The Swan Valley Stampeders, as they have for 20 years, continue to provide a place for young men who want to not only play, but succeed at a high-level of hockey. For one young man it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Swan River, MB product Carter Cockburn is in his rookie season with the Swan Valley Stampeders and is continuing to grow on a daily basis.
“Carter is an offensively gifted forward with both size and skill,” said Assistant Coach Darren Webster. “He is learning how hard you have to compete every practice, every game, every shift to be a top end player in this league. His work ethic and skill set will allow him to be a great player in the MJHL.”
As we pass the midway point of the 2018/2019 season, the 17-year-old has played in 33 games with the Swan Valley Stampeders collecting 2 goals and added 3 assists.
“This season has been a lot of fun for me playing with my hometown team,” said the 17-year-old Cockburn. “Growing up watching the Stamps and now being one of them is really special to me. Being able to play in front of my family, friends and community has made the first part of my season even better.”
Before coming to the club this year, the 6’1″, 187 pound winger played for the Midget AAA Parkland Rangers the last two years, scoring 51 goals adding 40 assists for 91 points in 92 games.
“Transitioning from Midget AAA to Junior has been a bit of a challenge, but I’ve had a lot of fun going through it,” added Cockburn. Playing at the Junior level, the pace is a lot faster and there’s more than just a couple good players on each team compared to AAA. Every night you have to come prepared to play whether you’re in the lineup or not.”
Cockburn also stated that to continue being successful at this level, he knows he needs to keep working hard in practice, learning new skills and becoming a smarter player.
The Swan Valley Stampeders are off to the best start in their 20 year history. The team currently sits 2nd in the MJHL standings and will return to action Saturday January 19th in Portage. Puck drop is set for 7:30pm. Next home action for the Stampeders isn’t until Tuesday, January 29 when they host the OCN Blizzard.