Prince George Cougars

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Prince George Cougars
Prince George Cougars logo 2015.png
CityPrince George, British Columbia
LeagueWestern Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionB.C.
Founded1971
Home arenaCN Centre
ColoursRed, bronze, white and black
       
General managerMark Lamb
Head coachMark Lamb
Captain
Websitewww.pgcougars.com
Franchise history
1971–1994Victoria Cougars
1994–presentPrince George Cougars

The Prince George Cougars are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team currently members of the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team is based in Prince George, British Columbia, and plays its home games at the CN Centre, formally known as the Prince George Multiplex. The Cougars were founded in 1971 as the Victoria Cougars, but later moved to Prince George in 1994, becoming the northernmost franchise in the Canadian Hockey League. On March 19, 2014, after months of rumours, a team of local investors led by Greg Pocock, along with NHLers Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer, agreed in principle to purchase the Prince George Cougars. The deal was approved by the WHL Board of Governors on April 30 the same year.[1]

History[]

1994–1996 Logo.

The Prince George Cougars played the 1994–95 season at the Prince George Coliseum, along the Tier II Prince George Spruce Kings, until the construction of the team's own arena was complete. The Cougars' logo for their first season in Prince George closely resembled that of the Victoria Cougars'. For the 1995–96 season, the Cougars moved into their new home, the Prince George Multiplex, since renamed the CN Centre. A new logo was also unveiled the same season.

The Cougars first made the playoffs in the 1996–97 WHL season under coach Stan Butler. The Cougars' most successful playoff run came during the 2006–07 season. Prince George achieved their first sweep of the Kamloops Blazers in a best-of-seven-game series, proceeded to defeat the top-ranked Everett Silvertips in six games and reached the Western Conference finals for the third time, which they ultimately they lost in five games to the eventual 2007 Memorial Cup champions, the Vancouver Giants.

The Cougars are the only team in WHL history to draft two brothers in the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft. Jesse Forsberg, a defenceman, was drafted 11th overall by the Cougars in 2008, and his younger brother Alex, a centre, was taken first overall in 2010.

1996–2008 Logo.
Logo used from 2008 to 2015

2014 sale[]

After months of rumours, it was announced on March 19 that a team of local investors led by Greg Pocock, along with current NHLers and former Cougars Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer, had agreed in principle to purchase the Prince George Cougars. The price of the sale was undisclosed, and the official confirmation of the sale occurred on April 30 after approval from the WHL Board of Governors. Cougars Owner Rick Brodsky and Vice President Brandi Brodsky declined to comment at the time of the sale.[2]

Season-by-season record[]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1994–95 72 14 55 3 - 229 392 31 7th West Out of playoffs
1995–96 72 17 53 2 - 219 340 36 7th West Out of playoffs
1996–97 72 28 39 5 - 238 287 61 6th West Lost West Division final
1997–98 72 43 24 5 - 311 236 91 3rd West Lost West Division semi-final
1998–99 72 34 32 6 - 255 264 74 4th West Lost West Division quarter-final
1999–2000 72 43 20 4 5 279 228 95 2nd West Lost West Division final
2000–01 72 31 33 4 4 242 266 70 5th West Lost West Division quarter-final
2001–02 72 34 27 9 2 244 215 79 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2002–03 72 26 41 3 2 257 317 57 5th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2003–04 72 30 34 7 1 214 236 68 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2004–05 72 26 41 3 2 158 223 57 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 35 31 2 4 195 195 76 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2006–07 72 33 31 3 5 221 217 74 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference Finals
2007–08 72 20 48 1 3 172 304 44 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2008–09 72 25 44 0 3 188 298 53 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2009–10 72 12 56 1 3 172 327 28 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2010–11 72 33 35 2 2 258 265 70 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2011–12 72 24 46 0 2 166 357 50 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2012–13 72 21 43 2 6 177 273 50 4th B.C. Out of playoffs
2013–14 72 27 35 3 5 238 305 62 4th B.C. Out of playoffs
2014–15 72 31 36 2 3 222 295 67 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2015–16 72 36 31 3 2 240 225 77 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2016–17 72 45 21 3 3 253 201 96 1st B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2017–18 72 24 38 5 5 217 295 58 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2018–19 68 19 41 5 3 152 237 46 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2019–20 62 20 34 4 4 144 205 48 5th B.C. Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 22 9 10 2 1 57 62 21 4th B.C. No playoffs were held

