Action during the Young Guns game at Cougars training camp Friday afternoon. Photo 250News

Prince George, B.C. – This is a pivotal weekend in the lives of the more than 80 hockey players who have arrived in the city to attend the Prince George Cougars’ 23^rd training camp.

Those players are on display for the club’s brain trust which will decide who makes the roster for the Cougars’ 2016-17 Western Hockey League season.  We already know that this year’s roster will include six players drafted by NHL teams: Josh Anderson, Jansen Harkins, Jesse Gabrielle, Brad Morrison, Sam Ruopp and Tate Olsen.  Now the battle begins to see who joins them in wearing the Cougars colours.

New head coach Richard Matvichuk says the team goal this year is straight forward, “to compete every night to win.”  And he says “we feel that with the group of players that we have that we will be a very competitive team.”

Training camp opened Friday with player registration followed by a meeting in Kin 1 which all players and their parents were expected to attend.  Then came a Young Guns game which was followed by a goalie session to close out Day 1.

Training Camp continues with a full day of scrimmages running from 10 am to 9:30 pm today, more scrimmages from 10 am to 9:45 pm Sunday and then the Black vs White intra-squad game at 7 pm Monday for those players remaining in camp.

All of the one-ice sessions are open to the public and there is no admission charged to Monday night’s game.

Here is the Training Camp schedule:

August 27

10:00 am – 12:00 pm        Team Chara vs Team Byfuglien

12:15 pm – 2:15 pm           Team Hamhuis vs Team Brewer

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm           Goalie Session

5:15 pm – 7:15 pm           Team Chara vs Team Brewer

7:30 pm – 9:30 pm           Team Hamhuis vs Team Byfuglien

August 28

10:00 am – 12:00 pm       Team Chara vs Team Hamhuis

12:15 pm – 2:15 pm          Team Brewer vs Team Byfuglien

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm           Goalie Session

5:15 pm – 7:15 pm           Team Chara vs Team Byfuglien

7:45 pm – 9:45 pm           Team Hamhuis vs Team Brewer

August 29

7:00 pm                                White vs Black Intra-squad game