Cougar sightings are back in vogue.
The last time the Prince George Cougars were seen together in a group was in early March 2020, when they boarded their team bus, thinking they would finish the rest of the regular season on the road while their home at CN Centre was taken over by the women’s world curling championship.
We all know what happened then. The Cougars got as far as Cache Creek when news of the pandemic breaking out al over the world forced them to turn around and come back to Prince George. The rest of the Western Hockey League season and the playoffs were eventually cancelled.
COVID was still an issue last season and the Cats were limited to an abbreviated 22-game season that started in March and finished in May. The Cougars spent the entire time sequestered in a two-city bubble in Kamloops and Kelowna.
The fourth wave of the pandemic is still hampering a full return to normal operations for the Cougars but the good news training camp starts next week. They will be back in familiar surroundings at CN Centre for the start of camp next Thursday.
“We’re excited to finally have the opportunity to bring our veterans and prospects together for our first training camp in two years,” said Cougars general manager and head coach Mark Lamb. “We have a lot of young talent and I look forward to preparing our team for the new season.”
Players will be grouped into three training camp teams, named after former players (Tyler Brough, Brock Hirsche and Chase Witala) who made a major impact during their WHL careers with the Cougars.
The returning players, new draft picks and free agent signings will go through fitness testing, off-ice workouts, practices and scrimmages during the five-day camp, which culminates in the annual intrasquad game on Monday, Sept. 13. Three of the newest Cougars - 2005-born Riley Heidt, Caden Brown and Ryker Singer - were first-round picks in the 2020 bantam draft. The two teams will compete for the Rob Charney Cup, named after the Cougars’ former Manitoba-based scout who died of cancer in 2013.
The Cougars Prospects Showcase Game next Thursday at 6 p.m. will feature the top 15-- 17-year-old listed players and free agent recruits. All scrimmages and ice times are open to the public but masks are mandatory and must be worn at all times. Those who plan to attend the intrasquad game on Sept. 13 must provide proof of vaccination status.
The Cougars are inviting their fans to try out different viewing areas of the rink during the Prospects Showcase Game, from 4-8 p.m. next Thursday. Pre-registration is required through the Cougars website, www.pgcougars.ca.
The Cats play their only preseason game at home on Saturday, Sept. 18, when they host the Kamloops Blazers. Tickets are $10 each. The team is on the road for preseason games in Kamloops, Sept. 17; at Maple Ridge, Sept. 24 (to play the Vancouver Giants) and in Victoria, Sept. 25. The Cougars open the regular season at home on Oct. 2 against Kamloops.
Single game regular season tickets go on sale on Tuesday, starting at $16 (adult) and $10 (kids). Seniors and student pricing is also available.
Tickets are available online at www.ticketsnorth.ca, at the TicketsNorth box office at CN Centre, or by calling 236-423-1157.
