Vancouver Canucks to Hold Training Camp in Prince George
Prince George, B.C. – Big news for hockey fans in northern B.C.
The Vancouver Canucks have announced they will hold their training camp in Prince George this September 17-20.
Canucks president of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden, along side Prince George Cougars president Greg Pocock, Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall and Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dominic Frederick, made the announcement this morning in front of over 200 enthusiastic fans in the Kin 1 atrium
So why Prince George?
“We’ve never been to the North and in the last five or six years after I retired, I’ve travelled a lot up here doing various events and I just saw the passion for our team here and I know they have a great facility,” said Linden, who was clearly impressed with the reception he received.
“That’s exactly the reason we wanted to come here and I mean that. The people here are special, they have big hearts, so that’s what we saw today and that’s what our players will see.”
He said he’s been toying with the idea of coming to Prince George ever since the Canucks last training camp in Whistler but played down the influence current Canuck and Cougars co-owner Dan Hamhuis had.
From left, Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dominic Frederick, Canucks President, Hockey Operations, Trevor Linden, Prince George Mayor Lynn Hall, Prince George Cougars President Greg Pocock, CN Centre Manager Glen Mikkelsen, and Canucks mascot Fin – photo 250 News
“I talked to him a little bit, I asked him what do you think would be the response up there and obviously as expected, he said tremendous,” said Linden. “So I talked to him a little bit, not a lot. He was busy.”
As for what the fans can expect in September, he said he envisions a “festival-like” atmosphere.
“We hope that people all around the North will come in for a day, a visit. Stay overnight and take part in our fun festival type stuff and watch our team.”
Linden expects 50 to 60 players will be here including staff, and says fans will have access to the team.
“We’re working on that now. We want to make sure that people have the ability to have access, every practice will be open to the public,” he said.”We just want to make sure that whatever we do from a ticketing standpoint is going to be nominal and returned to the community. But it will ensure everyone has access.”
Cougars president Greg Pocock expects the training camp will have a big impact on the City.
“Prince George is going to see an awful lot of economic activity. I think just the Canucks themselves coming in, 60 odd players and staff, is obviously going to have a big impact and then of course fans from all over northern B.C., media personnel, will be here. So the economic spin-off is absolutely huge.”
He said the camp will displace his own team, the Cougars, for a few days, including a scheduled September 20 tilt versus Kamloops, but says they’ll easily work around that.
“We’ve haven’t talked to the Kamloops Blazers yet but they are good league partners and they will work with us. We may reschedule to an earlier date or we’ve also kicked around hosting it in Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, or even Kamloops.”
All training camp on-ice practice sessions will take place at the CN Centre. The Canucks will also be using the Cougars dressing room and their resources.
Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall said hosting training camp will allow the City to capitalize on the momentum built up by the Canada Winter Games.
“We’re once again on the national map. We continue with the momentum we built up from the Games. It’s really going to benefit the central part of B.C.”
Comments
Now this is great news for PG, hockey fans and the younger clubs that will get to train a little with some excellent pros :)
Train a little with some excellent pros?
steph100, you do realize that we are talking about the Vancouver Canucks, don’t you, haha?
All kidding aside, this is more good news for our local community!
Hart Guy, you must be either a Leafs fan or a Habs fan making that statement!
The Leafs especially haven’t had a real pro in their line up since Wendal Clark, and Doug Gilmore hung up their skates!
Reality is if you stay up the hart the entire time the Canucks are in camp here in PG that is the closest you are ever going to come to some real pros!
Would be great to inspire the local Cougars team for their sights into the possible future NHLers. Nothing wrong with that.
The natives think they own hockey too….
local history really… we need to progress not wine about the past or that happened hundreds of years ago
Considering that this training camp runs from Sept 18th to the 20th. (3 Days) People better not blink or they will miss it.
This is the first time it has been held in the North. Previous places it has been held in the past were. Victoria, Courtney, Powell River, Duncan, Parksville, Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Whistler, and Calgary.
Also Stockholm Sweden in 2000.
Good chance for the younger hockey players and fans to see the pro’s in action,.
Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 @ 11:41 AM by borneo61
Would be great to inspire the local Cougars team for their sights into the possible future NHLers. Nothing wrong with that.
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Absolutely nothing wrong with propping up some more kids with unrealistic dream of making to the NHL.
Axman, I bet you say that to Timbits too, don’t you? Such inspirational words.
@ commonsence
“local history really… we need to progress not wine about the past or that happened hundreds of years ago”
(1) being aware of history does not equate to whining.
(2) your use of the term “natives” is no longer appropriate.
but then again you misspelled “sense” in your user name “commonsence”… so I should probably lower my expectations of you.
and finally, “wine’ is something a person drinks, not something a person does.
I just cannot see a downside to this. So what if some kids have a dream of making it to the NHL – let them have their dream. Prince George has had lots of positive news lately and that is hard for some of you to accept. We got rid of the worst mayor in history, we have a community owned team that is going above and beyond to make the community proud of them and we have a mayor that is making things happen.
