Arena: Guinness Center (20,000)
Opened: originally opened in 1991; remodeled in 2006
Cost: $429,500,000
Team Colors: Royal Blue, black, and white
Owner: GRK Sports
President/GM: Greg Karpuk
Captain: Joe Sakic
Retired Numbers: 16 Brett Hull
Franchise Record: 156-97-9
Playoff Record: 19-12
Home Record: 84-43-4
Division Championships: 3
League Championships: 6 (1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1999-2000, 2005-06,
2006-07)
The Cougars are one of the CHL's original franchises. The team began play in October 1991, taking the ice with players such as Brett Hull, Joe Sakic, and Ed Belfour. After being in second place most of the season, they caught fire in early February and took over first place in the league, never looking back as they won their first CHL championship. The core of this team was the so-called Magnificent Seven--LW Luc Robitaille, D Brian Leetch, RW Brett Hull and Mark Recchi, and C Pierre Turgeon, Kevin Stevens, and Craig Janney (later replaced in the Seven by Jaromir Jagr).
1992-93 was a disappointing season for the defending champions. After losing two of their best players in Belfour and Sakic to the expansion Panthers in the dispersal phase of the expansion draft, a series of injuries, especially to Leetch, left the Cougars struggling, and they eventually finished third in the points championship, 462 points behind the champion Red Barons. To add to the season's disappointment, the Cougars went a league best 30-9-1 in head-to-head play during the regular season, only to be swept 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs by the worst team in the league, the Red Sox (8-30-2).
The Cougars rebounded in 1993-94, winning their second CHL title by 70 points over the defending champion Red Barons. They repeated as champions in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, beating the Red Barons by 15 points for their third CHL title in four years.
The team was looking for another championship in 1995-96 when the league folded in October 1995. After occasionally making appearances in several leagues over the years (including winning a championship in 1999-2000), the Cougars returned to their roots in the fall of 2005 with the re-birth of the CHL. After a 2-10 start to the season, they went on a 19-game unbeaten streak, then went to clinch home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. In the first round against Pittsburgh, they were down 2 games to 1 when captain Joe Sakic scored 57 seconds into OT in Game 4. They beat the Greenmen in the next 2 games to advance to the CHL Finals. In the Finals, they played Boston and swept the Massacre in 4 straight, winning their fifth CHL title. They won the Brown Division title in 2006-07 on the way to another CHL title.
The Cougars play their home games at the Guinness Center. Originally opened in 1991 as Northampton Arena, it was renovated in 2006. One Cougar tradition is wearing green sweaters for home games on or near St. Patrick's Day.
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