Loading ...The Junior ‘B’ Victoria Cougars were created in 1998 with a goal of ‘creating a team where graduating minor hockey players could go to continue to develop their skills at a higher level’, while continuing to pursue their studies or careers. The Cougars are the only Junior hockey team owned and operated by a non-profit society in the Victoria area.
From their inaugural year when the team won only one game all season, the Cougars have improved every season. In March 2005, the Victoria Cougars won their first VIJHL playoff championship, and won the bronze medal at the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championships.
They followed that up with their best regular season record in the 2006-07 season, going 39-6-0-3 for 81 points, and a winning percentage of 0.840, second best in the province. In the 2007 playoffs the Cougars won their second VIJHL playoff championship in three years. They then hosted the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial Junior ‘B’ championships at Esquimalt’s Archie Browning Sports Centre, and won the tournament, defeating the Abbotsford Pilots 4-1 to earn the title of best Junior ‘B’ team in the province in their ninth year of operation.
The Cougars success on the ice continues: The Cougars have finished in the top two in the VIJHL for the last six straight regular seasons, capturing the regular season championship in the 2007/08 and 2010/11 seasons; they have been in the VIJHL Finals six of the last 9 years since 2003, capturing three VIJHL playoff championships.
With their success, the fan base has steadily increased over the past nine years from less that 100 fans in 1998 to an average regular season crowd of 400 fans, and up to 900 fans during their playoff run.
