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08-23-2006, 03:22 PM
Friendly rivalry: Bowles aims to remain a Cat


by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

Scott Bowles came into the WHL as a top-rated goaltending prospect.

He does not want to end his career as the guy deemed expendable, not able to fill one of the three valuable overage positions.

Bowles was busy in the bowels of CN Centre on Tuesday, going through a pre-lunch workout to be ready for the opening of Prince George Cougars training camp. The Cats will register and hold fitness-testing today, 3 p.m., then hit the ice with practices and scrimmages on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The annual intrasquad game is set for Sunday at noon.

This is a pivotal camp for Bowles, the netminder who started all five of the team’s playoff games last spring. He knows the team won’t be keeping both him and third-year goalie Real Cyr, 19, in Cougars colours.

“I think you have to approach camp the same way, you can’t change things at all,” said Bowles, who grasped the team’s starting role late in the season by posting a team-record 2.40 average, six shutouts and 26 wins in 49 appearances.

“You have to have a good camp and move on from there. One of the things that’s consistent with any level of hockey is that nothing is ever written in stone. The only thing you can control is how you play.”

Cyr had a 2.88 goals-against average, four shutouts and a 9-15-0-2 mark in 29 games, one year after bursting on the scene as a rookie and all but forcing the trade of eventual league MVP Justin Pogge to the Calgary Hitmen.

What makes this year’s challenge tougher is that Bowles and Cyr have not had a working relationship stuffed with jealousy. The two are good friends, and both seem mature enough to know the situation is difficult for everyone.

“Cyrsie has become one of my best friends, but I want to stay here and believe I’ve had a pretty successful stint in Prince George,” said Bowles.

“I really like the city and everything that surrounds the hockey club. It all goes a long way to helping you play well. The club is going to do what is best for the club – obviously, we both want to see the best situation for us both. I don’t think it would become a distraction because we get along so well, but we’d both probably like to see something happen earlier rather than later.”

—SWANSON