Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Nick Cousins-Vegas Golden Knights
Nick Cousins
Nick Cousins surprised me the
other day when I asked him about the stoppage due to the
COVID-19 virus. I asked him how he felt about returning
to play, even in front of empty houses. Cousins told me
directly: “Absolutely. I am in favour of playing. I am
in contact with my teammates, in conference calls. The
majority of our players just want to play”.
Cousins
can be considered to be a veteran in the professional
hockey ranks.
Born in Belleville in 1993, the 26 year old forward played
5 games
for the Trenton Hercs in the 2008-2009 season. The
following year, he
suited up for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. In four
seasons with
the Hounds, Cousins toiled in 265 regular season games.
In 2011, he
was drafted in the 3rd
round, 68th
overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers. He played one game in
the
2011-2012 season for the AHL Adirondack Phantoms. He
played 7 games
for the Phantoms the following season, then finished his
OHL career
in the Soo. He spent the following two seasons with the
Phantoms,
with an 11 game stint with the Flyers.
The team
moved to Lehigh Valley the following season. Cousins split
that year
between Philly and Lehigh Valley. He began the 2016 season
in
Philadelphia, and has remained in the NHL since that time.
He
recorded 16 points for the Flyers, before packing his bags
and
heading to Arizona. In two seasons with the Coyotes, he
netted 19
goals and had 27 assists.
He began
this season with the Montreal Canadiens, picking up 22
points in 58
games. After receiving the news that he had been traded to
the Vegas
Golden Knights, he checked the standings. He found that
the Knights
were in first place in the Pacific Division, gearing up
for the
playoffs. “The plane touched down at 11 o'clock in the
morning, and
I headed directly to the rink to play that evening. My
head was
spinning in the first period. I got a better feeling for
the game in
the second period”.
He netted
his first goal for the Knights in that first game, and has
since
added 2 assists. That came to an abrupy halt after only
seven games
played with the Knights.
Understandably,
Cousins is frustrated and disappointed with the stoppage
in play. He
spent two weeks in Vegas following the break in the
season, and
returned home to Belleville a couple of weeks ago.
He is
“working out” in his basement at home. He would much
prefer to be
at one of the local fitness clubs, but they are all closed
at this
time. He told me he is waiting for roller blades to
arrive.
Understandably, this is not where he would rather be.
He had
visited Las Vegas once before, at the end of last season.
There is a
community called “Summerlin”, far enough away from the
strip to
avoid the distractions. It is a “family friendly” place,
he told
me, and the site of the practice arena. He was most
pleased to be
welcomed “with open arms” by the players on the team, and
by
coach Peter DeBoer. Most of us are familiar with DeBoer,
as he
coached the Kitchener Rangers for several years in the
OHL.
The son of
Brian and Anne Cousins, Nick attended St. Joseph's School
in
Belleville, then Nicholson Catholic College. When time
permits, you
will find him on a golf course, working to reduce his “13
or 14”
handicap. He enjoys football, and is an avid Raptors fan.
He is
somewhat resigned to his current situation. “It is
shocking how bad
it has become,” he told me referring to the virus. “A few
of the
players in the league have had it. Anyone can get it. We
all need to
stay safe, and stay inside. No matter what professional
sport you
play, we're all in the same boat.”
At this
point in time, the playoffs would have been under way.
This is not
going to happen until, well, until it does. Maybe, or
maybe not. In
the meantime, as a dedicated athlete, Nick will focus on
being as
ready as he could possibly be, to continue his career,
playing the
game he loves.
James Hurst
April 21,
2020
# posted by James Hurst @ 2:21 PM 
