Laval Rocket: Cole Cofield excites his new teammates

Trapped in his hotel room in Montreal, forward Cole Cofield on Thursday officially announced he was one of three finalists for the Hobby-Baker Trophy, the award for best player in the NCAA. It’s too busy for young Canadians, because he was presented to his new Laval Rocket teammates at a team meeting in Zoom virtually in the morning.

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“He’s in custody, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start working with him,” head coach Joel Bouchard said via video conference Thursday.

Prior to these official appearances for the players, Bouchard spoke face-to-face with Cofield on two occasions since signing his professional contract last Saturday.

“I think he’s happy to be a pro, he has players who have played and he has played against those who already have,” the instructor said, adding that next week Cofield will logically join the racket.

“Great Player Player”

Naturally, many members of the Rocket are eager to welcome Cofield, the Canadians’ first round pick in the 2019 draft, after choosing to end his college career in the United States.

“He’s a top pick in the draft [NDLR: 15e au total], But Bouchard said he was a hockey player of great caliber. We all know that taking that leap is not that easy, but he has that ability. We are all positive to know that he is joining the team. ”

The coach is clearly counting on the support of Rocket’s veterans to promote the unification of the young 20-year-old hope.

“His job is to encourage him, be positive with him, text him and be good teammates,” the coach said. For the rest, we let him play and we guide him. “

Example of Pohling

Ryan Pohling, who comes from American university ranks, has the potential to be a good mentor, especially to Cofield‌.

“I would initially say to him,‘ Don’t think too much, just be yourself and have faith in this player you’ve always been in, ’that’s a very important thing,” Pohling said Thursday.

“I think this is a great addition to our team,” he continued. Our power play has been strong lately and it definitely helps. I’m glad to see this happening. He has a knack for finding the back of the net and it can be very hard for you to figure out how he is doing. Everything feels easy. I’m excited to see him play and grow on the team. ”

Last season with the University of Wisconsin Badgers, Cofield had 52 points, including 30 goals in 31 games. Speaking of the Hobby-Baker Trophy, the other two finalists are forward Shane Pinto (North Dakota) and goaltender Dryden McKay (Minnesota State). The recipient’s identity will be released on April 9, which coincides with Cofield’s first appearance in a rocket uniform in Toronto.

– The Rocket, who returned home after a long eight-game tour, will play five games in the next nine days. He will host the Stockton Heat three times from Friday, before visiting Marlis in Toronto on April 9-10. Cofield could make his racket debut at one of the scheduled games in Toronto.