THANK YOU!!
The New Ice Age is alive and well! Year 1 (2014-15) was all about successfully putting the Prince George Cougars back on the hockey map. Year 2 was about taking those successes and building on them further, which we accomplished. We are trending in the right direction in all aspects of our operation and we owe a major thank you to all of our fans, volunteers, off-ice officials, game night staff, billets, sponsors and media partners for enabling us to do so. Some of the major highlights from the 2015-16 included:
– 36 victories (the second highest victory total ever in 22 seasons).
– 21 home-ice victories (the highest recorded at home since 2006-07).
– Eight players attending NHL Training Camps (five of which were drafted to the NHL in 2015).
– Prince George’s own Chase Witala becoming the all-time franchise leading goal scorer (120) and points scorer (239). The former Cougars stick-boy was also named a league all-star making him the first Cougar since Dan Hamhuis in 2002 to achieve that honor.
– Both Chase Witala and Jesse Gabrielle recording 40 goals, marking the first time that two Prince George Cougars have both reached the 40 goal mark.
To our fans: Thank you! Our 10 percent increase in average game attendance was the second largest in in the entire Western Hockey League and the wheels are already in motion to improve those numbers even more so next season. Any player or coach will attest to the fact that home crowd support makes a big difference, and you certainly made your presence felt. We hope you also enjoyed the record-setting 50/50 jackpots, free beer/soda, and the incredible prizes (including a brand new free car!). We are always striving for new ways to enhance our fan experience, and we’ve got some awesome tricks up our sleeve for the 2016-17 season!
Our volunteers and game night staff/interns deserve a huge thank you for playing their part in our team’s successful game presentation. There was no job too big or too small and your willingness to volunteer your time to welcome, assist and entertain our fans with a smile and a positive attitude made an enormous difference once again in 2015-16. We are always on the hunt for difference-makers who want to step up and contribute to our success, and anybody wishing to volunteer for the Prince George Cougars in 2016-17 can contact Braydon Ouellet at: 250-561-0783 or via e-mail at: [email protected].
We are extremely grateful for the professionalism and the dedication of our off-ice officials. They maintain accurate and up-to-date stats over the course of a game, but our off-ice officials love the game, and our team and it shows in their work. To our shot counters, goal judges, penalty box officials, camera operators and statisticians, thank you! We couldn’t do what we do without your efforts.
Our sponsors and community supporters are a huge lifeline for us, and we cannot thank you enough for your willingness to associate your name and your brand with ours. Your loyalty is not lost on us, and whether it was your first season supporting our team or your 22nd, we are looking forward to reaching new heights with all of our corporate sponsors and community supporters next season and beyond! If you’re looking for a great way to promote your business through one of our many advertising opportunities, please contact Gary Samis or Allan Bristowe at: 250-561-0783.
Billet families are the glue that keeps our team together. To the supportive families who once again opened their doors, refrigerators and their hearts to our players and made them a part of their family, thank you! For a player who’s new to Prince George, it can often be a struggle to get adjusted and comfortable to a new City, school and home, but our great billet families continue to go the extra mile in order to help ease that transition. Without a doubt our billets are heavily responsible for helping mold great young hockey players and great young community citizens.
To both the local and national media outlets that covered our team in 2015-16: Thank you! We are very fortunate to have a great working relationship with all of our local media outlets, and we appreciate your integrity, professionalism and passion displayed during the season. We look forward to sharing and celebrating much success together down the road. We’d also like to thank the hard-working team at Vista Radio and 94.3 The Goat specifically for another awesome season of Cougars radio broadcasts.
We understand the importance of taking another major step forward in 2016-17, and we feel as if we’ve got very strong building blocks in place. We are not about status quo or complacency. Efforts are already underway in all areas of our organization to get bigger, better and stronger. Our primary goal all along has been to bring the first ever Ed Chynoweth Cup and Memorial Cup to Prince George and our ownership group, management team, coaching staff and business staff will leave no stone un-turned making that happen.
To each and every person who played a part in shaping the 2015-16 season and all of the wonderful memories that came along with it: Thank you. We can’t wait to welcome you back to the CN Centre!
Sincerely,
The Prince George Cougars Hockey Club
