Cowick Catches the Rangers' Eye
03 Apr 2009
Story by Don Campbell, The Ottawa Citizen
67 signs contract, will finish season with Pack in AHL
Corey Cowick's breakthrough season with the Ottawa 67's wasn't lost on many hockey people, least of all the New York Rangers' scouting staff.
The 67's top playoff performer took a call from Rangers vice-president and general manager Glen Sather Thursday morning, and within the hour Cowick was signed to an undrafted free agent contract.
Cowick had to skip the 67's wrapup banquet Thursday night in order to jump on a 6 p.m. flight to join the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack in time for tonight's contest in Providence, Rhode Island, against the Bruins.
Cowick had to say his goodbyes to retiring 67's coach Brian Kilrea at the rink, then headed home to help his mother, Liz, with his laundry before heading to the airport.
Saying goodbye wasn't easy for the 19-year-old or his coach. Cowick just might have been one of Kilrea's best, if not the best, offseason pickups in all his 32 seasons. A disgruntled Brett Valiquette was sent to Oshawa last summer for the Gloucester native's rights.
Cowick immediately took to wearing Valiquette's No. 27 jersey with the 67's. But that's where the similarities end.
After scoring just four and 11 goals in each of his first two seasons with the Generals, the former Orleans Blue busted from the gate after a brief stay at the Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie camp and went on to score 34 goals and 60 points while playing a rugged in-your-face style of game alongside 67's captain Logan Couture.
Cowick even picked things up a notch in the playoffs, counting seven goals and nine points in the seven-game loss to the Niagara IceDogs.
"It has been a roller-coaster the last couple of weeks," Cowick said. "I can't say I've slept much and losing hasn't even sunk in. It was tough seeing Killer wave goodbye from the ice (Tuesday) and it's not like questions about playing for him get any easier.
"I owe it all to (Kilrea). He took me from a bad situation, playing on the third line in Oshawa, and brought me home. And he showed all the confidence in me and gave me all the opportunity I could ever ask for.
"Now, it didn't hurt playing along with Logan all season. But this was an opportunity of a lifetime playing here this season. I can't even believe it's over. It feels like we just had a day off and should still be playing."
Cowick didn't leave town empty-handed, either, and that doesn't mean just the pro contract negotiated by his agent, Rolly Hedges.
It was left to his teammates to collect his three individual awards at the banquet: The Roger Neilson Award as the top university student on the team; the 67's humanitarian award for all his public appearances; and the one award that may find its way to a prominent spot on his fireplace one day, the Brian Kilrea Award, for exemplifying leadership on and off the ice.
"Everything is happening too fast," Cowick said. "I get a call (Wednesday) morning to get to (Hedges') office, and we're sitting there and it's Mr. Sather on the phone. Nothing has really sunk in."
As a going away gift, 67's trainer/practical joker Brian Patafie even stuffed a 67's jersey into Cowick's helmet in his equipment bag with the name "V-a-l-i-q-u-e-t-t-e" taped to the back.
"Pataf doesn't let much go by," Cowick said. "That was a good one."
The Wolf Pack leads the Bruins by four points atop the Atlantic Division with 10 days to go in the regular season and could have a lengthy playoff run. Cowick will also meet up with 67's netminder Adam Courchaine, who reports to Providence today. Courchaine signed a two-year contract with the Boston Bruins last year.
Cowick will come back home at season's end and await the NHL draft in Montreal.
As a 19-year-old who went undrafted in his first year of eligibility, he could sign the current deal with the Rangers and will be under contract through the regular season and playoffs. He will go back into the draft in June and, in the event he was again not drafted, would become a free agent.
Several clubs have expressed interest in Cowick after no team took a chance on him in last year's draft.
Kiriakou to ECHL
At the 67's year-end banquet on Thursday night, it was revealed that forward Thomas Kiriakou, 21, has received an invitation to finish the season with the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL.