Taylor Dakers will be drawing double-duty this season with the Prince George Cougars.
The 35-year-old Langley native has been named the Cougars new director of business and will also retain his duties as the team’s goaltending coach, heading into his fifth season with the Cats.
“I am extremely honoured and excited to be named the Director of Business for the Prince George Cougars,” said Dakers, in a team release. “My family absolutely loves being in Prince George and we are thrilled to be a part of this great city going forward.
“I’m very passionate about junior hockey and the positive role organizations like the Cougars can play in the community. The Cougars will continue to be a proud representative of northern BC, genuinely connecting with people and businesses, while providing the highest level of sports entertainment to our fans.”
Dakers played four seasons in the WHL wit the Kootenay Ice, from 2003-07. Drafted in the fifth round by the San Jose Sharks, he went to play 43 games over two seasons (2007-09) with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate in Worcester, Mass., and also played 15 games in the ECHL with the Phoenix Roadrunners.
He was the Red Deer Rebels’ goalie coach and team services co-ordinator for five seasons (2013-18) and spent two seasons in that positions with the Everett Silvertips (2011-12).
“Taylor has spent the last eleven seasons in the WHL as a goalie coach and hockey operations coordinator,” said Cougars president John Pateman. “His observations on maximizing fan and sponsorship engagement/experience from attending over 700+ home and road games in all the WHL’s 22 venues is impressive.
“I am looking forward to Taylor and his team executing on many of those observations.”
As director of business, he assumes the duties formerly handled by Andy Beesley, who left the team in January after more than seven seasons to become the city’s director of recreation and events. Iain Scott took over from Beesley for the next five months and left the team in May to take on the role as interim director of the Northern Sport Centre at UNBC.
In other Cougar news, Kevin Patenaude has been promoted to director of ticket sales after two years as a Cougars’ account executive. Mitchell Karapita has been hired as the team’s athletic therapist, after serving last season in that role with the Prince George Spruce Kings.
