox 56; penalty minutes — Keegan Kanzig (Calgary) 119; wins — Jordan Papirny (Brandon) 28; goals against average — Taran Kozun (Seattle) 2.36; save percentage — Adin Hill (Portland) .929.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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