Junior hockey fans will have the chance to back up their talk by opening their wallets.
For about 10 years now - and especially in the last five when attendance has really plummeted - folks who used to go to Prince George Cougars home games have been saying they'd go back if Rick Brodsky wasn't the club's owner. Words to the effect of "I'll support the team but not Brodsky" have been repeated over and over again in the streets, minor hockey rinks and downtown offices.
The bitterness built up as, year after year, Brodsky's Cougars failed to put a championship banner in the rafters at CN Centre. The streak of futility has now stretched for 20 Western Hockey League seasons.
Feelings toward Brodsky have also been toxic because of the fact he moved away from Prince George in favour of a warmer climate and was seen as not giving back to the same people and community groups he counted on to buy tickets.
As an organization, the Cougars have actually done a fair number of good deeds in the city - including the Alumni Hospital Pro-Am Golf Tournament, which is a major fundraiser for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, 50/50 draws that have benefited the Prince George Minor Hockey Association and the Cariboo Cougars, and regular visits by players to elementary schools. But perception is often more powerful than fact, and the Cougars -- to some degree - have been victim to perception.
But now, with sources telling The Citizen the team has been sold to a group that includes local businessman Greg Pocock, all those Brodsky-bashers have lost their reason for staying away from CN Centre on game nights. So, when the new owners take control - and they include much-loved former Cougars Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis - those one-time fans should turn a bunch of empty green seats into occupied ones. Rows and sections should start to fill up, and the building - morgue-like for far too long - should have some life again.
That is, of course, if the anti-Brodsky people live up to their word and spend some of their hard-earned bucks on tickets. And some have already indicated on The Citizen's website they'll do exactly that.
Best guess, crowd counts should jump by 1,000 per game. Based on average attendance this season, that means about 2,700 warm bodies should be present for puck-drop at Cougars games next season. Maybe even 3,000. But, in an arena that holds 6,000, that will still leave a lot of vacant seats. And therein lies the challenge for the new owners -- how to sell them?
A change in team management, an all-out marketing blitz and slashed ticket prices will help, but the biggest key will be in the regaining of corporate support. Back in the glory days of the late 1990s when Prince George was judged to have the best fans in the WHL, businesses big and small bought blocks of tickets for their employees and clients, and those ducats were hot commodities. But, year after year, with the Cougars always falling short of regular season or playoff championships, interest dwindled and those same companies couldn't give their tickets away. Eventually, they stopped buying them altogether.
Having local ownership should help turn that trend around because local business tends to support local business. However, the Cougars' management and owners will still have to knock on a lot of doors and make a lot of phones ring.
The other factor that will have to be taken into consideration is the changing demographic of the fan base. Many of the original Cougar fans have either passed away or moved away, while others aren't able to get out to games anymore. So that means ownership must target the younger crowd -- the 20-somethings to 30-somethings, and their kids - if they truly want to rebuild the support the team once enjoyed.
Support, of course, will also be contingent upon the quality of the team on the ice. This season's club is markedly better than last season's, and all signs point toward continued improvement as the young talent on the roster matures. Good news there, for sure.
First, the sale must be made official and that hasn't happened yet.
When the WHL's board of governors has approved the transaction, the work will begin. And here's hoping the fans do come back and that WHL hockey in Prince George becomes relevant again.
Because hey, there's nothing quite like a full rink on a Friday night.
