The Cougars were a long-running junior club based in Victoria when the team joined the Western Canada Hockey League in 1971, one of three teams based in British Columbia added to the WCHL that year to give the league a presence in all four Western Canadian provinces.

[1] The Cougars won one league title, in 1981, but in 1994, struggling with attendance and travel costs, were abruptly sold and moved to Prince George.

[1] The move made the Cougars the most remote team in the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL), requiring drives of more than seven hours to play road games.

However, the Cougars missed the playoffs altogether seven times between 2003 and 2014, and sagging attendance led to the team being put up for sale, threatening relocation.

[4] In late 2013, owner Rick Brodsky initiated the sale process; local investor Greg Pocock sought the team, and partnered with former Cougars Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer to form an investors group committed to keeping the team in Prince George.