PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia — Off to a 7-10-0 start to the 2021-22 season, the Prince George Cougars are looking to turn the tide between the WHL breaks for the holidays. Among those who have certainly helped the Cougars garner some wins thus far has been their leading goal-scorer, Craig Armstrong.

Standing at a minuscule 5-foot-7 and 174 pounds, skeptics may be quick to dismiss Armstrong as a serious threat on the ice. However, the 18-year-old has proven that, as the old adage goes, it is the size of the fight in the dog that matters and not the other way around. After all, Armstrong has six goals and six assists for 12 points for the Cougars thus far, just one goal shy of his career high.

Born in Airdrie, Alberta, Armstrong developed himself into a player full of speed, competition and tenacity, consistently making the case that his aforementioned size, or lack thereof, is, for all intents and purposes, a moot point.

Drafted ninth overall by the Cougars in 2018, Armstrong has come as advertised as far as his on-ice talent is concerned. Highlights such as collecting 83 points in 70 total games for the Airdrie Xtreme Under-15 AAA program to scoring 11 points in five games at the Alberta Cup in 2017-18, Armstrong has established himself as a consistently reliable offensive threat at every level he’s competed at.

As for his career in Prince George, it’s been nothing to scoff at.

After beginning his WHL career with a five-game stint in 2018-19, Armstrong played in 62 games in 2019-20, scoring a goal and adding seven assists before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. Then, Armstrong made the best of the WHL’s abbreviated season of 2020-21.

In 21 games for the Cougars, he scored seven goals and six assists, while collecting a minus-two rating, a significant improvement from his minus-10 total from the previous campaign.

This season, though, Armstrong has really seemed to find his footing at another level.

While his team may not be off to the ideal that start that Armstrong is, the Prince George Cougars can at least take solace in knowing that there are still four full months to go in the season, and so much change over the course of that time. Of course, while there may not be any direct pressure on him to perform, do expect Armstrong to continue his pace for the Cougars as they look to climb the WHL standings.

Look for the tenacious young winger to have even more of an impact this season. After all, set to turn 19 next June, you can bet that Armstrong will be on the radars of a multitude of NHL teams in preparation for next summer’s draft.

We will see just what the youngster has in store.

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