Images of franchise co-owners in the new training area for the Cougars-photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – Two days from now, it will be home opener night for the Prince George Cougars.

The team got a jump in the start to the season with a 6-2 win  over  the Portland Winterhawks,  followed by a stinging  7-0 loss to Tri-City.   But now the team is home,  prepping for  its Friday night home opener at the CN Centre  when they will host the Kelowna Rockets.

This report is the second period in the lead up to that all important  home opener. (for the first  installment, click here)

The new owners of the Cougars are doing everything possible to make the Cougars feel and  act like the pro-hockey players they dream to be.  ( at right, Greg Pocock hold up one of the  back packs distributed to players)

It started at training camp, where everyone who took part received a special back pack loaded with Cougars’ swag.  From Under Armour, to ball caps,  golf shirts  and  workout  shorts, these training camp participants received the royal treatment package.

It doesn’t stop there.

A new workout area has been developed under the stands at CN Centre, a place where exercise bikes and weight training can be utilized to their fullest   while the images of co-owners Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis  are  ever present along with some words of encouragement from  the two NHLers.

“You win by becoming a team. You become a team by contributing and praising the skills of others” reads the quote from former Cougar Dan Hamhuis.  On the right hand side of the image board are these words from former Cougar Eric Brewer “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success.”

The impact of having two former Cougars, who made it to the big show, now part of the ownership group is immeasurable. President Greg Pocock has seen that impact first hand “When Dan was here last week, you wouldn’t believe the look on the faces of these kids.  They didn’t know he was coming. I walked around the corner and Dan was behind me, carrying a hockey bag and a couple of sticks, and one guy looked over and suddenly every head in the room looked up, it was just such a cool experience.”

It’s all the little things, such  as  having the players name embedded in  the stick of their choice,  not taped on,  not  written on the shaft with magic marker, seamlessly embedded.  ( see photo at right)

It’s about providing players with white helmets to  match up with their white jerseys,  of  having the team stay in the same hotel in Vancouver that the Canucks use  and taking the team on a tour of  Rogers Arena and the Canucks dressing room.

The dressing room, now there’s a fresh, new look.

Based on the same layout as the Canucks,  the dressing room has been revamped from the old  bench and locker style, to a modern  configuration that has player stations, made of maple, arranged in a circular pattern.

New dressing room

(at right, the old dressing room)

There’s a Jacuzzi installed to  assist in the cold therapy post  game to  help reduce lactic acid from  muscles,  a new  therapy room that will  not only have  therapy beds to  work out cramps and kinks,  but dental chairs in the chance that a mouth guard doesn’t provide enough protection.

Also new; the coach’s office,  a new  office for the assistant coaches,  with the added  bonus of a private shower.

And for the players, a player’s lounge ( see photo below).  Comfy leather couches and flat screen tv’s  will  help players bond, or  review  games and plays.

“It’s the commitment to treat the players like pros and to give them  every opportunity to focus on hockey” says  Andy Beesley Vice President Business for the Cougars  organization.

It is the attention to detail and the promise of a New Ice Age that has sparked a new interest among juniors to be part of this team.  “We had so many applicants for the training camp, we couldn’t  accommodate them all” says Beesley.

For Pocock, it’s about removing all the distractions, and about building pride among the players “If we look after all the little things,  they can focus on  hockey.  There won’t be any excuses.”

On Friday, 250News looks at the third period,  the home opener.