Cougars will raise banner Sept. 22

SPORTS IN BRIEF

A long-awaited banner night will happen at CN Centre on Sept. 22. Before the Prince George Cougars take on the Spokane Chiefs on that fall Friday, they will raise their first-ever Western Hockey League banner, which they claimed at the end of their 23rd season in the city. The Cats clinched the B.C. Division regular-season championship on March 18 when they picked up a single point in a 2-1 shootout loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers. “There is no fanbase more deserving than the Prince George Cougars fans, and we are thrilled to be able to share this historical moment with our players, staff, sponsors, and, in particular, our fans,” Cougars president Greg Pocock said in reference to the banner going into the rafters. “We can’t wait for another season of worldclass hockey and top-notch entertainment and to kick it all off with raising our first B.C. Division banner will be a special moment – one not to be missed.” The Cougars completed the 2016-17 regular schedule with a B.C.-best record of 45-21-3-3. The Sept. 22 game between the Cats and Chiefs will be the 2017-18 regular-season opener for both teams.