PG Cougars business VP Andy Beesley – photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – Puck drop is just hours away for game one of the CIBC Canada Russia Series at CN Centre in Prince George.

Business VP Andy Beesley with the Prince George Cougars says preparations have gone off without a hitch.

“Because we’re extremely well prepared. We’ve done all our homework and all of the big picture items are done and today we’re dealing with things like ‘where is the soy sauce for the white rice’ that one of the teams has requested and we’re desperate to find four stools,” he says.

“Of course I’m joking about some of these details but that is what game day is like – doing some of the fine-tuning details.”

Things have gone so well in fact that Beesley says all the media in town to cover the game have been highly complementary of the work the hosts have done to get things ready.

“The Sportsnet people and the Canadian Hockey League people have done nothing but pour praise on us. They said they rarely come into a building so prepared with everybody so friendly and helpful and calm and they’re really blown away.”

He says fans can expect a towel on each seat to cheer their team on to victory noting he can feel the tension in the building already.

“From the players right on up, it’s exciting and amazing. Everybody’s on edge, everybody is extra excited and there’s a certain amount of emotion that comes into it when you see the Canadian flag flapping.”

The game will feature some of the greatest junior hockey players in the world, including two Prince George Cougars – Jansen Harkins and Brad Morrison.

The annual series, which shifts to Edmonton tomorrow night, is seen as an evaluation tool for Hockey Canada in the lead up to next month’s IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

Team WHL carries an all-time record of 18-6-2 against Russia in the series that started in 2003.