Cougars home opener

‘My body is trained for this,’ says Prince George Cougars head coach in preparation for season opener

Sep 22, 2023 | 2:16 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Hockey is back at the CN Centre and the Cougars are eager to hit the ice against the Tri-City Americans. The last time the Cougars played Tri-City, was during the first round of playoffs last season, where they beat the Americans in six games. Head coach, Mark Lamb, is in full hockey mode as they look to start the season off hot.

“It’s the same every year. You’re excited for training camp and then you get through training camp, then you’re excited for pre-season and then you get through pre-season and now the regular season. But, the regular season is different because it’s real, right? My body has been trained for this. I’ve been in it so long as a player and as a coach.”

– Mark Lamb, Cougars Head Coach

“You start getting those dreams, you start getting a little anxious. You know, last night in my dream, I lost my pen again. I needed to write down the lineup, but I didn’t have it. So, that just means I’m getting ready.”

Pre-season has helped the team prep for this weekend, but no matter how many pre-season games are played, once the scores start to matter, the intensity of the game changes.

“[This weekend] is going to be really important for us to kind of push the pace and get to game speed and you know, you can’t really dictate what the regular season is like until you’re in it, unfortunately. But, I like our group this year, and like I said, right from puck drop on Friday, we’re gonna be ready to go and it’s going to be a good one for us.”

– Hudson Thornton, 7th all-time in franchise history in points among defencemen

The Cougars have back-to-back home games this weekend and then hit the road to play Victoria on the 29th.