Question: How many victories do the Prince Cougars have against teams with winning records this season?

Answer: A great big fat ZERO.

 

I realize that this statistic seems remarkable, especially considering the Cougars have completed more than one third of their regular season; however, this gauge reflects another bad season.

 

The Cougars have played 27 games. During this time, they have accumulated a paltry 10 wins, four against Chilliwack, two vs Seattle and one each against Kamloops, Edmonton, Red Deer and Prince Albert. So, what do those six teams all have in common? Just like the Cats, all have losing records and are below .500.

 

On the other hand, the Cougars have lost to every opponent they have played with a winning record
(11 games total) going 0-3 against Vancouver and Kelowna, and 0-1 vs Spokane, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Kootenay. They also have a shootout loss to Brandon in a game the Cats blew a 5-1 lead. PG also was beaten 6-1 by Lethbridge, a .500 team.

 

In the six games against the Giants and Rockets, the Cougars have been outscored 7-3, 5-0 and 5-2 by Vancouver and 8-1, 7-3 and 6-2 by Kelowna for a grand total of 38-11; not a competitive game in the bunch.

 

Overall, a remarkable 14 of their losses, (approximately half of their total games), have been by 3 or more goals. No wonder the Cougars have given up more goals than each of the other 21 WHL teams.

 

In light of this reality, should we be surprised that when the NHL's Central Scouting recently released its fall preliminary rankings of eligible players for the 2009 entry Draft that the PG Cougars were shutout? Take into account, this isn’t the first time the Cougars were held off the “draft score-sheet”, as no Cougars were drafted in 2008 and just one in 2007, Dana Tyrell (2nd round Tampa Bay).

 

Speaking of facts…. Tyrell and Brett Connolly are the only two players on the team that have consistently been productive. Connolly has been a gem as the 16-year-old local product will almost certainly draw NHL consideration in 2010.

 

So, what does this mean? Well, (this isn’t a news flash), it is obvious that if a team selects poorly in the WHL bantam draft, the results on the ice will reflect that. The last six years in the bantam draft, the Cougars first round picks have been Jesse Forsberg (2008), Connolly (2007), Stefan Elliott (2006), Dale Hunt (2005), Ryan Kerr (2004) and Tyler Swyston (2004). All six were taken in the top 12 and one (Kerr) was a first overall pick.

 

Forsberg is an unknown, Connolly has been terrific, Elliott is playing in Saskatoon thanks to the Devin Setoguchi trade (and by the way, Elliott is ranked #5 among WHL skaters for the 2009 entry draft), Hunt and Kerr were non productive (many have suggested a bust but that is a harsh word for a kid) and Swyston didn’t report to PG. Later round picks in those years, for the most part, also failed to deliver.

Although the bantam picks seldom turned up roses, the European picks in the Import draft have even been less flattering. Those selections, or lack thereof, have been well documented in this column (and others).

 

With no disrespect to the current crop of players on the Cougars, most of the roster arrived in PG as castoffs from other teams who no longer wanted their services.

 

In these last six years, the Cougars have four last place finishes in their division to go along with a third and a fourth. To date, the Cats are cellar dwellers in their division, despite a 6-1 start. They are currently out of a playoff spot again, sitting 9th in a 10-team Conference.

 

Attendance has increased in many WHL centres, but certainly not at CN Centre. Many local fans are disenchanted, have seen and suffered enough and have been utilizing their only weapon to fight back, which is to not buy tickets.

 

Yes, often the visitors bring in marquee players to watch, but when one considers the state of the local Major Junior team and its history; can anybody possibly blame the fans for staying away?

 

 

 

 “If Claude Lemieux, 43, makes the Sharks roster, it'd be a first--a Shark with dentures.” Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California 

“A 'lucky' Topeka, KS man won 2 cars and Chiefs tickets in a span of 10 days. Well, two out of three ain't bad.” Bill Littlejohn 

“Condolences to the Montreal Alouettes, who lost the fourth straight Grey Cup game they played in. All is not lost for the Alouettes. They have just been named the official team of the Liberal party.”
Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)

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