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Among the list of players who have moved up the hockey ranks from the Yorkton Midget AAA system is 17 year old Tayler Thompson.

Thompson is one of several hockey players who were part of last year's Yorkton Harvest team that have signed player cards with Major Junior 'A' or SJHL teams.

After being drafted by the Portland Winterhawks, Thompson was traded to the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League and seems to be having a lot of fun with the change of scenery.

Just prior to a brief interview with Yorkton This Week, Thompson and the Cougars had just gotten off the ice with the Winterhawks, the same club that showed original interest in him but dealt his rights to the Cougars where he said he is getting more ice time.

Thompson said he is loving it.

The change of scenery as well as the pace of the game, where he is moreless playing against men rather than boys, is fun.

He already has his first WHL goal nailed down, but said the pace of the game is not easy to adapt to."It's a lot of bigger guys (up here)," he said following a second straight game the Cougars played with the American powerhouse Portland.

"Yeah, it's so much faster."

After spending two seasons playing Midget AAA with the Yorkton Harvest, Thompson saw most of his playing time on the wing, now he's finding himself skating even harder at both centre and right wing.Through the first half of the season, the 17-year-old has already recorded his first WHL goal (Oct. 15 against the Kamloops Blazers) and has added three assists, including two in a game against the Tri-City Americans on Oct. 23.