Kin 1 has it’s first championship banner, courtesy the Cariboo Cougars

Prince George, B.C. – It was a night of celebration as the Cariboo Cougars hosted the Kootenay Ice on Saturday in the first game of a twin bill kicking off the Cougars’ final home stand of the BCMML season.

There was a good crowd on hand at Kin 1 (Lakewood Dental Arena) for the pre-game ceremony marking the Cariboo Cougars becoming the first Prince George team to win the highly-recognized Mac’s Midget AAA 2014-15 Championship in Calgary. Chase Dubois scored the winner at 1:23 of double overtime as the Cougars claimed the title in a 2-1 victory over the Regina Pat Canadians on New Year’s Day. And marking the victory, a championship banner was raised at Kin 1 prior to Saturday night’s game, the first banner raised at the newly-refurbished rink.

However, it was not the first championship banner to be raised in a Prince George arena. Andy Beesley, who used to have responsibility for civic recreation facilities before furthering his career with the Prince George Cougars, says “there definitely have been championship banners raised. For example just before the old Kin 1 got ripped down a Midget Tier 1 hockey team won the provincial championship and there have certainly been others in history. Not many but there certainly has been examples of banners won, provincial championships and so.”

Beesley says “it’s just that the Mac’s is particularly special just because it’s a unique tournament and such an incredibly prestigious tournament, so it’s rare. They’re very few and far between, it’s still a very special thing to win a major championship like that.   As far as in the Kins and the Coliseum, it’s not the only banner that’s been raised in (Prince George) history. And then, of course, CN Centre where we have yet to raise a banner of any type.”

Meantime, Saturday also marked the 5^th Annual Jameson Jones night, which began in 2011 as then 4-year-old Jameson began a battle against cancer at Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. The Cariboo Cougars hold the fundraiser each year and have raised many thousands of dollars for the hospital and for local families who have to travel back and forth to Vancouver while their kids receive treatment.

Jameson and his buddy Cam Pinette, who also has undergone treatment at Children’s, attended Saturday night’s game and both took part in ceremonial face-offs prior to the game. Donations were taken at the door, to be donated to Children’s Hospital in Jameson’s name. Jameson Jones, now an 11-year-old Grade 6 student at Hart Highlands Elementary, says “it’s kind of cool to go down there and come back and have all those people donating money to that hospital.”

Over $1500 was raised through donations at Saturday night’s game.