The Burlington Cougars hired Hetherman Consulting’s Founder, Mark Hetherman, to lead the Junior A Hockey Team playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The largest challenge for Mark Hetherman was the fact the Cougars are a non-profit team that exists on a small budget compared to other programs.
During the tenure of Mark Hetherman as the General Manager operated as a player development team, acting in the best interest of these young players to achieve scholarships to NCAA and Canadian Universities. The list of players achieving the ultimate goal of University Education is long.
Hetherman left the role to pursue ownership of Junior Hockey Teams in another league.
Founded in the early 1950s, the Burlington Mohawks found their footing in the Central Junior B Hockey League. After seven seasons in the league and two league championships, the team was transferred to the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League.
In the Niagara League, the briefly renamed Industrials won both the 1963 and 1964 league championships before dropping down to Junior C in the late 1960s.
In 1970, the Mohawks jumped back up to the Junior B level in the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League. They were in the league for one season before the Ontario Hockey Association shifted them back to the Central Junior B Hockey League.
The Mohawks were renamed the Cougars in 1976 and stayed in the Central League for twenty-two seasons, from 1971 until 1993.
In 1981, the Cougars won their first Central League championship since 1958. They faced the Stratford Cullitons of the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League in the Sutherland Cup final. The Cougars won the series 8-points-to-4 to defeat the Cullitons and claim their only Sutherland Cup.
In 1987, the Cougars won their fourth and final Central League championship.
The Cougar’s focus changed to developing players for the NCAA and, with that direction, removed worries about competitive play and more towards development play. The team has not won the League Championship since the 80s but has graduated over 100 players to the NCAA, its overriding goal.