The first home-ice exhibition game for the Prince George Cougars will likely be a tough one.
Tonight at CN Centre, the Cougars will clash with the Edmonton Oil Kings, the defending Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup champions. The puck will drop at 7.
This will be the third pre-season contest for the Cats. Last weekend in St. Albert, they skated to a 6-4 win against the Red Deer Rebels and then fell 6-5 in overtime to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Oil Kings have gone 2-0 thus far, with a 5-4 decision against the Swift Current Broncos and a 3-2 overtime win against the Saskatoon Blades.
Heading into tonight's game, Cougars forward Jansen Harkins is second in WHL pre-season scoring with three goals and six points. Harkins, a second-year Cat, is fresh off a gold-medal performance with Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in the Czech Republic. The 17-year-old forward is in his NHL draft year.
Today, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Cougars season tickets will be available for pick-up. All fans are invited to a pre-game barbecue, which will start at 5 p.m. The barbecue is free for season-ticket holders, while everyone else can get food by donation. Money raised will go toward ALS research.
Season-ticket holders will also receive free admission to the game. Other fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster ($9 for adults, $5 for children 12-and-under).
The Cougars and Oil Kings will also meet on Saturday (7 p.m.) at CN Centre.
