A traditional Christmas in Prince George involves Santa, turkey, stuffing and the annual battle between the past and present Cariboo Cougars players.
For the present version of B.C. Major Midget League Cougars the fourth version of the alumni game Friday at CN Centre gave them an opportunity to work out the kinks after a week off before they head to Calgary for the annual Mac's Midget tournament.
"We do it to build tradition," said Todd Doherty, former coach of the Cougars. "It's a good opportunity for current players to connect with the former Cougars who have moved on to play at higher levels."
The alumni were a collection of 20 men who wore the Cougars' crest, including Shaun Fomenoff and Darren Ezelyk both of whom played on the first incarnation of the team - the Cariboo Canucks.
Ezelyk, a 22-year-old student at BCIT, spends more time with books then skates these days, something he realized after returning to the bench after his first 30 second shift against the younger players.
"That was tough," he said, huffing and puffing, to no one in particular.
It's Ezelyk's second year taking part in the alumni game.
"Getting together again and playing with the guys is the best part," he said.
Doherty stepped behind the bench of the alumni and his words of wisdom helped his team rebound from a 2-0 deficit to lead the current crop of Cougars 4-2 after 35 minutes, taking a step in preserving the alumni's perfect record in the game.
Fomenoff, 23, helped get the alumni on the board when he beat goalie David Readman.
One glance at the alumni roster shows the number of family bonds the Cougars have.
The Witala brothers - Tyson, a member of the Prince George Spruce Kings and Chase, a member of the WHL Prince George Cougars - both played for the alumni team, having graduated from major midget last spring.
Tyson Witala enjoyed played against his former team, racking up two goals and two assists, while Chase had one of each. Michael King, of the BCHL's Westside Warriors had a goal and three helpers. In keeping with tradition the alumni won the game 9-4.
The alumni side also had the Duncans, Jordan and Justin, while Cougars' defenceman Raymond Grewal's played against his older brother Harjas.
Nathan Craft had a hat trick to lead the current crop of Cougars, while captain Tanner Fjellstrom also scored.
Ezelyk said besides being competitive, playing for the Cougars gave him the ability to focus on what's important and the discipline he needs to succeed in school. But it was all life lessons back in 2004.
"They took pretty good care of their players," said Ezelyk, adding earning a berth in the provincial final was sweet. "We battled pretty hard and ended up coming second in the entire league, which is a pretty good thing for a Prince George team."
The Cougars have finished top two in B.C. almost every year since they've played in the league. In 2007-2008, Doherty's final year as head coach, the Cougars made it to the Pacific Western championship, a best-of-three against the top midget team from Alberta. The Cougars fell in three games, but Doherty said, they were the first B.C. team to force a deciding game in a decade.
