Matt Boldy's first practice back

The Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) named Wild prospect Riley Heidt as their captain for the upcoming season.

“First off, it’s an honor,” Heidt said in the team's release. “I just want to thank my teammates and the staff for believing in me. I’ve been here for four years and now my fifth year and learned what it has meant to be a Cougar and wear this jersey. We have been making steps in the right direction and where we want to go every day. I am super grateful, and this is something I don’t take lightly."

Heidt, 19, was just recently sent back to the WHL after playing in three preseason games for the Wild. He will play in his first game as the team’s captain tonight against the Kelowna Rockets.

"I think it was a great experience for Riley to come in. You could certainly see the hockey intelligence and the skill level. He's a very competitive guy," Wild head coach John Hynes said on Heidt. "But I think now it's, you've played against NHL players, you've been in the training camp, you see how the demand of an NHL training camp to get ready for the season. And then also, he's a young player that has things that you can't teach, and now for him, it's continuing to grow his game on the ice, but you can see the physical development that you need to be an offensive player in this league as a high skill player."

The Wild prospect will head back to a team he is very familiar with. Heidt has played in 221 games in his WHL career where he has recorded 85 goals, 195 assists, and 280 points in that span. His 195 assists and 280 points are a Cougars’ franchise record.

This will be Heidt's last year of junior hockey before he turns pro. Wonder what is in store for the Wild's 2023 second-round pick this year.

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Wild Prospect Named Captain of Prince George Cougars