Prince George Cougars

Prince George Cougars
City:	Prince George, British Columbia
League:	Western Hockey League
Conference:	Western
Division:	B.C.
Founded:	1994–95
Home Arena:	CN Centre
Colours:	Red, copper and black ;
Head Coach:	Dean Clark
General Manager:	Dallas Thompson
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.

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.

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 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	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 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

Team records

Statistic	Total	Season
Team records for a single 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

Statistic	Player	Total	Season
Individual player records for a single 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.

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

External links

Western Hockey League