The Washington Capitals selected Terik Parascak 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 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 phone 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.”
