Dan Near didn’t have to look far to experience the resurgence of the Prince George Cougars.
The veteran-laden team, who is hungry for its first WHL championship was in action during the league commissioner’s first trek to the northern capital, a 4-2 victory over the Regina Pats on Friday, in front of a crowd of over 3,800 fans.
During an interview with MyPGNow.com, Near came away quite impressed with the Cougars game presentation during the 2024 WHL playoffs.
“I watched very, very closely during the playoffs last year and I can see what this community and market can do and I am excited for the team and the ownership and players. You guys do it right here.”
“The game presentation of what they are doing, the white our strategy during the playoffs and, some of the uniform initiatives that are going on like what you have done with Indigenous nights those are the kinds of things that make people engaged and care.”
With junior hockey predominantly viewed as a gate-driven entity, Near mentioned 80% of all league markets including Prince George saw an increase in attendance last season, noting crowds have returned to pre-pandemic levels and in some cases slightly above.
The Cougars currently sit eighth in attendance with an average mark of 4,036. While that might not look too flattering to the naked eye – that is a quantum leap to where this franchise was two years ago when the average crowd was 2,755.
Near recognizes all teams are in an ultra-competitive entertainment market to bring bums in seats on a nightly basis.
To give the WHL a leg up in this regard, Near believes different ticketing options and providing fans a more interactive experience in connecting with current players via social media platforms holds the key.
“In some markets, fans might rather buy 34 games at the gate and not buy a season ticket because they like the flexibility and all that compared to what has been handled in the past. I think that having competent staff who are consulting with one another on what is working and what is not along with the scheduling of in-game promotions making it fun and engaging people will come back.”
“It is an interesting tension point because they are here to play hockey and they also have personal lives and school, but I think it is in everyone’s best interests where we can create and ecosystem and environment where there is something access where its engaging and interesting because the Western Hockey League is a community product.”
“We have reasons to improve. I think that our website, our app and, the way we communicate with social media content. I believe people and fans want to get behind the scenes and get to know our players better,” added Near.
Speaking of the players, the landscape of junior hockey has been flipped on its head all within a little over a calendar year. It began with the BCHL leaving Hockey Canada to go independent, leading to five Alberta Junior league franchises to jump ship and join forces.
Then, another major shakeup occurred last month where the Western Hockey League and the NCAA played the trump card and allowed most of its players to participate in either league without losing college eligibility south of the border – with signed NHL draft picks being the lone exception.
Since then, over 30 BCHL players have left their teams to play in either the WHL, OHL and the QMJHL.
On the flip side, 14 WHL players have committed to NCAA Division one programs in the last 30 days, including former Cougars Carlin Dezainde (UCONN) and Carter McAdams (Northern Michigan).
When asked if there is any shot the WHL forms a direct pipeline agreement with the BCHL Near added a move such as that would be hard to navigate with the most western Junior A league operating independently.
“As it relates to the BCHL, it is a hard one to answer right now because it would be tough to collaborate with them because we are part of Hockey Canada’s system, and they are not so that interaction becomes challenging.”
As for any BCHL looking to defect and move over into the WHL – such as perennial power houses like the Penticton Vees and the Chilliwack Chiefs, Near noted nothing is imminent but the door is far from closed.
“I would tell you that there are no active discussions around importing BCHL teams into the Western Hockey League or expansion. There are a variety of rumours going around and I hear about but I will never say never – I think some of this will take time to iron out.”
“There are a lot of great communities and a lot of great ownership groups around Western Canada that have the player in mind. As it relates to how the future landscape looks, I am open-minded, and the western hockey league is open-minded, but our job is to develop players, and we are going to do that.”
Prior to becoming WHL commissioner, Near served as the Global Head of adidas Hockey and was responsible for leading the brand’s entry into the sport, managing their global hockey business since 2016.
Near helped cultivate partnerships with top athletes, including Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Mathew Barzal, Sarah Nurse and, Kendall Coyne Schofield.
In addition, Near spent 10 years at the National Hockey League’s head office in New York, specializing in marketing, retail development, and consumer product licensing from 2006 through 2016.
Similar to his time at adidas, Near believes the league is in a good position for growth.
“Hockey was a real underdog sport with them (adidas) it wasn’t like soccer that had this global penetration of a foot wear business that had this ultra-booster of easy franchises. So, you can actually take those things and take some reasonably big swings and if you missed it wasn’t that big of a deal. If you hit it could deliver some substantial results and outcomes from the company and I think from the Western Hockey League perspective, we have to be comfortable taking some risks.”
“We need to be doing some things differently and being OK if we fail or if we lose on something – it is not all going to be perfect but if you can get a hit right and be seven out of ten and you figure out how to take those seven wins and double down on them, those are some of the things companies like adidas will give you some background and enablement to execute in junior hockey.”
The Cougars are back in action on Wednesday when they visit the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
