Ironically, the Prince George Cougars and the Spruce Kings have proved that playing on home ice offers little advantage.

The Cougars have played 31 games and the Spruce Kings are at the 30-game mark, which means the Cats are just under the half-way point of their 72 game schedule while the Kings are just over half of their 56-game schedule.

There is a parallel in that both Prince George teams nearly play just as well on the road as they
do at home.

 

 

The 10-17-1-3 Cougars are 6-9-1 at home and 4-8-3 on the road. In other words, the Cats have earned 13 of 32 points at CN Centre and 11 of 30 points on the road.

The Cougars power-play ranks last (22 teams) on home ice and 19^th on the road (last overall).

The Cougars penalty kill is last on home ice and 20th on the road (21st overall). To summarize, the Cats have a slightly better record at home with specialty teams slightly better on the road.

Furthermore, the Cougars last season were 11-24-0-1 at home (23 points) and 13-22-0-1 on the road (27 points).

 

The Spruce Kings record is 15-9-1-5. Two of those games were played at a neutral site in Chilliwack, both victories. In essence, they should be considered road wins since those games were played 391 miles (652 kilometers) from Prince George.

The Spruce Kings are 8-3-1-3 (20 points out of 15 games) at the Coliseum. Including the neutral site victories, they are 7-6-0-2 away (16 points out of 15 games).

The Spruce Kings power-play is ranked 14^th out of 16 at home and 5^th on the road (11^th overall).

The Spruce Kings penalty kill is 14^th at home yet is 7^h on the road (12^th overall).

 

To summarize, the Spruce Kings have a slightly better home record yet their special teams are better on the road. 

 

Moreover, the Spruce Kings were 19-10-1 at home last season (39 points) and 14-11-1-4 (33 points)  on the road and they were 0-2 at home and 0-2 on the road in the playoffs.

 

What does this all mean? There is no simple answer but here are three of my theories:

 

 

 

The Cougars and Spruce Kings play many home doubleheaders against the same team. More often than not, there is a split or least the losing team gets a point for going beyond regulation.

 

Teams making that long trip to Prince George ideally want two wins in two games but realistically are focusing on getting a split just like if it was a playoff series. One can imagine the ridicule and tongue lashing the visiting team gets from its coaches and supporters if they spend all those hours on the bus and have nothing to show for it.

(Note: I realize the Spruce Kings won all three home games last weekend, including a pair against Coquitlam, but they were winless in their previous five home contests)

 

 

 

Prince George hockey fans are generally polite, courteous, mild mannered and quiet and it takes a goal from the home side, a fight or a horrendous call from the referee to get a noticeable reaction. 

 

The Cougars are last in the WHL in attendance averaging, just 1,856 fans per game, which translates to a noise factor that is considerably less than other league buildings.

 

The Spruce Kings are drawing 1,103 fans per game, a shade below the BCHL average of 1,117; and the roar of the crowd does not appear to be worth an extra goal.

 

 

This isn’t exclusive to Prince George, but the players are more relaxed and focused on the road. There are less outside distractions and more of a team bonding when playing away.

 

 

 

There is an established trend (not just this season) where the Cougars and Spruce Kings only show modest gains playing at home. Even the Prince George based Cariboo Cougars, one of the elite teams in the BCMML; have just as good road record (9-3) as they do at home (8-2).

 

The general rule of thumb teams strive for is to win 2/3 of the home games and a minimum ½ of the away games. The Cougars and Spruce Kings are in the ball park on the road, yet the Cougars have six wins in 16 home games and the Spruce Kings have eight wins in 15 Coliseum dates.

 

As strange as it may appear, the statistics show home ice has not been a huge benefactor for either Prince George junior hockey team.

 

 

 

A Santa Claus working at a Christmas market in Toronto was fired after he made fun of a 3-year-old visitor’s Maple Leafs tuque and told him “they suck”.
Well, now we know what the Senators’ Chris Neil has been doing for work during the lockout.

 

Comedy writer Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver

 

 

 

A department-store Santa in Toronto was fired after telling a 3-year-old boy wearing a Maple Leafs cap that "you shouldn’t be wearing that — they suck."
So you see, kids, Santa Claus is not only real, he’s real honest. 

Dwight Perry of the Seattle Timeshttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sidelinechatter/

 

A Santa in Toronto has been fired after he told a 3-year-old boy wearing a Maple Leafs hat that his team sucked. Presumably the man is now fielding several offers from stores on the North Side of Chicago.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall’s has received a one-game suspension for not showing up for last week’s game. Does that mean the NFL may similarly suspend all of the Arizona Cardinals?
Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, Californiawww.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

 

 

 

Bears receiver Brandon Marshall says some players are taking Viagra as a PED. I’m thinking the NFL will start imposing stiff penalties.

A Toronto couple who met at a Maple Leafs game and got engaged right before a home game, recently had a Leafs-themed wedding. It’s probably the first honeymoon where nobody scored.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com      

 

Pictures and video of a monkey wearing a stylish winter coat at a Toronto area Ikea have gone viral on the internet. Don Cherry is planning to sue the owners. “Grapes” has exclusivity in Canada for wearing monkey suits. 

 

Washington State has legalized marijuana. Advocates say “it’s about time, but they should have passed this law a long time ago”….. Like when Twinkies were still available. 

Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver (http://alwaysfunny.com/)

And in case you missed it: 

 

 

 

Kobe Bryant became the youngest to 30,000. But no one will ever beat Wilt Chamberlain as the youngest to 20,000. 

 

Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California