Carson Carels was in a car when he found out the Prince George Cougars were drafting him fifteenth overall in the 2023 WHL draft.
He was on his way to Team Manitoba’s Top 40 Provincial tryouts when he saw his name selected on the draft board.
Carels found himself frozen in disbelief, letting the moment sink in of becoming a first-round pick.
“When you see your name pop up on the draft board, you freeze for a second,” Carels said. “Then all the phone’s start going off, it was pretty surreal.”
The Cougars wasted no time to see what Carels had to offer on ice, inviting him to compete in Development Camp for Team Byfuglien in August and September. The camp had five intersquad games, and the Cypress River native made an impact on the scoreboard, scoring twice over the four days he spent at camp.
Carels said he felt comfortable playing at the speed of the WHL game and said his biggest takeaway from the whole experience was how high the skill level was.
“It was amazing to play against all of the older guys,” Carels said. “Competition was very high and it was great.”
The goal for Carels coming out of Cougars camp was to keep up his same level of play against the older players he’ll face in the CSSHL this season. The 15-year-old will play against players up to two years older than him in the U17 age group.
He’s achieved his goal so far, doing more than just fitting in. Carels leads his team with 12 points in five games, and the Buffaloes are 4-1 to start the season largely thanks to his impact on ice. Carels is on pace for 57.6 points in 24-game regular season. He’s averaging 2.4 points per game, tied for the fifth best points per game average in the U17 division.
He’s well on his way to smashing his career high in points he set last season with the U15 Buffaloes, where he had 32 points in 20 games.
Carels spent his first two seasons at Pilot Mound playing for the U15 program. He was named captain of last year’s team and said it allowed him to develop as a leader.
He said being down in as many games as the Buffaloes were on the scoreboard taught him about resiliency. Just a year ago, the program won just 11 games. in 2022-23, the U15 Buffaloes improved to win 22 games and won the CSSHL U15 consolation championship.
“It really improved my leadership.” Carels said, “If you never give up, things are going to pay off.”
Carels also pointed to adversity in his health playing a huge part in his development. The defenceman battled with head and rib injuries in his first two seasons.
He said leading by example in working hard in the gym and on the ice got him to where he’s at in his development today.
Carels’ playing style is one of a complete defenceman with high hockey IQ. He reads the play well, transitions efficiently in breakouts and zone entries, and can drive offence from the back end.
“I like to think of myself as being a hard guy to play against in my own zone,” Carels said, “I also bring an offensive touch when I need to and can be a calm power play guy that our coaches can rely on.”
Carels’ strong play last season earned him a call-up to play with the U17 Buffaloes team. He played in five total games, both in the regular season and playoffs, and put up four points.
U17 Head Coach Rick McConnell recognized Carels talent last season. McConnell is impressed with how the 15-year-old’s game has translated against older competition.
“It’s a pleasure to coach a player like Carson,” McConnell said. “These types of players don’t come around all the time. He sees guys open that many don’t.”
McConnell said Carels elevates his game every time he hits the ice, no matter the competition is. McConnell has also been impressed by Carels’ leadership, saying he’s earned the respect of his fellow teammates.
“He’s a strong leader but more importantly, he’s a great kid.” McConnell said, “He’s very well respected by his teammates and coaches.”
The question of when Carels will take the next step to play in the WHL isn’t if he will, but when he will at this point. For now, the Cypress River defenceman is focused on helping Pilot Mound get into the CSSHL playoffs.
The U17 Buffaloes will be back in action on Friday in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, to take on the Notre Dame Hounds.
WRITTEN BY: Graeme Forsyth (https://gshow.ca/)