If it’s September, that means a couple of things.
Summer is rapidly coming to an end and hockey training camps are just around the corner.
The Prince George Cougars open their WHL camp on Thursday at CN Centre and that will continue through to the Team (Eric) Brewer vs. Team (Dan) Hamhuis intrasquad game on Sunday starting at 6 p.m.
Enough returning players, drafted players and invited free agents to stock four teams will compete in scrimmages for bragging rights throughout the weekend. The players also practice with their teams and will take part in on-ice fitness testing and group off-ice workouts.
Each training camp team carries the last name of prominent former Cougars who went on to play in the NHL, including Zdeno Chara, Chris Mason, Brett Connolly and Dustin Byfuglien.
The Cougars’ 15-17-year-old rookies will be split into Team (Sheldon) Souray and Team (Derek) Boogaard play Thursday night at 6 p.m. in the Prospects Showcase.
Cougar fans will get their first looks at the team’s top selections in the 2021 and 2022 WHL Prospect Drafts, first- and second-round selections Lee Shurgot (2022), Jett Lajoie (2022), Tyson Buczkowski (2021), and Hunter Laing (2021) will be on the ice.
Also making their Cougars debut is 18-year-old winger Ondrej Becher of the Czech Republic, picked 16th overall by the Cougars in the 2022 CHL Import Draft, and 16-year-old Alaskan forward Nick McLennan, chosen in the second round of the U.S. Priority Draft.
All camp on-ice sessions and scrimmages are at CN Centre and are open to the public.
Prince George Cougars training camp schedule
Thursday, September 1st
• 6-8 p.m. - Team Souray vs. Team Boogaard (Prospects Showcase game)
Friday September 2nd
• 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Team practices and on-ice testing
• 5 -6:30 p.m. Team Byfuglien vs. Team Chara (scrimmage)
• 7-8:30 p.m. - Team Connolly vs. Team Mason (scrimmage)
Saturday September 3rd
• 9-10:30 a.m. - Team Byfuglien vs. Team Connolly (scrimmage)
• 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Team Chara vs. Team Mason (scrimmage)
• 3:30-5 p.m. - Team Mason vs. Team Byfuglien (scrimmage)
• 5:30-7 p.m. - Team Connolly vs. Team Chara (scrimmage)
Sunday September 4th
• 9-10:30 a.m. - Team Chara vs. Team Byfuglien (scrimmage)
• 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Team Mason vs. Team Connolly (scrimmage)
• 6-8 p.m. Team Brewer vs. Team Hamhuis (intrasquad game)
