Cougars fans went ballistic in a WHL playoff party that went on for three rounds
On Friday, the Prince George Cougars will face off against the Portland Winterhawks to open the WHL Western Conference final at CN Centre. In 2022, prior to the Cougars-Winterhawks opening-round playoff series, the Citizen took a look back at the Cougars' first deep run into the WHL playoffs. In 1997 the Cats made it into the third round for first time since the team moved north from Victoria and the city went nuts with hockey fever.
After two seasons wallowing in the lowest depths of the standings the Prince George Cougars made the 1997 playoffs – their first postseason berth in three seasons since the franchise moved to the city from Victoria. Stan Butler coached Canada’s world junior team three times, went to the OHL final twice with the Brampton/North Bay Battalion and is the fourth-winningest coach in OHL history and he still rates his ’97 run in the playoffs as head coach of the Cougars as his most unforgettable coaching experience.
The Cougars, a team that won just 17 games the previous season, got off to a 9-3 start, but that unravelled when they suffered six straight losses on their Eastern Conference roadswing. Saddled with injuries to key players, it was back to the drawing board for Butler and Co. The challenge for Butler, coming in to turn the Cougars into contenders, was to instill in the players the belief they could win at the WHL level and that took a full season to accomplish.
“As soon as you hit the playoffs, now both teams have equal travel, and for us it was an advantage because we’d done that all the time,” Butler said. “The key in Prince George, honestly, is just to get into the playoffs. Once you get in the playoffs, if you’ve got a decent team you’ve got every bit of chance to win as the other team.
Chara used his strength and albatross wingspan to unload blistering slapshots from the blueline and took advantage of his height and bulk to punish opponents with crunching bodychecks. The long shadows he cast on the ice instilled bravery in his teammates. For the Cougars he was the ultimate intimidator in the Portland series, turning ‘Hawks into doves.
Bouck was out of the playoff picture, sidelined after season-ending shoulder surgery. Petrovicky, in his third season with the Cougars since coming over in a trade from the Tri-City Americans, led the team in scoring with 69 points, and he continued to be a threat in the Portland series, collecting a goal and five assists.
“It was pretty obvious we were playing against their top offensive line and our job was to try to keep them in check and along the way we were able to contribute offensively too,” said Luciuk, now a 45-year-old jail guard in Nanaimo.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Greater Victoria psychologist shines light on series about 1997 Virk murder‘Under The Bridge’ premiered on Hulu Wednesday, April 17, set to debut on Disney+ Canada on May 8
Read more »
Panthers score twice in the third period and beat the Lightning 3-2 in Game 1 of NHL playoffsPanthers win first Game 1 at home since 1997
Read more »
WHL roundup: Winterhawks clip Silvertips 4-3 in OT, lead series 3-0EVERETT, Wash.
Read more »
WHL roundup: Winterhawks clip Silvertips 4-3 in OT, lead series 3-0EVERETT, Wash.
Read more »
WHL roundup: Winterhawks clip Silvertips 4-3 in OT, lead series 3-0EVERETT, Wash.
Read more »
Winterhawks strike early to take 2-0 series lead over RoyalsSeries swings to the Island on Tuesday night with first playoff game in Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre since 2019
Read more »