The Prince George Cougars are not going anywhere.
That is according to their Director of Business, Taylor Dakers, who spoke to Vista Radio this evening (Tuesday).
“The team is not for sale,” Dakers said, plainly. “There is absolutely no changes in store for the Cougars, no relocation, no changes whatsoever.”
Earlier today, the Prince George Citizen published an article claiming the team is up for sale and could be relocated.
The Citizen’s anonymous source claimed Francesco Aquilini, the owner of the Vancouver Canucks, is one of three interested buyers.
They reported that Aquilini intends to move the team to Chilliwack.
The Cougars and WHL made the following statement in response:
Official statement from @TheWHL and the Prince George Cougars. pic.twitter.com/eVathY6ZtM
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 26, 2024
While the team is not for sale, one of the six owners’ shares are.
“The Cougars are owned by six individuals. At this point we have a single shareholder who may be looking to move on. He does not represent the majority,” Dakers said. “If he wants to shop his shares he has the right to do that. Five of the six are extremely happy with where they are at with the Cougars and wish everything to remain exactly the same.”
“The Cougars had a great season, as we mentioned in our statement, and we are going in the right direction,” he continued. “You could say our value is pretty high right now and for someone that may be looking to get out, it is a good time to shop. It is very typical of any business. That is where we are at.”
Re-affirming the shares that could be on the move are not the majority, Dakers said “the five are extremely happy. It does not matter where this goes, as far as these five are concerned there are no changes planned. No sale, no relocation, they are extremely happy with everything that is happening on ice, off ice, the business. They are extremely proud.”
The team and league’s statement mentions the Cougars will play 2024-25 in Prince George but does not mention seasons beyond that.
Again, Dakers put fans’ worries to rest by directly saying “no, the news of the team moving came as a shock to us in the office just as much as it came as a shock to the community as a whole.”
In his conversations with ownership, Dakers said a sale and/or relocation has never once come up.
He ended the conversation by mentioning the Citizen article was “irresponsible, inaccurate, and reckless,” and that readers were understandably “quick to react to something like that, especially a team as close to people’s hearts as the Cougars.”
He said “I recommend people be patient and get facts whenever they read something as jarring as that. Hopefully they don’t have to do that again.”
Since the Citizen story was posted this morning, fans have already created and signed an online petition to keep the team in Prince George. You can find that here.
Something going on in the Cariboo you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].