Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

Pictured above: DYLAN COZENS

Cozens to debut in first WHL game with Hurricanes

A Whitehorse teen will lace up his skates and pull on a Lethbridge Hurricanes jersey tonight for his first Western Hockey League game.

By Marissa Tiel on September 2, 2016

A Whitehorse teen will lace up his skates and pull on a Lethbridge Hurricanes jersey tonight for his first Western Hockey League game.

“I’m looking forward to it a lot,” said Dylan Cozens. “I’m not really nervous, more excited.”

Cozens made history in May when he became the first Yukoner to be drafted in the first round of the Bantam WHL league. The 15-year-old signed with the Hurricanes on May 25.

“He’s a quality player and he’s a quality kid,” said Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt in a press release. “He’s going to be a really good add for us eventually in our organization.”

This week Cozens has been taking part in pre-season training camps.

He’s been improving his leadership and learning to skate with his head up.

“There’s some big guys out here for sure,” he said.

His parents joined him in Lethbridge and will be in the stands for his first two games with the Hurricanes.

WHL spokesman Corey St. Laurent told the Star that as a 15-year-old, Cozens is not eligible to be on the Hurricanes regular roster this season.

He will, however, be eligible to play all the pre-season games for the major junior A club, and can be called up to play a maximum of five regular season games.

After this weekend’s games, Cozens will head to Abbotsford, B.C., where he’ll attend the

Yale Academy and play hockey for the school year.

Leading up to the game, Cozens said he’s going to be getting mentally focused and keeping himself from getting too nervous.

The Hurricanes face the Medicine Hat Tigers at home tonight at 7 p.m. MST.

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