Urquhart article
Aug 19, 2003 14:31:16 GMT -5
Post by montreal on Aug 19, 2003 14:31:16 GMT -5
From the Charlottetown Guardian:
Rocket’s Urquhart dealing with emotional off-season
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
By Don Morrison, The Guardian
For Cory Urquhart, it was supposed to be the best of times.
In many ways it was, but life has a way of putting things into perspective.
The 18-year-old P.E.I. Rocket forward had been drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 40th overall, at the NHL Entry Draft and was preparing to follow a breakout year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The summer was good, helping ease the pain of a seven-game, opening-round loss to the Sherbrooke Castors in last year’s playoffs.
Then came the down side.
“With the draft and everything, that was the up part, but the last couple of weeks have been rough, there has been some personal stuff,” said Urquhart Monday between off-ice training sessions at UPEI.
The sudden deaths of two Hants County, N.S., friends had the Halifax native reassessing his priorities.
Jeff Smith, a two-time Memorial Cup veteran who finished last season with the Hull Olympiques and a player Urquhart had worked out with often during the off-season, and Trevor Ettinger, drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Moncton Wildcats, both passed away within the span of two weeks.
Urquhart was a pallbearer at Smith’s funeral last week.
“You get all excited about coming to a new place and that stuff happens,” said the six-foot-three centre, on relocating to Charlottetown from Montreal. “At the same time, it makes you want to get over here more . . . get with the guys.”
Urquhart is one of 16 QMJHL veterans on the roster and one of four Rocket headed to the Montreal camp on Sept. 2.
“I’m excited about it,” said Urquhart, who attended the Habs’ prospects camp earlier. “This will be different, we are going to be playing in some games. I’m looking forward to know I can score at the next level playing against the better players.”
Urquhart comes in off a solid first full season with the Rocket after struggling in 2001-02 when he split the year between Quebec and Montreal.
“I wanted to prove to people that I still had the talent to be one of the top goal scorers in the league,” said Urquhart, whose 35 goals led the team in Montreal and his 78 points trailed only now-graduated Brent Lutes.
A coaching change that brought Alain Vigneault in after Christmas turned Urquhart’s season around.
“I got a lot more confidence, more ice time and things started bouncing my way a little more.”
With Vigneault able to put his stamp on the club from training camp, Urquhart is excited.
“We wonder what he could do for a full year. We saw how much we improved from Christmas on and how much we came together as a team.”
Assistant coach Dave (Tucker) Flanagan said Urquhart brings more to the Rocket organization than just his offence.
“Cory brings some leadership and an amazing skill level,” said Flanagan. “He’s bringing some excitement into the room and is enthusiastic about his career in hockey. He’s a witty guy with a big personality and basically, he is one of those guys you can start to build a lot of chemistry around.”
Rocket’s Urquhart dealing with emotional off-season
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
By Don Morrison, The Guardian
For Cory Urquhart, it was supposed to be the best of times.
In many ways it was, but life has a way of putting things into perspective.
The 18-year-old P.E.I. Rocket forward had been drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 40th overall, at the NHL Entry Draft and was preparing to follow a breakout year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The summer was good, helping ease the pain of a seven-game, opening-round loss to the Sherbrooke Castors in last year’s playoffs.
Then came the down side.
“With the draft and everything, that was the up part, but the last couple of weeks have been rough, there has been some personal stuff,” said Urquhart Monday between off-ice training sessions at UPEI.
The sudden deaths of two Hants County, N.S., friends had the Halifax native reassessing his priorities.
Jeff Smith, a two-time Memorial Cup veteran who finished last season with the Hull Olympiques and a player Urquhart had worked out with often during the off-season, and Trevor Ettinger, drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Moncton Wildcats, both passed away within the span of two weeks.
Urquhart was a pallbearer at Smith’s funeral last week.
“You get all excited about coming to a new place and that stuff happens,” said the six-foot-three centre, on relocating to Charlottetown from Montreal. “At the same time, it makes you want to get over here more . . . get with the guys.”
Urquhart is one of 16 QMJHL veterans on the roster and one of four Rocket headed to the Montreal camp on Sept. 2.
“I’m excited about it,” said Urquhart, who attended the Habs’ prospects camp earlier. “This will be different, we are going to be playing in some games. I’m looking forward to know I can score at the next level playing against the better players.”
Urquhart comes in off a solid first full season with the Rocket after struggling in 2001-02 when he split the year between Quebec and Montreal.
“I wanted to prove to people that I still had the talent to be one of the top goal scorers in the league,” said Urquhart, whose 35 goals led the team in Montreal and his 78 points trailed only now-graduated Brent Lutes.
A coaching change that brought Alain Vigneault in after Christmas turned Urquhart’s season around.
“I got a lot more confidence, more ice time and things started bouncing my way a little more.”
With Vigneault able to put his stamp on the club from training camp, Urquhart is excited.
“We wonder what he could do for a full year. We saw how much we improved from Christmas on and how much we came together as a team.”
Assistant coach Dave (Tucker) Flanagan said Urquhart brings more to the Rocket organization than just his offence.
“Cory brings some leadership and an amazing skill level,” said Flanagan. “He’s bringing some excitement into the room and is enthusiastic about his career in hockey. He’s a witty guy with a big personality and basically, he is one of those guys you can start to build a lot of chemistry around.”