Prince George Cougars

The Prince George Cougars are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The team is based in Prince George, British Columbia, and plays its home games at the CN Centre. The Cougars were founded in 1971 as the Victoria Cougars, but later moved to Prince George in 1994. 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.

History


The Prince George Cougars played the 1994–95 WHL season at the Prince George Coliseum along the Tier II Prince George Spruce Kings, until the construction of their own arena was complete. The Cougars logo for their first season in Prince George closely resembled that of the Victoria Courgars. For the 1995–96 WHL 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 most successful playoff run came during the 2006–07 WHL 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 conference finals for the third time where they lost in five games to the eventual Memorial Cup Champion Vancouver Giants. The Cougars are the only team in Western Hockey League history to draft 2 brothers in the first round of the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft. Jesse Forsberg, a defenceman, was drated 11th overall by the Cougars in 2008, and his younger brother Alex, a centerman, was taken first overall in 2010.

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 ocurred 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.



Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

NHL alumni
Nineteen alumni of the Prince George Cougars have played in the National Hockey League.

Dustin Byfuglien became the first ex-Cougar to win the Stanley Cup as a member of the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. He was followed the subsequent season by Zdeno Chara, captain of the Boston Bruins, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Uniforms and logos
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. It was closer to the third logo than the second. It was designed by Mike Doran of Splash Media. Aug 20 2008