COUGARS NAME HARKINS GM

Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George Cougars are thrilled to announce the hiring of Todd Harkins (Cleveland, OH) as the fifth general manager in the history of the Prince George Cougars franchise.

Harkins, 45, has been serving as the Cougars interim General Manager since May. He was originally hired by the Cougars in 2012 as a regional scout, but was quickly promoted to Head Scout and Director of Player Personnel during the spring of 2013.

“I am extremely excited to have been given this opportunity by Greg Pocock and the other members of Edgepro Sports and Entertainment.  I have been around this great game my entire life as a player, coach, administrator and scout and I am honoured and humbled to be able to take my career to another level in the Western Hockey League,” said Todd Harkins. “During the past year, I have loved being part of the Prince George Cougars organization and I know that there are great things ahead for the team and the City of Prince George as we head into the New Ice Age”.

“Todd Harkins is one of the bright young minds in the game today, and I have a great deal of respect for him. The Prince George Cougars are fortunate to have him for the next five years,” said Prince George Cougars President, Greg Pocock.  “His vision and values are aligned with our own.  Todd’s commitment to building a Championship team in Prince George is over-the-top, and I am committed to providing him with the resources to do it.”

While attending Miami University (Ohio), Harkins was selected 42nd overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He spent time in the NHL with both the Flames and the Hartford Whalers and also represented the United States three times internationally at the World Championships (1992, 1995 and 1998). His 11-year professional playing career also included a four-year stint in the German Elite League before retiring in 2001.

Following his playing career, Harkins immediately turned his attention to coaching, and found plenty of success with the North Shore Winter Club as their Hockey Director. With Harkins at the helm, the North Shore Winter Club won six Provincial Pee Wee championships, a World Pee-Wee Championship (Quebec, 2003), three Bantam Provincial championships and a Western Canadian Bantam Championship (2005). He then led the Vancouver Northwest Giants to back-to-back Provincial Major Midget championships in 2011 and 2012. After the 2011-2012 season, he was named the B.C. Major Midget League Coach of the Year.

Pocock adds, “The process began January 2nd.  We took the time needed to make sure that we got the best person for the job.  We had 17 candidates, talked to eight, interviewed five and hired the best one – Todd Harkins. I have been very impressed with his collaboration with other people in our staff and in the hockey community.  He is a guy that can build long-term relationships, and he has a proven record for identifying talent, recruiting players, fostering a winning culture, and building a team with an identity.  I expect you will notice the change when we hit the ice in September.”