By Nick Dube

Carson Carels

Carels continues to impress as NHL Draft approaches

Feb 5, 2026 | 4:40 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Carson Carels is a shining star on a talented Cougars team. The 17 year old top prospect is having a year most players could only dream of. In January Carels came home with a bronze medal from the World Junior Hockey Championships where he had one point in five games and showed many of traits that will have NHL teams clamoring to draft him in the 2026 NHL draft. Carels however doesn’t let the outside noise distract him and despite being the top ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting he takes a strong sense of humility from his family farm in Manitoba to the rink and credits the support system around him.

“You just got to surround yourself around the right people. We have a great group in the room there and I just like hanging out with them because they take my mind off it. I think that and then obviously just staying connected with my parents as well and hearing about the farm, those things kind of just keep my mind off hockey when I’m outside the rink.” said Cougars defenseman Carson Carels.

With Carels averaging over 22 minutes of ice time per game including surpassing 30 minutes multiple time he is taking on a heavy workload usually reserved for more experienced veterans defensemen but the Cougars coaching staff are completely confident he can handle everything that’s thrown at him.

“He’s a man already. If you look at his stature, size, he puts the work in in the off season, runs around the farm and lifts cows and goats all day, so he, he can handle. He’s a kid that, you know, puts the time in off the ice to make sure he’s prepared. And these approaches, you know, he plays 30 minutes a night and it looks like he plays 15. And when you can skate like that and its effortless it probably makes the game a little bit easier. ” said Cougars Assistant Coach Carter Rigsby.

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Carels has taken his role as a leader to another level this season while wearing the A and brought back some lessons to the Cougars dressing room that he learned while playing with an experienced team Canada at the World Juniors.

“You have to be loose. You just can’t be too uptight all the time. There’s times where you have to be dialed and focused, but there’s also times you had to just smile and have fun. You just have to come to the rink every day having a smile on your face and just having fun.” said Carels.

Carson Carels will suit up as Captain of Team West under Cougars head coach Mark Lamb at the 2026 WHL Prospects game in Langley February 18 as he continues to showcase himself ahead of a stacked 2026 NHL Draft.