Team records[]

Team records for a single season
Statistic Total Season
Most points 95 1999–2000
Fewest points 28 2009–10
Most wins 45 2016-2017
Fewest wins 12 2009–10
Most goals for 311 1997–98
Fewest goals for 158 2004–05
Fewest goals against 195 2005–06
Most goals against 392 1994–95
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic Player Total Season
Most goals 54 1997–98
Most assists Jansen Harkins 59 2014-15
Most points Quinn Hancock 112 1997–98
Most points, rookie 56 2015-16
Most points, defenceman Christian Chartier 68 2000–01
Most penalty minutes Braden Gelinas 357 2015-16
Most games played (Goalie) 66 1998–99
Best GAA (goalie) 2.40 2005–06
Most shutouts (goalie) Scott Bowles 6 2005–06
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

Current roster[]

Updated December 29, 2021.[3]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Drafted
22 Canada C L 18 2018 Airdrie, Alberta Undrafted
21 Canada  (A) C R 20 2018 Fort St. John, British Columbia Undrafted
30 Canada G L 18 2018 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2022
3 Canada D L 17 2019 Airdrie, Alberta Eligible 2022
29 Denmark D L 21 2021 Aalborg, Denmark Undrafted
8 Canada D R 18 2021 Roblin, Manitoba Undrafted
11 Canada RW R 16 2020 Fort St. John, British Columbia Eligible 2023
19 Canada C L 17 2021 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2023
24 Canada D L 17 2019 Star City, Saskatchewan Eligible 2022
2 Canada D L 17 2020 Drake, Saskatchewan Eligible 2023
28 Canada RW R 18 2018 Ardrossan, Alberta Undrafted
14 Canada LW L 18 2021 Brandon, Manitoba Eligible 2022
27 Canada LW L 16 2020 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2023
18 Canada  (C) C L 20 2020 Winnipeg, Manitoba Undrafted
6 Slovakia D R 18 2021 Kosice, Slovakia Eligible 2022
16 Canada LW L 17 2019 Langley, British Columbia Eligible 2022
20 Canada LW R 18 2019 Prince George, British Columbia Undrafted
5 Canada D R 19 2019 Prince George, British Columbia Undrafted
4 Canada  (A) D R 18 2018 North Delta, British Columbia 2021, 174th Overall, PHI
17 Canada C R 16 2020 Lloydminster, Alberta Eligible 2023
12 Canada  (A) D L 18 2018 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2022
33 Canada G L 17 2019 Coaldale, Alberta Eligible 2022
13 Canada C R 17 2019 Mayerthorpe, Alberta Eligible 2023

NHL alumni[]

The following alumni of the Prince George Cougars have played in the National Hockey League.

Uniforms and logos[]

Third jersey Logo.

The Cougars colours are red, white and black. Home jerseys have a white upper portion, with a burgundy lower portion, separated by a diagonal black stripe. Away jerseys have a black upper portion, with a burgundy lower portion, separated by a diagonal white stripe. Prince George's third jersey features a redesigned logo (inset), on a burgundy jersey, with black, grey and white trim on the lower portion. On August 20, 2008, the Cougars unveiled a new logo, resembling closer to the third logo than the second, and was designed by Mike Doran of Splash Media.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Cougars Sale Approved By WHL Governors". CKPG NEWS. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29.
  2. ^ "Cougars, Investors Reach Deal In Principle For Sale Of Team". CKPG NEWS.
  3. ^ WHL Network, Western Hockey League, retrieved 2021-12-27

External links[]

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