Dent makes impression in December

December brought out a shining star in the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League universe and he lives in Prince George.

The league announced this week that 16-year-old Cariboo Cougars right winger Brandon Dent has been selected as player of the month for December.

The five-foot-six, 135-pound Dent picked up three goals and 14 assists in six games last month to shoot up to ninth in the league scoring race. In that six-game stretch he had two four-point games and he finished three other games with three-point efforts.

Through 24 games, Dent has 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points, as well as 36 penalty minutes. He is third in Cougars team scoring.

The league also recognized Dent’s commitment as a peer tutor with the Prince George secondary school female hockey program. He also volunteers with the Prince George Minor Hockey Association.

The Cougars are back in action this weekend for the first time since they played in the Mac’s tournament in Calgary over the Christmas break. They resume their BCHMML schedule at a Showcase gathering in Kelowna in what will be a battle for first place. The second-place Cougars (19-4-1-0) take on the league-leading Valley West Hawks (20-3-1-0) Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

Next weekend the Cougars will head to Fort St. James to host the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs in a two-game set Saturday evening and Sunday morning at Fort Forum Arena.