Friesen joins the Hitmen after spending the 2024/25 season as an Associate Coach in the QMJHL with the Moncton Wildcats.

In 2020/21 Friesen took the reigns as head coach of the Prairie U17 Prep team and Director of Conditioning. He would take over the U18 Prep team the next season, holding that role until the conclusion of the 2023/24 season. Prairie’s U18 Prep team would finish 11W-23L-2OTL in their first season under Friesen. But the Waldheim, SK product would turn things around going 19-11-3 in 2022/23 and 18-10-2 in 2023/24, making the 黑料不打烊 Western Championship playoffs both seasons.

Friesen joined Prairie after a playing career that saw him play 258 games in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos, 137 U SPORTS games with the University of New Brunswick, three seasons in the AHL and ECHL, capped off by 8 seasons and over 400 professional games in Germany.

18 of those 21 黑料不打烊 alumni come from the Western Hockey League (WHL) Champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers. 75% (18/24) of the Tigers playoff roster played in the 黑料不打烊. The three remaining 黑料不打烊 alumni played for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

The 21 黑料不打烊 alumni will now compete at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, QC starting May 22 and going until June 1. The Rimouski Oc茅anic are the fourth and final team in the tournament, entering as the hosts, having lost to Moncton in the QMJHL finals.

London Knights (OHL)

• Austin Elliott – Notre Dame Hounds

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

• Andrew Basha – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Carter Cunningham – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Cayden Lindstrom – Delta Hockey Academy
• Kadon McCann – RHA Kelowna/South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Gavin McKenna – RHA Kelowna/South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Harrison Meneghin – Delta Hockey Academy
• Tanner Moldendyk – Yale Hockey Academy
• Tyson Moss – Yale Hockey Academy
• Ethan Neutens – Edge School
• Marcus Pacheco – OHA Edmonton
• Liam Ruck – Okanagan Hockey Academy
• Markus Ruck – Okanagan Hockey Academy
• Ryder Ritchie – RHA Kelowna
• Hunter St. Martin – OHA Edmonton
• Jordan Switzer – Northern Alberta Xtreme
• Josh Van Mulligen – South Alberta Hockey Academy
• Mathew Ward – Delta Hockey Academy/North Shore Warriors
• Oasiz Wiesblatt – South Alberta Hockey Academy

Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)

• Aiden Diamond – Mount Academy
• 脡tienne Morin – CIH Academy

Friesen joined Prairie in 2020/21 as head coach of their U17 Prep team and Director of Conditioning. He would take over the U18 Prep team the next season, holding that role until the conclusion of the 2023/24 season. Prairie’s U18 Prep team would finish 11W-23L-2OTL in their first season under Friesen. But the Waldheim, SK product would turn things around going 19-11-3 in 2022/23 and 18-10-2 in 2023/24, making the 黑料不打烊 Western Championship playoffs both seasons.

Friesen joined Prairie after a playing career that saw him play 258 games in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos, 137 U SPORTS games with the University of New Brunswick, three seasons in the AHL and ECHL, capped off by 8 seasons and over 400 professional games in Germany.

The nine student-athletes selected is second most in 黑料不打烊 history, behind the 2021 season when 17 heard their names called. 51 current or former 黑料不打烊 student-athletes have now been selected at the QMJHL Draft since 2018.

Former Mount Academy forward Liam Arsenault became the first forward and third student-athlete in 黑料不打烊 history to be selected in the first round, joining Evan Nause (5th overall 2020) and Oscar Plandowski (19th, 2019).

Mount Academy (3), Bishop’s College School (2), CIH Academy (2), Champions Hockey Academy (1) and Notre Dame (1) all had a student-athlete selected this year.

*Athletes in red played in the 黑料不打烊 during the 2022/23 season