The last time the Prince George Cougars had a sellout home game was April 1st, 2017.
The setting: Game 5 of the first round of the WHL Playoffs between the Cougars and the Portland Winterhawks.
It was a 5-3 loss for the Cats on home ice to give the Winterhawks a 3-2 lead in the series, which Portland won in the next game.
Tonight (Friday), for the first time since then, the Cougars will have a packed house at the CN Centre.
The main driving factor behind the sellout is the projected 1st overall pick in the 2023 draft and reigning WHL Player of the Month Connor Bedard.
After leading all WHL scorers with with 28 points during the month of November, @WHLPats forward Connor Bedard has retained his standing as @CanadianJerky WHL Player of the Month!
đź“° | https://t.co/GNNdceiEIO pic.twitter.com/P7QRHp1BZh
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 1, 2022
“It’s obviously huge, and it’s exciting and it’s going to be fun,” said Cougars Director of Business, Taylor Dakers.
“There’s a lot of logistical things that our staff hasn’t had to think about or have to worry about. It’s a huge learning opportunity for us, as well as a great opportunity for the fans to have a really fun night.”
Dakers says there will be some challenges in regards to hosting a sellout crowd at the CN Centre.
“Food and beverage, one of them is not under our control, and with large crowds, there’s quite a lot of demand on concessions,” Dakers explained.
“We’ve got to get 6,000 people in the doors ready for game time, and the earlier people show up the better. We’ve got McDonald’s that’s presenting the game, and they’re handing out ballots for two separate draws. One is for a shoot to win, and then another is for a trip for four to Disneyland.”
Earlier this season, the Cougars held a Community Heroes weekend for two games, which drew crowds of 4,463 and 4,821 spectators.
Before those two games, the largest crowd the Cougars had this year was 2,941 fans.
“To go from 3,000 earlier in the season to a sellout right now would be extremely daunting, but having that little bit of practice was kind of exactly what we needed,” Dakers said.
“I don’t want to talk negatively at all, It’s all great challenges to have, we’re all excited to figure them out, and provide fans with the best night we can.”
One of the challenges is to retain those fans that aren’t coming to the games regularly.
“The hockey on the ice is going to be the biggest sell, anybody that’s been to games this year I think has been pretty highly entertained,” Dakers said.
“We have a great batch of players, we’ve got a great group of older players, we’ve got a fantastic group of younger players, on any given night you could see a great display of goaltending, the on-ice product is extremely high-end, and I really hope that sells itself.”
“On the other side, our production team, our game night team, we’ve done a lot of work to invest in the entertainment, the energy, the vibe of the building, giving everybody from young kids to middle-aged people to seniors entertainment, and giving them a great night out.”
Dakers added he’s thankful for the fans who are coming out and buying tickets, and is hoping there’s a lot more sellouts in the future.
“I’ve been in Prince George for five years now, I get reminded constantly of the good old days, of the late 90’s and mid-2000’s, the original Cougars, the fans, how they we’re rated number one across Canada and consistent sellouts,” Dakers said.
“It’s everybody’s dream and goal to get back to that, and I’m sure it’s been said a million times by everybody that’s ever been a part of the Cougars’ staff, but to just have one, is pretty special. I’m excited to hopefully have this group get to the point where we can do this on a more regular basis.”
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