Prince George Fans Abandon Team


By Nick Patterson
Everett Herald writer
February 27, 2007


For several years, when discussions of which WHL teams were most likely to relocate, the Prince George Cougars have been near the top of the list.

The way things have gone this season, those fears haven't been assuaged.

Prince George continues to struggle with attendance, a trend that has WHL commissioner Ron Robison concerned.

The Cougars are drawing fewer than 3,000 fans per game, the first time in the team's 13 years in Prince George that attendance has dipped below the 3,000 mark. That prompted Robison to call Prince George the most-concerning market in the league.

"There's no question it's a major concern to the league," Robison told the Prince George Citizen last week. "It's been in a free-fall for the last number of seasons. Prince George used to be in the top four (attendance-wise), now it's in the bottom four. We're concerned particularly because there's a much more competitive team on the ice this season.

"Coming down the stretch, I think it's going to be a real test of what level of support we'll receive."

Prince George has its issues. It's the most-remote location in the Western Conference, being the northern-most franchise in British Columbia, meaning the team has to log the most travel miles. The Cougars have always been the conference's poor cousins, having never won a banner. Lately Prince George has had difficulty securing commitments from its top draft picks. And the fans have voiced displeasure with owner Rick Brodsky.

Robison said the deadline has already passed for Brodsky to apply for a move for next season, meaning the Cougars will have at least one more season in Prince George. Brodsky has always stated he's committed to making things work in Prince George.

Around the WHL: Medicine Hat had its franchise-record winning streak snapped at 17 by a 3-2 loss at Red Deer last Friday. ... Moose Jaw hired Darren Evjen as assistant coach for the remainder of the season. The Warriors were without an assistant since former assistant Rene Lemire was made the interim head coach following the firing of Steve Young on Feb. 7. ... Kamloops suffered a major blow when captain Reid Jorgensen underwent surgery to have a bursa sac removed from his elbow, which will likely keep him out for more than two weeks. ... Garrett Robinson returned to Moose Jaw for the first time since the car accident that nearly took his life. The 18-year-old left wing, who suffered severe head injuries in the Oct. 22 accident, was in attendance for games Friday and Saturday. ... Seattle center Aaron Gagnon was named the WHL Player of the Week. Gagnon had six goals and an assist as the T-birds went 3-0.

League leaders: Points - Ryan White (Calgary) 84; goals - Colton Yellow Horn (Tri-City), Reid Jorgensen (Kamloops), Mark Derlago (Brandon) 39; assists - Zach Hamill (Everett) 56; penalty minutes - Mike Gauthier (Prince Albert) 227; wins - Matt Keetley (Medicine Hat) 39; goals against average - David Reekie (Everett) 1.80; save percentage - Leland Irving (Everett) .929.