Hartley Miller's Slap-Shots April 6th Edition

Friday, April 06, 2007 03:45 AM

Many Prince George hockey fans have taken their share of criticism for not supporting the two junior teams.

No one can hide the facts. Attendance figures for the Cougars (regular season average of just under 3,000) and the Spruce Kings (average of less than 800) are well below numbers from past years.

However, with playoff fever in the air, and the Cougars first round sweep of Kamloops, a number of fans have returned to the rink (4,504 in game three and 5,238 for game four vs the Blazers).

Undoubtedly, these figures will increase in the Conference semi-finals against Everett. PG fans finally have something to be excited about and they are now prepared to support their local team by purchasing a ticket.

A question circulating in the Prince George Hockey World is: Where were the bandwagon jumpers all season?

It is unfair to take a "slap shot" at these "rejuvenated" fans. One must look at the big picture. It took seven years for the Cougars to finally win a playoff series. The team arrived in the city in 1994 and still no banner. Local fans have patience, especially with frequent last place finishes or quick exits from the post season.

The support for this team was terrific in the late 90’s with capacity crowds of close to 6,000. Prince George isn’t different than any other hockey cities’ expectations- give us a winner and you will have my support.

For the most part, I believe fans receive a great dollar value while watching a WHL game, win or lose. However, many spectators are on a limited budget and need to be careful on how they spend their entertainment money. If the on-ice product is consistently not up to standard, then fans have every right to stay away, and they shouldn’t be chastised for making this decision.

Meanwhile, the Spruce Kings saga has been more disturbing. Since entering the BCHL, the Kings performance has been mediocre. They have accomplished little, on or off the ice, and the fans are less than excited. In fact, this was supposed to be "the year" for the Kings, yet they lost out in the first round to Salmon Arm, a team that did not win a game in round two.

Although over 1,200 watched game six against the Silverbacks, fans stayed away in droves. Once again, false hope dampened enthusiasm.

Even though the Kings and Cougars are two different teams, they are playing in a city that is thirsty for a contender, and a franchise that will compete for a championship.

Hockey in May is like a foreign language in Prince George. Nonetheless, if the Cougars can provide a spark in April, maybe the excitement can shift to the Spruce Kings when they host the Royal Bank Cup.

If the crowds remain strong in the spring, how about a salute to the fans for attending rather than questioning their whereabouts during the winter?

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Against Kamloops, I picked PG, but not in a sweep. In Round two, logic says Everett should win a short series (since there was a 37 point difference between the teams in the regular season standings) but I’ll pick the Silvertips in 7 games. There isn’t much to choose in goaltending or goal scoring, but Everett has one big advantage. Yes, there is no substitution for playoff experience.

From the quote rack:

"It was never the gas, Sammy, it was always the additives." Steve Rosenbloom of ChicagoSports.com, on Sammy Sosa of the Texas Rangers saying about his comeback "I have some premium gasoline left in my tank."
"During his roadside sobriety test, he touched his nose and three other drivers pulled over and bunted." Comedian Argus Hamilton, on how police recognized St Louis Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa when he was arrested for drunk driving.
"Chelsea has become the first Premier League team to operate under a celery cap." Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post, on the Chelsea English soccer club ordering fans to stop throwing celery (in the stands) at games.

"Astronaut Suni Williams will run the Boston Marathon while in the International Space Station. Definitely the most interesting entry since Rosie Ruiz ran it in a subway car." Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

"The NHL is considering an outright ban on fighting. Isn’t that a little like a liquor store banning alcohol?" Greg Cote of the Miami Herald

"Apparently seeing is bereaving." Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, after Zach Randolph of the Portland Trail Blazers, who was granted leave from the team to attend a funeral in Indiana, stopped at a Portland strip club en route to the airport and ran up a $106 bill.

"I’d rather own than be owned." Stephon Marbury of the NY Knicks, who has launched a series of inexpensive basketball shoes for $15, responding to comments made by the Nike-sponsored LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had said he could not endorse a runner that cheap, since "Me being with Nike, we hold our standards high."

And in case you missed it:

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, LeBron James is building a 33,000 square foot mansion, (at a cost of between 10 and 15 million dollars) in a Cleveland suburb that will apparently include, a movie theatre, a recording studio, a casino, a barbershop, a two-lane bowling alley, a three-storey aquarium and a six-car garage. Yes, there is no place like home.