The Prince George Cougars are getting closer to begin another chapter of the New Ice Age.
With camp going at full steam, they are ready to make a round of cuts before Monday’s Intra-squad game.
Manager of Broadtcasting and voice of the Cougars, Dan O’Connor says the competition is at a premium.
“The message from the get-go at Cougars training camp has been that no roster spot is safe, and the players have reacted accordingly, they’ve played accordingly. There’s been a lot of intensity and battles at every position, and it’s made for a really enjoyable experience for the fans.”
Jackson Leppard, assistant captain Jansen Harkin’s younger brother Jonas, and Tyler Ho are taking part in their first WHL camp after being selected by the cats in this year’s Bantam Draft.
While the young guns are certainly making an impression on management, it can still take a couple of tries to crack the roster.
“You draft these kids at 15, they come to their first WHL training camps, and the whole experience is a bit of an unknown,” adds O’Connor, “What you hope to see is improvement, growth, and development. We’ve seen in a number of instances, players who come back for their second or third camp and all of a sudden it just clicks.”
Several Cougars vets could very well be in the same situation as they prepare to take off for their respective NHL rookie camps.
The Black and White Intra-squad game is slated to take place on Monday, Aug 31. at 7:00PM.
Admission is free for the public.