(Sioux Lookout Bombers photo)
For Renfrew native Cole Brownlee, signing with the reigning Superior International Junior Hockey League champion Sioux Lookout Bombers came as a relief.
It’s a goal the 5’11” defenseman has worked diligently towards from the age of 15 when he was recruited to the Fort Erie National Academy in Niagara Falls, where he played for one year before moving to the NPU Rebels of the North American Prep Hockey League.
Cole is living in Montreal this summer, training and working hard in the manner in which he has become accustomed after years of regimented living, training and playing.
He’s in the gym five or six days a week, working on endurance and strength and other training, as well as four to five weekly on-ice sessions.
Early bedtimes, strict diets and early mornings are also all a part of the process.
Cole appreciates everyone’s journey through the levels of hockey but says for him, moving through prep school to junior was the best fit.
It’s a route becoming more popular with young athletes and has allowed him to hone his skills and establish some great friendships with his teammates.
In September, he’ll be off to Sioux Lookout, where the stay-at-home defenseman will look to cement himself as a valuable member of the team.
He’s excited to see where this road takes him and ultimately hopes to one day be playing college hockey.
If you ask Cole what it is about hockey that has kept him so dedicated over the years, he says it’s just a way of life for him.
And he’s quick to credit those who have helped him rise to the level he’s reached.
Bombers President Joe Cassidy calls Cole a “cerebral defenseman who takes care of his own zone,” adding that he solves the Bombers’ immediate and long-term needs the team has identified on the right side of their defensive core.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)
