PG Cougars have been sold.

[billybobjoe2112]

Greg Pocock, Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer are the new owners of the team. This was announced 15 minutes ago on the radio. I'll post a link shortly.
http://hqprincegeorge.com/home/news/v/Local/357661/Cougars-sold

Click to read more...

 

[phillipsj89]

Stay Tuned. No one will confirm.

https://twitter.com/search?q=pgcougars&f=realtime

Where there is smoke there is fire, Honeslty, there is so much hype around this in town right now. If the team does indeed sell we could see almost 100% increase in attendance, which will bring them up to at least 50% full.

 

[NorthStar]

Are the Cougars staying in Prince George or will they move somewhere else?? I bet PG is the most remote place ever for the WHL to have teams travel there to play the Cougars all the time...

 

[tc 23]

Are the Cougars staying in Prince George or will they move somewhere else?? I bet PG is the most remote place ever for the WHL to have teams travel there to play the Cougars all the time...

Looks like they'll stay for a bit to see if they can turn the ship around.

Sources say the new ownership group plans to keep the team based in Prince George for at least the next two seasons. If the Cougars continue to lose money, the team will likely be moved to another city.

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/sports/cougars-sold-to-investors-sources-say-1.873332

 

[phillipsj89]

Are the Cougars staying in Prince George or will they move somewhere else?? I bet PG is the most remote place ever for the WHL to have teams travel there to play the Cougars all the time...

It is remote in WHL standards. Honestly, I hear no complaining about BCHL teams having to travel all the up here. If it was a thriving franchise, no one would complain.

Heres to hoping they can turn it around.

 

[NorthStar]

Looks like they'll stay for a bit to see if they can turn the ship around.


http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/sports/cougars-sold-to-investors-sources-say-1.873332

It is remote in WHL standards. Honestly, I hear no complaining about BCHL teams having to travel all the up here. If it was a thriving franchise, no one would complain.

Heres to hoping they can turn it around.

Ohh I see.. hope the Cougars can make it work well enough in Prince George but if it doesn't, I wonder which places would be ideal somehow??

 

[n00bxQb]

There have been rumours about moving a team, possibly the Cougars, to Nanaimo for quite a while now.

 

[phillipsj89]

There have been rumours about moving a team, possibly the Cougars, to Nanaimo for quite a while now.

YEs, but one problem. They need a WHL building.

 

[n00bxQb]

YEs, but one problem. They need a WHL building.

Won't be long. They already purchased the land and have approval from almost all the necessary groups. AFAIK, city council approval is the last hurdle they need to clear and I don't think it'll be an issue; they want the multiplex partially-funded by the private sector.

 

[Rocko604]

Won't be long. They already purchased the land and have approval from almost all the necessary groups. AFAIK, city council approval is the last hurdle they need to clear and I don't think it'll be an issue; they want the multiplex partially-funded by the private sector.

If it happens, I hope they keep the Clippers name, and ship-themed logo.

 

[phillipsj89]

Won't be long. They already purchased the land and have approval from almost all the necessary groups. AFAIK, city council approval is the last hurdle they need to clear and I don't think it'll be an issue; they want the multiplex partially-funded by the private sector.

Good good. No doubt they would have better attendance than the cougars currently do. People here would be absolutely devastated if the team moved.

When the team was reported sold the people here were partying in the streets.

 

[Suter to MacInnis]

In my opinion moving to Nanaimo would be pointless, issue in PG has been with owners, without resentment towards ownership hindering the Cougars the cities are almost the exact same size and PG has a higher average income per household according to the numbers. It's a lateral move or worse.

 

[Hardyvan123]

In my opinion moving to Nanaimo would be pointless, issue in PG has been with owners, without resentment towards ownership hindering the Cougars the cities are almost the exact same size and PG has a higher average income per household according to the numbers. It's a lateral move or worse.

Pretty much this, the new ownership group should help a ton and while mid island might be a good expansion city, when they get a new arena, moving out of PG would be a mistake IMO.

 

[PG Canuck]

Give this town a decent team that can compete, and you'll fill the rink. It's a hockey town here. All you hear around here is the hatred for the current owners and management - it's a family business right now where the Cougars could suck year after year and everyone is going to have their job still.

Just for the fact alone that Hamhuis and Brewer are trying to purchase the Cougars, makes me want to go to more games than I did this year...which wasn't many.

When the Cougars were a competitive team, and we wining playoff games, the Multiplex (now CN Centre) sold out every night (mostly) and you'd be hardpressed to find a ticket.

 

[PG Canuck]

Apparently Cougars are sold. Just waiting until April 30th for it to be official.

 

[Royal Canuck]

Atta boy Hammer!

 

[phillipsj89]

Hamhuis has now confirmed he is part of the deal Announcement could come in a week or 2.

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/news/local/hamhuis-confirms-part-in-cougars-purchase-1.920277

 

[PG Canuck]

Basically a done deal. WHL just needs to approve it. Should be done in next couple weeks.

Best news this organization and town have gotten in a long time about this team.

 

[phillipsj89]

Basically a done deal. WHL just needs to approve it. Should be done in next couple weeks.

Best news this organization and town have gotten in a long time about this team.

Think we can expect a sold out home opener? how good would that building look sold out?!

 

[PG Canuck]

Think we can expect a sold out home opener? how good would that building look sold out?!

Home openers are usually pretty packed anyways, but it should be damn near capacity, here's hoping. When that building is sold out, it's one of the loudest buildings in the WHL. If anyone remembers the days of Blair Betts, Devin Setoguchi, Zdeno Chara, Dustin Byfuglien etc, you'll remember a sold out arena every night.

It was very, very hard to get tickets back then.

 

[billybobjoe2112]

I wasn't around back then but I was in attendance for the 07 playoffs when we swept the Blazers. I'd love to see the building as loud as it was then.

 

[PG Canuck]

Well now, with Brewer and Hamhuis in the fold, I think players may be more interested in coming to play here now and that bodes well for the future of this team.

 

[PG Canuck]

I wasn't around back then but I was in attendance for the 07 playoffs when we swept the Blazers. I'd love to see the building as loud as it was then.

Ah, those were the glory days.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Drinnan is reporting in his blog that this is not a done deal and there could be problems.

 

[phillipsj89]

Drinnan is reporting in his blog that this is not a done deal and there could be problems.

No new info there. PG citizen ran a story saying that the league has to ratify the deal after they receive a contract stating the parties agreed to a sale. They haven't received anything yet.

It is expected the league will receive something either today or early next week. IMO, this is just Greg taking the article slightly out of context, which he has been known to do for quite some time.

Also found this, http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/sports/cats-wouldn-t-move-prospective-owner-1.921991

Says this afternoon we should hear about them filing with the WHL for purchase. If Brodsky actually thinks he can find a better group to buy the team and pay this much he is fooling himself, which is possible, worst business man ever.