Prince George, B.C. – Prince George  Cougars forward Jesse Gabrielle  has signed an Amateur Try Out Agreement with the Providence Bruins, the American Hockey League affiliate for the NHL’s Boston Bruins.He is the third Cougar to  sign an  Amateur Try Out contract in the AHL in less than a week,  as Chase Witala, and Jansen Harkins have also  signed ATO deals with  two other  teams.

Gabrielle  was drafted  by the Boston Bruins in the fourth round (103^rd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.  He finished  this season with the Cougars being tied for the team lead in goals (40) and second in points (75). He also chimed in with 101 penalty minutes and finished second in the entire WHL with seven shorthanded goals. He is  the youngest Cougar ever to reach the 40 goal mark (one of just two players to ever do so in their 18-year-old season) and in March, 2016 he won the Dorothy Johnson Memorial Award given each season to the Cougar ‘fan favorite.’ He also received the Troy Bourke Award given to the team’s top offensive performer.

Prince George Cougars General Manager, Todd Harkins says Gabrielle  made significant steps forward in his game this  past season “We knew we were getting a special player when we acquired him in the summer, and we are thrilled that his first season in Prince George was a successful one. We’re proud of him and he’s very deserving of this opportunity.”