Prince George, B.C. – Three weeks into the 2014-15 Western Hockey League regular season, where do things stand with the Prince George Cougars?

On the ice the club is 2 and 3 heading into weekend games in Spokane tonight and Vancouver Sunday evening.  The Cougars have scored 15 goals while giving up 28, and they lead the league in penalty minutes with 163, a full 40 minutes more than their nearest rival in that category, the Portland Winterhawks. In the front office, the theme for this inaugural season under brand new ownership may be The New Ice Age, but what it really amounts to is good old tried-and-true commitment and delivery of service to the customer, the ticket-buying hockey fan. The proof is in their actions, and the talk is backed by a monetary investment which includes an interesting addition in the near future.

We asked Cougars’ Vice-President of Business, Andy Beesley, about the kick-off to the season. “Well, we’ve had just a tremendous first three home games in our very young, new ownership of the team and, really from a business point of view, it could not have gone much better. We were absolutely thrilled with the response from the fans and the positive comments that we’re getting from the community. Having said that there’s still a long way to go and we know that, and we want to learn how to get better and better each game, not just on the ice but off the ice in terms of how we are presenting ourselves to our fan base and the entertainment levels and the entire customer service. We know that there’s still a lot of room for growth and we’re committed to learning how to do things better.”

The consensus at the Cougars’ home opener in front of 5659 fans September 26^th was that it was great to see the CN Centre packed for a hockey game once again. Beesley echoes that sentiment. “We’re all hockey fans too, and I can tell you that I had goose bumps and hairs standing up on the back of my neck when the crowd started stomping their feet and clapping and cheering ten minutes before the players even hit the ice. And when our new light show started up and people were cheering I was down there with our president Greg Pocock and he and I were cheering and shouting out loud and just laughing like little school kids. We were just so happy with the atmosphere in the building.”

Beesley stresses that the Cougars organization is “one hundred and ten percent” committed to being “the top team in the WHL in all aspects on and off the ice, and I think we’re putting our money where our mouth is. The other thing that we’re really proud of is that one of the differences the fans will see this year is people like Greg, who still sits in his regular seats and still wanders around the concourse and still chats to people. I am full time wandering around every game, and sitting in the seats and chatting with people, as are other owners who are there most nights. What fans can expect is, if they have feedback or they want to give us praise or complaints they can talk directly to the top, they don’t have to go through any middlemen. And we’re really proud of that because we all want to stay extremely connected to our fan base and keep our finger on the pulse of everybody.”

Beesley says the organization planned to take the high visibility approach. “One because it’s the right thing to do because we believe in and love the hockey business and we’re fans too and want to jump on the bandwagon and cheer on our team. But it’s also because we’re there anyway. I’ve been going to games since the very beginning, Greg’s been going since the very beginning, as have the other owners. We’re just carrying on our normal lives and being part of the crowd.”

As business people the Cougars ownership and management team understands the numbers game, in this case fans in the stands. As mentioned, attendance for the home opener was 5659 as the Cougars lost 7-2 to Kelowna. Next night 2581 fans watched the Rockets record an 8-2 victory. Last Tuesday 1955 Cougars supporters cheered the hometown boys on to a 5-3 victory. So the smaller turnout for the Tuesday win was likely a result of the two losses on the weekend to Kelowna. In other words, I suggested to Beesley, you’re going to get more support if the team is winning than if they’re not.

“No question about it, you’re absolutely right. And we know that the fans also want to see a competitive team. I think most fans don’t necessarily need to see a win every night, but what they do need to see is a highly competitive team that is entertaining. And again we know that what they really want is a building that’s just got a great atmosphere, it’s a lot of fun to go and hopefully you win a bunch of times. But we all know it’s sports, and you’re not going to win every night.”

“In terms of the numbers, first of all, we won’t be satisfied until we’re sold out every night, every game and that is our intention and our plans. And it’s more than just waving pom-poms and closing our eyes and wishing that it happens. We’re committed to proving to our community over time that their money will be well spent and that they will be thoroughly entertained when they come to our games. We understand that we have a long way to go and we’re here for the long haul. It’s not an overnight fix. The team that we have is an inherited team and you don’t just change a team overnight, it’s impossible at this age group and this level. But the resources that have been poured into both the business side and the hockey side are profound and deep, and the product will get better and better.”

“I can tell you that we were quite happy with the crowds. On the Tuesday we had our lowest crowd yes, but it was still around two thousand people. The difference though between the old ice age and the new ice age is that those two thousand people were dancing in the isles, they were cheering, the atmosphere was wonderful, there was a huge standing ovation at the end of the game. We know over time that when we do that the next game and the next game and the next, more and more people are going to come back into our stands.”

Success at the gate can result in inconveniences in other areas. A few complaints were heard at the home opener about the long line-ups for food and other services. Back to the new ownership group, EDGEPRO, and its commitment to listen with full attention to the comments, both praise and criticism, coming from the people who fill the seats at CN Centre. Beesley says “we don’t control food services but we have a great relationship with the City of Prince George and the CN Centre (which do control food services). But having said that, it’s still our customers and we take responsibility, good or bad, for what’s happening.”

Beesley stresses that the organization wants to hear what the fans have to say. “Here’s an example: a fan came up to Greg and said, “boy your line-ups are long and we’re not used to line-ups because nobody was ever at these games before. What do you think about the idea, couldn’t you put up some TV screens and at least show us a live shot of the game action?” “So the next day we had our de-brief meeting and this topic came up and we all said, what a great idea, let’s put up some TV screens. So if there is a long line-up then at least let’s let people watch what’s going on on the ice. So that’ll take us a few weeks to get that up and running but we loved the idea, we embraced it and it’s going to happen. And whoever that fan was that gave us that idea can take credit for giving us a great idea.”

Beesley says the Cougars will work with the city and CN Centre to put in the TVs “but we understand that a lot of these initiatives are at our cost.” He says “the team has put in, I think I used the word “profound” before, but the team has put in an extremely substantial amount of money that the fans will never see to enhance many things (at CN Centre).” Examples include the electronic 50-50 system and the impressive new laser lighting system.

Finally, we asked Beesley how the players responded to the packed house opening night. “I’m not the coach but I can tell you that the players were moved by it, they were awe struck, maybe a bit overwhelmed because for some of them they have not played in that atmosphere in front of that size of crowd, so I think that overwhelmed them a bit. I think they were really humbled by it and I can tell you from the players I’ve spoken to, they are sorry that they weren’t able to perform better on opening weekend, but they are so motivated in their belief in the team and their belief in this city and in the new ownership. All they want to do is perform and to reward the fans with efforts that they’re going to be very proud of in the future. The players were moved by it, deeply moved by it and appreciative of it.”