Prince George Cougars | |
---|---|
City | Prince George, British Columbia |
League | Western Hockey League |
Conference | Western |
Division | B.C. |
Founded | 1971 |
Home arena | CN Centre |
Colours | Red, bronze, white and black |
General manager | Mark Lamb |
Head coach | Mark Lamb |
Website | chl.ca/whl-cougars |
Franchise history | |
1971–1994 | Victoria Cougars |
1994–present | Prince George Cougars |
The Prince George Cougars are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Prince George, British Columbia. Founded in 1971 as the Victoria Cougars, the team was relocated to Prince George in 1994, where it became the northernmost team in the Canadian Hockey League. The Cougars are members of the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and hosts games at the CN Centre.
The Cougars were a long-running junior club based in Victoria when the team joined the Western Canada Hockey League in 1971, one of three teams based in British Columbia added to the WCHL that year to give the league a presence in all four Western Canadian provinces. [1] The Cougars won one league title, in 1981, but in 1994, struggling with attendance and travel costs, were abruptly sold and moved to Prince George. [1] The move made the Cougars the most remote team in the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL), requiring drives of more than seven hours to play road games. [2] The Prince George Cougars debuted in the 1994–95 season at the Prince George Coliseum until the construction of the team's own arena, the Multiplex, was completed in time for their second season. [3]
The Cougars missed the playoffs in their first two seasons, but made two runs to the Division finals over the following four seasons, first finding success under coach Stan Butler. However, the Cougars missed the playoffs altogether seven times between 2003 and 2014, and sagging attendance led to the team being put up for sale, threatening relocation. [4] In late 2013, owner Rick Brodsky initiated the sale process; local investor Greg Pocock sought the team, and partnered with former Cougars Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer to form an investors group committed to keeping the team in Prince George. [5] The sale was approved by the WHL on April 30, 2014. [6] The new ownership immediately sought to revitalize the team, renovating team facilities and seeking community partnerships. [2] [4] On the ice, the team won its first B.C. Division regular season title in 2016–17. [2]
The team's most successful season came in 2023–24, with the Cougars setting franchise records with 49 wins and 102 points and entering the playoffs as the top-ranked team in the CHL, topping the WHL's Western Conference standings for the first time. [2] [7] Forwards Zac Funk and Riley Heidt both surpassed the previous scoring record for the team, with Funk setting a new mark with 123 points, along with a record 67 goals, and Heidt posting a record 80 assists. [8] In the playoffs, the team advanced to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2007, where they faced the Portland Winterhawks. The Cougars lost the series in six games, with the sixth game ending in the second overtime period—the longest game in Cougars history. [7] After the season, coach and manager Mark Lamb was named the WHL's coach and executive of the year. [9]
The Cougars colours have traditionally been red, white, and black, and the logo has featured a variation on designs of a cougar. After the team was sold in 2014, the team unveiled a new logo featuring a cougar in the negative space of the letter C, and uniforms that introduced gold into the colour scheme. [10] [11]
Like many junior teams, the Cougars have often adopted special-event or limited-edition jerseys. In 2024, they released an Indigenous-inspired jersey designed by local partners. [12]
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 | Did not qualify |
1995–96 | 72 | 17 | 53 | 2 | - | 219 | 340 | 36 | 7th West | Did not qualify |
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 semifinal |
1998–99 | 72 | 34 | 32 | 6 | - | 255 | 264 | 74 | 4th West | Lost West Division quarterfinal |
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 quarterfinal |
2001–02 | 72 | 34 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 244 | 215 | 79 | 3rd B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2002–03 | 72 | 26 | 41 | 3 | 2 | 257 | 317 | 57 | 5th B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2003–04 | 72 | 30 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 214 | 236 | 68 | 5th B.C. | Did not qualify |
2004–05 | 72 | 26 | 41 | 3 | 2 | 158 | 223 | 57 | 5th B.C. | Did not qualify |
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 quarterfinal |
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. | Did not qualify |
2008–09 | 72 | 25 | 44 | 0 | 3 | 188 | 298 | 53 | 4th B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2009–10 | 72 | 12 | 56 | 1 | 3 | 172 | 327 | 28 | 5th B.C. | Did not qualify |
2010–11 | 72 | 33 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 258 | 265 | 70 | 4th B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2011–12 | 72 | 24 | 46 | 0 | 2 | 166 | 357 | 50 | 5th B.C. | Did not qualify |
2012–13 | 72 | 21 | 43 | 2 | 6 | 177 | 273 | 50 | 4th B.C. | Did not qualify |
2013–14 | 72 | 27 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 238 | 305 | 62 | 4th B.C. | Did not qualify |
2014–15 | 72 | 31 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 222 | 295 | 67 | 3rd B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2015–16 | 72 | 36 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 240 | 225 | 77 | 4th B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2016–17 | 72 | 45 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 253 | 201 | 96 | 1st B.C. | Lost Western Conference quarterfinal |
2017–18 | 72 | 24 | 38 | 5 | 5 | 217 | 295 | 58 | 5th B.C. | Did not qualify |
2018–19 | 68 | 19 | 41 | 5 | 3 | 152 | 237 | 46 | 5th B.C. | Did not qualify |
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 held due to COVID-19 pandemic |
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 |
Updated March 30, 2024. [13]
The following alumni of the Prince George Cougars have played in the National Hockey League.[ citation needed ]
Statistic | Total | Season |
---|---|---|
Most points | 102 | 2023–24 |
Most wins | 49 | 2023–24 |
Longest point streak | 19 | 2023–24 |
Most goals for | 316 | 2023–24 |
Fewest goals for | 158 | 2004–05 |
Fewest goals against | 187 | 2023–24 |
Most goals against | 392 | 1994–95 |
Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
---|---|---|---|
Most goals | Zac Funk | 67 | 2023–24 |
Most assists | Riley Heidt | 80 | 2023–24 |
Most points | Zac Funk | 123 | 2023–24 |
Most points, rookie | Terik Parascak | 105 | 2023–24 |
Most points, defenceman | Hudson Thornton | 74 | 2023–24 |
Most shutouts (goalie) | Josh Ravensbergen | 6 | 2023–24 |
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played |
Statistic | Player | Total | Career |
---|---|---|---|
Most goals | Chase Witala | 120 | 2011–2014 |
Most assists | Riley Heidt | 195 | 2020–2024 |
Most points | Riley Heidt | 280 | 2020–2024 |
Most points, defenceman | Hudson Thornton | 196 | 2020–2024 |
Most games played | Greg Gardner | 338 | 2003–2008 |
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year)
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year)
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman)
Brad Hornung Trophy (WHL most sportsmanship)
Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (WHL coach of the year)
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada, alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. The WHL is composed of 22 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, while the Western Conference comprises eleven teams from British Columbia and the American states of Washington and Oregon.
