All That’s Left Is You
Earlier this year, as rumours swirled about the possible sale of the Prince George Cougars, the fans were asked just what would it take to get them back in the arena?.
First and foremost was a call for new ownership, the fans said they had waited long enough for a contender and they didn’t believe the Brodsky’s could deliver.
The second call they made was for local ownership, someone who took pride in what the team was doing in the city.
Third, and perhaps the most important, was the matter of the team winning. The fans were tired of watching the Cougars missing the playoffs every year.
So fast forward to today. The Cougars have new ownership, along with a player, Dan Hamhus, who is well liked for not only his accomplishments as a Cougar but also with the Vancouver Canucks. If you add in Eric Brewer, another successful NHLer and Greg Pockock, the new owners have both a local flavour and a pro-hockey air about them.
If you look in CN center you will see changes all around you, but most importantly you will see significant changes that have taken place around the players’ facilities. Gone is the old and in with the new. You can easily make a comparison to the NHL when looking over the new facilities for the players.
So what’s left? Well the Cougars now need you to show that all of the things that you mentioned earlier that were preventing you from attending the games have been washed away and you will return to the days when the CN Center was the envy of the league.
Your attendance tonight at the Cougars home opener, is a start in that direction.
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opionion
Comments
With Canadian wireless costs what they are who can afford tickets to the Cougar games?
Two of the biggest attendance nights for the Cougars historically are opening night and the teddy bear toss. Those night usually draw around 4000 fans. So will to-night be any different??
If all the hype and advertising is any indication, then the building should be filled to the rafters.
Once we get into the **normal* season is when they will be able to determine if the fans are actually coming back.
Still have my program and ticket from the very first Cougar game in town and will be in the stands to welcome home the new ice age.
@ Palopu
Check ticketmaster, tonight is packed to the brim. Will be standing room only.
Actually Palopu last year’s opener (and the year before) was more like about 2000 people actually in the stands on opening night, and about 2500 for Teddy Bear Toss. Yes, tonight will be very different. This season I anticipate some nights that are close to sold out (like tonight), and some nights that are relatively quiet. We have planned for all of this, and our real interest is in the total number of paid attendance per season. So, before you start your anticipated negativity the first time we have a small crowd, keep in mind that our real goal is to ensure that our hard core loyal hockey fans have a great hockey game experience each and every night no matter what the attendance is, and the fans who are more interested in having a great night of entertainment with a full house have plenty of nights where they can expect that to happen. We call it ‘full menu marketing’, because we have something for everyone, whether it’s one game a year, or all of them.
Here Here Mr. Beesley! Thanks to everyone at EDGEPRo for trying to make a difference, and as a hockey fan, I am sure yours will be the organization to finally hoist a national championship banner into the rafters! Way to go guys, way to go!
I’m really excited to see all the positive changes. Meisner got it right, we all asked for this, now it’s our turn to do our part!
Well, I hope we as fans keep in mind that the current ownership has inherited the team built by the prior ownership, and it’s going to take at least a couple of years for any real trend in on ice performance to be attributable to the new owners. I’m unlikely to be as rabid a fan as I use to be (more because I’m just older and slower) but certainly I’ll take in a half dozen or so games. All I ask, is that the horses they got put in a decent effort, and the ownership give the kids the tools to do the job they’re asking of them – which so far, seems to be the case. So go Cougars!!!!!
I have my tickets for tonight!
@ Andy Beesley, I purchased my tickets to this evening’s game as soon as they were available! Managed to catch a preseason game as well and hope to attend as many home games as possible.
My thoughts for the new Ice Age….I hope that the Coaching Team is able to instill more discipline in the team’s play! Kinda hard to win a game when playing short handed for most of it!! Come on boys, let’s try to stay out of the penalty box!!
Go COUGARS, Go!
Good response, Andy.
I have my tickets too. Looking forward to it!
Andy. As I recall over the years, the many statements made by Brodsky was that in order for this franchise to make a dollar, they need to average 3000 fans per game. You would know better than I whether that is a good number or not.
In any event, as you get caught up in the hype of the Cougars, and hockey, there is nothing but silence on what sort of a contract you have signed with the City. Are you continuing to operate under the old contract, or have you written a new one. At what point does the City start to collect sufficient funds to cover their costs of providing this facility, labour, and maintenance to the Cougars. Are we (the taxpayers) actually subsidizing a private business, and if so for how much a year, and for how long.
Having worked both sides of the fence you should have all the figures.
I as a taxpayer have no desire to continue to subsidize a private business, and from that perspective, hope that the attendance goes up, stays up, and that the City has a contract in place that will at least pay for all their costs.
This franchise is a business, pure and simple.
They need to fix their website. I was looking for season ticket info and it’s not there. Ticket Info takes me to a semi-blank page.
Go Cats Go from Ottawa! I’ll be there in spirt. Make some noise PG!
Hey Palopu,
Stop being such a debbie downer.
I don’t know if myself and a lot of people I know could used as anecdotal evidence of a refreshed interest in the Cougars but I certainly have seen it and experienced it. I was a season ticket holder for the first 10 years that the cougars were here. I finally had enough of an absent, disiterested owner running the team simply to provide employment for unqualified family members and gave up my tickes in 2005. Since then I have attended a handfull of games but could never get enthusiastic about the games or the team again. There were a lot of my friends and colleagues that did the same thing at various times, but ended up basically filling their time with other things. Since the new ownership group took over there has been a lot more buzz about the team, and I’ve noticed a lot more intereset. In fact several friends that I would have called EX fans have purchased season tickets again. Due to a lot of other commitments I was not able to commit to a full season, however my wife and I, along with anothr couple purchaed 15 game packages. I think this season is going to see a real re-surgence in attentance and PG will once again be the envy of the WHL.
Andy, I’ve heard lots of rumours on actual season tickets sold, some as high as 3000. What’s the actual number? It’s awesome to see so much renewed interest in our team, yes it will take time to undo what the previous owner did (& did not) do, but I think the new owners are on the right track. Go Cougars!!!!
phje. Not being a Debbie downer, just getting the whole scenario into perspective.
Hopefully they will fill the seats, and have a great year. Its all up to the **fans** now.
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