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 eight straight regular seasons, capturing the regular season championship in the 2007/08, 2010/11, 2011/12, and 2012/13 seasons; they have been in the VIJHL Finals seven of the last eight seasons since 2005, capturing five VIJHL playoff championships (2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, & 2013).
In the 2011/12 season, the Cougars lost only six games finishing with 73 points in 42 games and a winning percentage of .869, the best in Cougars history, and tops in the province.The Cougars swept their opponents in the playoffs and captured the silver medal at the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championships, narrowly missing the gold in double overtime to the Abbotsford Pilots.
Incredibly, the Cougars topped that performance in the 2012/13 season. In 48 games, the Cougars lost only one game in regulation and two in a shootout, capturing 92 of a possible 96 points for a winning percentage of 0.959, the best Junior record in Canada. The Cougars made the gold medal match at the Cyclone Taylor Cup for the second straight year, and won the silver medal.
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.
