The Washington Capitals selected The Sun Is Shining with the 17th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Parascak is a Canadian right wing, drafted from the WHL’s Prince George Cougars.
In 68 games for the Cougars, he amassed 105 points (43g, 62a) which was good for third-best on the team and eighth in the WHL. Parascak was teammates in Prince George with Capitals prospect Zac Funk and future Hershey Bears defenseman Hudson Thornton.
Parascak, Funk, and the still draft-eligible Ondrej Becher were linemates on Prince George’s outrageous top line that combined for 324 points (142g, 182a) last year.
The 18-year-old winger burst onto the scene during the 2023-24 campaign, his first full year in Canadian major junior. He quickly rose to the top of the Cougars lineup, made the 2024 CHL All-Rookie Team, and earned the nickname “The Super Rookie” after leading all CHL rookies in points, goals, and assists.
The six-foot, 179-pound winger wasn’t a consensus top-20 pick but some national analysts, like TSN’s Craig Button, had him ranked as high as the 13th-best prospect in the draft.
“Honestly, this is such an unbelievable moment and a past 12 months,” Parascak told ESPN’s Leah Hextall. “It’s the craziest 12 months of my life, and I never would have really expected any of that back then, and I’m just so honored to be here.”
Parascak was looking down at his lap when the Capitals went to make their selection and was clearly shocked to hear his name called.
“I don’t even know, I completely blacked out,” Parascak told Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. “This is such an unbelievable moment. I don’t even know what to say. I’m lost for words.”
The Capitals often tend to draft from the WHL in part due to assistant general manager Ross Mahoney’s deep connections with the league. Mahoney was previously an assistant coach with the Regina Pats and played for the Pats in his on-ice days.
Parascak joins Andrew Cristall (2023), Brett Hyland (2023), Ryan Hofer (2022), Vincent Iorio (2021), Dru Krebs (2021), Bear Hughes (2020), Garin Bjorklund (2020), Brett Leason (2019), and Aliaksei Protas (2019) who were all selected from WHL teams over the previous five drafts.
Here’s the Capitals press release on the pick:
Capitals Select Terik Parascak in the First Round of the 2024 NHL Draft
Forward led Canadian Hockey League rookies in goals and points in 2023-24
LAS VEGAS – The Washington Capitals selected Terik Parascak with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Parascak, 18, was ranked third among North American right wings and 15th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The Lethbridge, Alberta native spent the 2023-24 season with the Prince George Cougars (WHL), recording 105 points (43g, 62a) in 68 regular-season games. Parascak led all CHL rookies in goals and points and was named to the 2024 CHL All-Rookie Team. Parascak’s 105 points in 2023-24 were the most by a CHL rookie since Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner in 2006-07. In addition, Parascak ranked eighth among all WHL skaters in points, tied for ninth in goals and tied for 12th in assists. The 6’0”, 173-pound forward ranked second among WHL rookies with 14 points (6g, 8a) in 12 playoff games during Prince George’s run to the WHL Final.
Parascak spent the 2022-23 season with Edge School Prep Academy of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL U18), finishing second in the league in goals (32) and points (66) in 30 games played. In addition, Parascak led the league with 12 points (6g, 6a) in five playoff games en route to the CSSHL Under-18 championship.
It marks the 19th time in franchise history that the Capitals have taken a player from the Western Hockey League in the first round and Parascak is the 10th right wing selected in the opening round by Washington. The Capitals signed Parascak’s Prince George teammate Zac Funk as a free agent on March 1, 2024.
