Cousins looking forward to continued growth with Rockets after successful rookie campaign

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

In 28 games, the forward went on to score 28 goals and tally 29 assists en route to being named the BC Hockey U16 Player of the Year.

ICBC

Quesnel woman loses leg, ICBC says not catastrophic

53m ago

Highway of Tears

Highway of Tears symposium wraps up

2h ago

Spruce Kings

Spruce Kings issue call for community support

3h ago

Catching the eye of the Rockets during a weekend trip to the Okanagan, Cousins eventually signed with the club a month ahead of the eventual BC Division season, held between hub centres in Kelowna and Kamloops.

But for Cousins, his dream of stepping onto the ice at the WHL level would face another setback. During the initial return to play testing phase, the 17-year-old tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, he entered into self-isolation while the rest of the team got the season underway.

“It was tough,” admitted Cousins. “I was feeling pretty good, my body was all good and I was ready to step onto the ice. But I tested positive. My trainer called me to let me know and that was tough. It was a big obstacle to overcome. It was two weeks just sitting around and not doing a whole lot.”

Just in time for his return, a staff member for the Rockets too tested positive, resulting in the league shutting down team activities for the Rockets until April 14.

When they finally did step back onto the ice, it was against Cousins’ hometown team, the Prince George Cougars.

“Growing up and playing against the team I’ve been watching my whole life and cheering on was pretty cool,” said Cousins “And then seeing the faces of all the guys I kept seeing around the rink all the time and hoping I got the chance to play against them one day was a dream come true.”

Through 13 games, the former Cariboo Cougar put up 1 goal and 3 assists through 13 games. The former BC Hockey U16 player of the year showed continued progress, going from the 3rd line in his debut to lining up along the blue line for the national anthem in Kelowna’s final game.

Now it’s the off-season preparation ahead of next season for Cousins, admitting he needs to tack on some muscle to his five-foot-eleven frame, and perhaps more time to really let this life-long dream sink in.

“There are still some things that I still can’t grasp to this day. It’s a big accomplishment for me. It’s something I’ve been working hard on for a long time. I have no words.”