The Regina Pats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1917, the Pats are the world's oldest continuously operating major junior hockey franchise in its original location and using its original name. The team was originally named the Regina Patricia Hockey Club, after Princess Patricia of Connaught, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of the Governor General, the Duke of Connaught. The team name also associates Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry–Pats sweaters bear the regimental badge and "PPCLI" flash as a shoulder patch.
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in the city of Kent, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League. Founded in 1971 as the Vancouver Nats, the team arrived in Seattle in 1977 and played as the Breakers until 1985, when they adopted the Thunderbirds name. The team played in Seattle for three decades before moving to the Accesso ShoWare Center in nearby Kent in 2008. The Thunderbirds are two-time WHL champions, with their most recent title coming in 2023.
The Kelowna Rockets are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The team plays in the B.C Division of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference, playing their home games at Prospera Place. The Rockets are the most successful WHL team in the twenty-first century, winning three regular season titles and four playoff championships. The team has also played in the Memorial Cup finals three times, winning once, in 2004, when Kelowna hosted the tournament.
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) based in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Established in 1970, the team has won the second most Ed Chynoweth Cups as league champion with five, and has gone on to win two Memorial Cup titles. The Tigers also have seven Division titles. Since 2015, the Tigers play at Co-op Place after forty-five seasons at the Medicine Hat Arena.
The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played every season in the league in its original location. Today, the team plays in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at the SaskTel Centre. Despite five regular season titles and five appearances in the championship series, the Blades have never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league playoff champions.
The Calgary Hitmen are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL), hosting their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "Hitman" Hart, a professional wrestler and Calgary native, was a founding owner and the inspiration for the team's name. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team based in Calgary, after the Centennials and Wranglers.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Hurricanes play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and play their home games at the ENMAX Centre. The team replaced Lethbridge's first major junior team, the Broncos, who played in the city from 1974 to 1986. When that team relocated to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the city acquired the Calgary Wranglers franchise and the Hurricanes began play in 1987.
The Swift Current Broncos are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, the Broncos relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1974, and were known as the Lethbridge Broncos, before returning to Swift Current in 1986. The team plays in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Swift Current is the smallest city with a team in the WHL, and the second smallest across the entire Canadian Hockey League. The Broncos are three-time WHL playoff champions, and won the 1989 Memorial Cup. Before any of their championships, the Broncos were known for a 1986 team bus crash that resulted in the deaths of four players.
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Warriors play in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, hosting games at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. The team was founded in 1980 as the Winnipeg Warriors, and relocated to Moose Jaw in 1984.
The Prince Albert Raiders are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1971 as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the Raiders have been members of the Western Hockey League since 1982; they play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at the Art Hauser Centre.
The Tri-City Americans are an American major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League and based in Kennewick, Washington. Founded in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes, the team settled in Kennewick in 1988 after a number of relocations. The team plays its home games at Toyota Center, which was purpose-built for the team. The team has won one Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions and have played in one league playoff final; however, the Americans have not won a playoff championship.
Daniel Hamhuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in 2001 by the Nashville Predators.
The 1926 Stanley Cup Finals saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Maroons, in their first Finals appearance, defeat the Western Hockey League (WHL) and defending Stanley Cup champion Victoria Cougars three games to one in the best-of-five game series. This was the last time a non-NHL team would contest for the Cup – the WHL folded following the 1926 Finals leaving the Cup to be contested solely by NHL clubs thereafter.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, that play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team, founded in 2006, shares an ownership group with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The team is the fourth WHL team based in Edmonton, and its identity connects to the original Oil Kings club, which was one of the league's founding franchises in 1966. The Oil Kings are three-time WHL champions and won the 2014 Memorial Cup.
Christian Chartier is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who last played for Augsburger Panther in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Mark William Lamb is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, and current general manager and head coach of the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Lamb was previously the head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. Lamb was born in Ponteix, Saskatchewan but grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. The Royals play in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team began play during the 2011–12 season after the league announced the relocation of the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria. It marked the return of the WHL to Vancouver Island, 17 years after the departure of the Victoria Cougars. The Royals play their home games at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Jansen Harkins is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey center for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Harkins was selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The 2016–17 WHL season is the 51st season of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The regular season began on September 23, 2016, and ended on March 19, 2017.