Over the summer, the Western Hockey League will be celebrating the WHL Graduates from the 2024-25 season in a 22-part, team-by-team series.
Today, we continue with the graduating players from the Prince George Cougars.
Viliam Kmec (D)
Hometown: Košice, Slovakia.
WHL Career Stats: 245 GP – 36 G-105 A –141 PTS
CHL Import Draft: 2021 – 2nd Round, 104th Overall (Prince George)
NHL Draft: Signed (Vegas)
For Viliam Kmec, Prince George, B.C., will always be his ‘home away from home.’ Originally selected with the 104th-overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft, a fresh-faced Kmec joined the Cougars roster at just 17 years old. In no time, the product of Košice, Slovakia was a familiar face in the CN Centre, recording two assists in his WHL debut on October 2, 2021, against the Kamloops Blazers. The Slovakian defenceman went on to round out the his first season with the Cougars by netting 14 points (2 G-12 A) in 62 games. And, as Kmec got older, his on-ice performance also began to flourish. After his 14-point campaign in 2020-21, Kmec returned to Prince George ready to light the lamp. He reached the 32- and 34-point thresholds during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season, respectively. The 2023-24 campaign proved to more memorable than most for the blueliner, as Kmec helped the Cougars reach the Western Conference Championship Series during the 2024 WHL Playoffs, tallying up nine points (3 G-6 A) in 15 appearances. His year-long performance also caught the eye of the Vegas Golden Knights. Having gone undrafted at the NHL Draft, Kmec was invited to Vegas’ 2024 Development Camp before signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the club in September 2024. Kmec returned for one final season in Northern B.C., collecting a career-best of 61 points (18 G-43 A) in 65 regular season appearances.
https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/1838316158682103983
Borya Valis (F)
Hometown: Denver, Colo.
WHL Career Stats: 245 GP – 91 G-133 A –224 PTS
WHL Draft: Listed (Regina)
NHL Draft: Signed (Toronto)
From a listed WHL Prospect to a signed NHL talent, veteran forward Borya Valis is living proof that anything is possible with the right attitude. After going undrafted during the 2019 WHL U.S. Priority Draft and WHL Prospects Draft, Valis was listed by Regina Pats in February 2020. On January 11, 2021, the Denver, Colo., product signed his WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement before making his League debut with the Pats on October 1, 2021. From there, Valis made it his mission to secure his spot as a mainstay on the Pats roster, recording 25 points (11 G-14 A) in 57 games during the 2021-22 season. Valis spent parts of three seasons in the Queen City before being dealt to Prince George, B.C. on December 31, 2023. Finding immediate chemistry with the Cougars’ elite forward core comprising of NHL prospects Riley Heidt, Koehn Ziemmer, and Terik Parascak, Valis erupted for 37 points (13 G-24 A) in his first 32 games in Prince George. However, the forward’s best season of his major junior career came during the 2024-25 campaign. Now, a a veteran presence on the roster, Valis paved the way by netting a career-high of 81 points (34 G-47 A) in 66 games played. Valis’ point total placed him third in team scoring and just one back from Capitals prospect, Parascak. In a similar fashion as fellow graduate, Viliam Kmec, Valis’ ultimate Western League campaign caught the attention of Toronto Maple Leafs brass. On March 1, 2025, the then 20-year-old inked a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs. Having completed his WHL eligibility, Valis is expected to report to Toronto’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Toronto Marlies for the 2025-26 season.
Koehn Ziemmer (F)
Hometown: Mayerthorpe, Alta.
WHL Career Stats: 244 GP – 128 G-132 A –260 PTS
WHL Draft: 2019 – 1st Round, 4th Overall (Prince George)
NHL Draft: 2023 – 3rd Round, 78th Overall (Los Angeles)
The Prince George Cougars knew they we’re getting a special player when they grabbed Koehn Ziemmer with the fourth-overall pick at the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft – and, wow, we’re they right. Reflecting back on his six-season stint in Northern B.C., very few players donned the Cougars’ threads better than Ziemmer. After making his WHL debut with Prince George on December 12, 2019, Ziemmer spent the next five years lighting the lamp at will for the Cougars. In total, the Mayerthorpe, Alta. local suited up in 244 regular season games with Prince George, collecting an impressive, 260 points (128 G-132 A). And, of his 250-plus points, over 30 per cent came during his NHL Draft eligible season. A clear breakout campaign for the sharpshooter, Ziemmer tallied a career-high of 41 goals, 48 assists, and 89 points before becoming the Los Angeles Kings’ third-round selection during the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, Tenn. And, after suffering an injury during the 2023-24 WHL Season, Ziemmer returned for his final season of WHL eligibility. With 71 points (37 G-34 A) – including two hat-tricks and a WHL Player of the Week award – in 61 appearances, Ziemmer officially became a WHL graduate in April 2025. He is expected to join the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, for the 2025-26 season.
https://twitter.com/TheWHL/status/1873053097234399681
