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Prince George Cougars
Prince George Cougar logo 2015
City: Prince George, British Columbia
League: Western Hockey League
Conference: Western
Division: B.C.
Founded: 1994 (1994)–95
Home Arena: CN Centre
Colours: Red, copper and black
              
Head Coach: Richard Matvichuk (2016-17)
General Manager: Todd Harkins
Franchise history
1971-94: Victoria Cougars
1994-present: 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. [1]

History[]

Oldcougars

1994-95 Logo.

logo 2009-2014

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.[2]


Prince george cougars

1995-2009 Logo.

Season-by-season record[]

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

Season GP W L T OL GF GA Pts 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 semi-final
1999–00 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 OL SL GF GA Pts 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 final
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 17 40 4 2 157 302 40 5th B.C. Playoffs cancelled
2020-21 22 9 10 2 1 57 62 21 4th B.C. Playoffs cancelled
2021–22 68 24 39 4 1 177 240 53 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2022–23 68 37 24 6 1 290 241 81 2nd B.C. Lost Western Conference semifinal
2023–24 68 49 15 1 3 316 187 102 1st B.C. Lost Western Conference final

Team records[]

Team records for a single season
Statistic Total Season
Most points 95 1999–00
Fewest points 28 2009–10
Most wins 43 1997–98; 1999–00
Fewest wins 12 2009–10
Most goals for 311 1997–98
Least goals for 158 2004–05
Least goals against 195 2005–06
Most goals against 392 1994–95
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic Player Total Season
Most goals Quinn Hancock 54 1997–98
Most assists Quinn Hancock 58 1997–98
Most points Quinn Hancock 112 1997–98
Most points, rookie Jozef Mrena 41 1998–99
Most points, defenceman Christian Chartier 68 2000–01
Most penalty minutes Clayton Catellier 287 1994–95
Most games played (Goalie) Scott Myers 66 1998–99
Best GAA (goalie) Scott Bowles 2.40 2005–06
Most shutouts (goalie) Scott Bowles 6 2005–06
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played


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[]

Newpgcougars

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

External links[]

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