At just 15 years old, Lethbridge hockey player Cole Tisdale is the youngest goalie in Kelowna Rockets history to start and win a game, taking shots from players five years his senior.
“It’s a little freaky because they’re way bigger, their shots are faster and you are 15 and you’re playing Midget right now with kids your age,” Tisdale said.
Before beating the Victoria Royals last weekend — one of the top teams in the Western Hockey League — Tisdale was playing with the Lethbridge Hurricanes Midget 15’s AAA team.
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He’s always wanted to play in the WHL. So, when the call came, he was more than ready to accept the challenge but was a bit nervous.
“For the first day, I was very, very, very quiet. I think I probably only said one word the whole time.”
His mom Tara said he has been interested in hockey since he started walking. Now, they are thrilled to watch him take the ice with a high-calibre team.
A wave of supporters are coming to watch Tisdale face-off against his home city team on Wednesday night at the Enmax Centre.
“We have lots of family, friends coming. His coach cancelled their practice for the whole team to come watch,” Tara said.
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For Kelowna Rockets goaltending coach, Adam Brown, Tisdale’s age wasn’t a deterrent. The team’s current goalies suffered injuries, taking them out of the game. That’s when Tisdale was called up.
“He’s very coachable, you go out there and you kind of show him something, or tell him something, and he almost immediately applies that to his game.
“It’s pretty rare. You don’t see that all the time,” Brown added.
The Lethbridge Collegiate Institute high school student isn’t sure how long this WHL stay will last. He’s just going to enjoy every minute of it.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the WHL and hopefully, someday, in the NHL,” Tisdale said. “This is a huge step towards my dream.”
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