Priestner retires

G James Priestner, 18, has chosen to retire and has left the Prince George Cougars. Priestner was a second-round selection by the Kamloops Blazers in the 2006 bantam draft. He later was dealt to the Brandon Wheat Kings and then was traded to the Cougars late in August. . . . Two weeks ago, Priestner told Dean Clark, the Cougars’ head coach who drafted Priestner while he was running the Blazers, about his plans. The Cougars went looking for a goaltender and came up with Hudson Stremmel, 18, a native of Reno, Nevada, who left the Colorado College Tigers on Saturday and now is in Prince George. . . . “My heart wasn’t in hockey any more,” said Priestner, who was 2-8 with a 4.76 GAA this season for the 3-10 Cougars. “I’m going to university in January and going to go traveling and stuff. It’s just a decision I had to make for myself . . . it was a long time coming.” . . . A source familiar with the situation said the goaltender actually “wanted to quit all last summer, too . . . This didn’t have much to do with Prince George losing so much but his heart hasn’t been in it for at least a year.” . . . The Cougars acquired Priestner and a conditional 2011 fifth-round bantam pick from Brandon for a 2011 third-round pick and the rights to D Aaron Ness, 19. . . . Prince George is left with two goaltenders -- Prince George native Alex Wright, 19, who won his first WHL start Saturday, and Stremmel. . . . The Cougars are at home for a Friday/Saturday doubleheader with the Tri-City Americans.