How sad is it that someone actually think dreams are a negative thing. If you don’t aspire to be anything you will always be nothing.
This is good news all around.
Maybe the locals will see a certain Cougar trying out for the team. Harkins is projected to go in the bottom third of the first round and the Canucks pick 23rd.
Really a hamhuis bone thrown in for goodwill. Not a real nhl training camp. Sedins will come in for a day trip.
Still a good news story but more public relations than the real deal.
Great news for PG! I honestly don’t understand why anyone would see this as anything but. Geez people, some of you would complain if you found $10 in the street because it wasn’t a twenty . . .
Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 @ 1:17 PM by Brother Gecko
Axman, I bet you say that to Timbits too, don’t you? Such inspirational words.
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Any coach who plants dreams of the NHL in the heads of Timbits players should not be coaching.
@walrus
This is the Canucks Training camp, same one they held in whistler last year. Sedins will be here all three days, as will all the other players/hopefuls. It really is a great opportunity to be close to these guys.
Axman…Any coach who squashes dreams of the NHL in the heads of Timbits players should not be coaching or parenting or having any interactions with children at all.
Dreaming is one of the best parts of childhood. Without dreams they just turn into cranky adults that sit in front of a computer old day posting negative comments on a blog all day.
NMG is right, some of you would (& do) find a negative spin on almost anything. Axman, what would be wrong with a coach pointing out to one of his/her protoges that with hard work, practice & dedication, playing pro hockey could be a reality? Great news for PG!!
NMG. Think for a minute. Most people in Prince George wouldn’t walk across the street to watch a hockey game.
There is a huge difference in the interest level of a hockey fan, and regular people who have no interest in the game.
So Palopu, do you agree that this is good news for PG? Or, do you think it is somehow negative?
Some people have a very hard time being positive about anything it goes against their nature to think anything positive about PG
I for one am estactic the Canucks are coming here it’s been a long time coming
Axman, what would be wrong with a coach pointing out to one of his/her protoges that with hard work, practice & dedication, playing pro hockey could be a reality?
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Because it’s not reality for 99.999% of the people out there. Instead of instilling the nonsense dream that you can make it to the NHL we need to be emphasizing the fun, the social and the team buildings aspects of organized sport.
Just my opinion, if you want to pick on people go be a bully somewhere else.
NMG.
I think it is good news the same as it was for the other 10 Cities where it was held. No more, no less.
This is GREAT news for everyone up here… I’m so excited that they are coming to town and that the Cougars organisation is working to facilitate it by moving themselves out for a few days. Seriously, how can it be negative that our facilities and our community are being praised? Thank you to everyone involved in bringing them up North! I’m gonna book a few days off work!
Axman.. Why step on someone’s dreams? Lots of kids want to be firemen but don’t..should you crush their dreams as well?
I welcome the nuks with open arms.. They all are living their dream of playing in the NHL.. Guessing axman would be sitting in the crowd booing every goal…lol
“Any coach who plants dreams of the NHL in the heads of Timbits players should not be coaching.” .. I am sure Sidney Crosbys coach had the same outlook as you too. Some people sure don’t know when you deactivate mouth and activate brain. Most elite atheletes, pros and amateurs started at a very early age. Seems Tiger Williams father started him golfing at the age of 3. What a flop he turned out to be.
Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 @ 7:48 PM by Bent
“Any coach who plants dreams of the NHL in the heads of Timbits players should not be coaching.” .. I am sure Sidney Crosbys coach had the same outlook as you too.
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You have no idea what Sidney Crosby’s Timbits coach had as his coaching philosophy. For all you know (which doesn’t appear to be much) the coach never once mentioned the phrase “NHL”.
Tiger Williams wasn’t much of a golfer.
Axman, having played the game extensively growing up & later coaching, no one “instilled the nonsense dream of making it to the NHL”. Instead it was emphasized, along with all the other positive qualities of playing a team sport, that if you applied yourself a career in pro hockey could be a possibility. If it was instilled in everyone that striving for your dreams is nonsense & a waste of time what kind of world would we live in? Still banging bones together to make music & gnawing on a gristle filled haunch for dinner?
Gee NyteHawwk, looks like I touched a nerve with you! Obviously you are Canucks fan! Some of us aren’t, never have been, never will be! Ny the way, I’m not a Habs or Leafs fan either!
Funny that you would suggest that “reality is if you stay up in the hart the entire time the Canucks are in camp here in PG, that is the closest that you are ever going to come to some real pros”.
Funny because you don’t know me and you don’t know if I have ever been or seen some real pros! One of my oldest and best friends completed a University Degree in the States on a hockey scholarship while his two older brothers both played in the NHL!
I spent time in the southern interior and had the opportunity to meet a number of other NHL pros, some that have actually been on winning teams!
So, I’ve met some pros, some real pros! You keep rooting for the Canucks! Someday, they might actually win a Stanley Cup, but not very likely with the current crew!
But as I said, all kidding aside, this is more good news for our local community! Guess you missed that, eh NyteHawwk!
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