Monday, April 30, 2012

BOWLES JOINS COUGARS FRONT OFFICE

Press Release

Following a two-year stint as a director of the Ontario Hockey Association, the Cobourg Cougars are pleased to announce that they have named Perry Bowles (photo credit - Craig Campbell/HHOF) as their new director of hockey operations, a position that was vacant in the 2011-2012 campaign. Bowles is a former general manager of both the Cougars, as well as the Bowmanville Eagles, who merged with the Cougars in 2010.

"Perry will work closely with the Cougars' management group in its continuing efforts to become a leader in Canadian junior hockey," said Cougars' co-owner Scott Mackie. "(Perry) is a very seasoned and well-respected member of the junior hockey community, and we believe he is someone who will do great things for the Cougars going-forward."

Some of Perry’s accomplishments include his role as general manager in helping to guide the Bowmanville Eagles Junior 'A' team to the OJHL (then known as the OPJHL) Eastern Conference Championship in both 2004 and 2006, being selected in 2005 to take an Eastern Canada Junior 'A' Prospects team to the CJHL Prospects Game in Vernon B.C., and he played an instrumental role in helping many players move on to higher levels of hockey, including James Neal of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I am extremely excited to be back with the Cougars' organization and I expect to make a positive and impactful contribution. It is a tremendous feeling to be coming back home to the Cobourg Cougars organization," said Bowles. "(The Cougars) are a team with incredibly strong support from its community, sponsors and fans and it’s extremely nice to be coming home after a brief hiatus with the OHA and in league administration."

In addition to continuing with the Cougars’ strategic decision to foster closer relations with its Junior 'C' neighbours to the west, namely the Clarington Eagles and the Port Hope Panthers, Bowles’ first job will be to help appoint the Cougars’ next coaching staff, at a time when it readies for its first try-out, slated for May 5-6 at the Cobourg Community Centre.

"Perry understands what it takes to be successful and he will be instrumental in assisting the club going-forward, with an emphasis on helping it to recruit and develop players interested in progressing to higher levels within hockey," Mackie said.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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