Sports stats



WHL Prince George Cougars

Cougars Add Steve O'Rourke to Coaching Staff

June 15, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince George Cougars News Release


Prince George, B.C. - Prince George Cougars General Manager, Todd Harkins announced today that the team has hired Steve O'Rourke (Summerland, B.C.) as an Associate Coach.

The 41-year-old O'Rourke (09/11,1974) has spent the past three seasons serving as an Assistant Coach with the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels. During his three-year tenure in Red Deer the Rebels made the playoffs in all three seasons, and this past season they hosted the 2016 Mastercard Memorial Cup. Before joining Brent Sutter's staff in Red Deer, O'Rourke spent two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11) with the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Heat as an Assistant Coach where the team had a combined record of 77-61-9-13. In 2011-12 he pulled double duty as the Head Coach and General Manager of the Langley Rivermen (BCHL) and also coached at the Okanagan Hockey Academy before joining the Rebels.

As a player, O'Rourke played defense for 12 seasons including stints in the junior, collegiate and professional ranks. He suited up for 115 WHL games with the Tri-City Americans/Moose Jaw Warriors (1991-1994). In 1992, O'Rourke was a seventh round selection (159th overall) of the New York Islanders in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. His junior career also included parts of two seasons in the BCJHL with the Penticton Panthers. After junior, O'Rourke played five seasons with the Unversity of Lethbridge before beginning his seven year professional career. Professionally his stops included: The ECHL (Louisiana, Mississippi), BISL (Bracknell) and the UHL (Adirondack, Muskegon, Quad City).

"The Prince George Cougars are a team on the rise both on and off the ice and my family and I couldn't be happier to be making this move to Northern British Columbia," said Steve O'Rourke. "It's a privilege to coach in the Western Hockey League and I'm very grateful to the Cougars ownership and management staff for this opportunity."

"Steve is an excellent coach and a strong communicator who is going to be a great fit alongside Richard Matvichuk and Michael Hengen ," adds Cougars General Manager, Todd Harkins. "He's learned from some of the very best at this level and he understands what it takes to relate to today's player off the ice, while also helping them improve on the ice. This is a great hire for our organization."

O'Rourke will be joined in Prince George by his wife Karen, his son Ethan (a third round draft pick of the Cougars in 2014) and daughter Sophie.

Check out the Prince George Cougars Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from June 15, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central