When it comes to overseeing the development of northern B.C. hockey players to help them advance to the next level, Trevor Sprague is about as passionate in that mission as anybody you will find.
He’s been at the forefront of the Cariboo Cougars organization virtually since its inception in 2004 and helped the U-18 male team win provincial playoff championships in 2008 and 2017 as a head coach/GM and 2019 as the general manager.
The BCEHL announced last week Sprague will be back for his eighth season as Cariboo Cougars GM and fourth year managing the Northern Capitals, having served more than 20 years in the city as a hockey coach.
He handed the U-18 coaching reins to Tyler Brough five years ago and now runs five hockey teams who compete in the BC Elite Hockey League.
Cariboo Hockey expanded in 2018 to include the U-17 male triple-A team in 2018 and the following year the U-15 male and Northern Capitals female U-18 triple-A team came were added to the fold.
“I don’t know too many people in the hockey world that would run five hockey teams – Mark Lamb (GM of the WHL Cougars) and Mike Hawes (GM of the BCHL Spruce Kings) have pretty cushy jobs compared to running five teams,” joked Sprague.
“But it’s fun. It means you’re always in the trenches trying to build something. Every year you move on 10 or 11 guys from U-18 (to junior hockey) and you’ve got the female Capitals too. You could potentially have kids in your program for five years playing on different teams and moving up.”
Sprague, 45, holds a full-time position selling fuel for Gary Young Agencies, which allows him flexibility to manage the Cougars/Northern Capitals..
Sprague is the winningest U-18 male coach in the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League and was the driving force in bringing the Northern Classic annual outdoor games to Fort St. James, which have been held annually four of the past five years.
