Required Reading for Dany Heatley

From today's Ottawa Citizen, a great article about Corey Cowick


Living the dream

Since being selected by the Senators in the NHL draft, Corey Cowick has reveled in the little things, reports DON CAMPBELL.

One of the newest members of the Ottawa Senators family noticed one major difference from the moment he showed up Tuesday at Scotiabank Place for the start of the team’s development camp.

“Well, I got to go through the freight door and right into the rink, instead of climbing all those stairs to my seats up in the 300 level … where I usually sit,” a laughing Corey Cowick said. “That was different.”

Truth be known, nothing has been the same for the Ottawa 67’s standout since shortly after noon on Saturday, when the Senators made the home-town star their sixth-round pick, No. 160 overall, in the National Hockey League draft.

Cowick, 19, is having trouble taking it all in. He talks about all the little things. About his name plate in the dressing room with “the little Sens logo” on it. “It might seem like not much, but it’s big to me.” About the Senators-issued equipment, even the prospects’ strict schedule for the next several days.

Some draft picks immediately see dollar signs. Cowick prefers to look at all the little things, and he still can’t believe it’s all happening.

Fourteen months ago, Cowick was agonizing over another brutal season with the Oshawa Generals, and was seriously considering giving up on major-junior hockey and heading to university.

One breakthrough Ontario Hockey League season with the 67’s later, followed by the events of Saturday, Cowick is rooming with the Senators’ No. 1 pick, Jared Cowen, and looking ahead to possible American Hockey League employment in Binghamton, New York, maybe even some day to NHL duty at Scotiabank Place.

He doesn’t even mind that he was assigned No. 54, twice his No. 27 with the 67’s.

“I used to think I was good with words, but I really can’t describe what it feels like,” Cowick said after going through physicals and testing, then finally onto the ice in the afternoon. “I slept well (Monday night). Maybe because I didn’t sleep at all last week. “It has been unbelievable.” So was the post-draft gathering at the Cowick household in Beacon Hill after a slow start on Saturday.

Dwayne and Liz had no idea what team, if any, would choose their son.

Corey spent the morning watching a Little League baseball game in Orléans, then went grocery shopping with his mother.

Dwayne had spent the past week scouting all area sports stores to see who had which NHL team flags. He even made a list of who had what, just in case.

Then, in a rare show of great confidence, he went out and bought a flag pole, erected it on the front lawn, telling the neighbours something to the effect that, if they saw a team flag go up, there would be no shortage of beer in the back yard.

Conversely, if no flag went up, no party.

About 12:15, all hell broke loose around the Cowick household, triggering a series of comical events.

Dwayne checked his list for Senators flag suppliers and enlisted Corey and his friends, Alex Allard and Justin Guidreault, to travel to St. Laurent Shopping Centre, where they purchased a flag, a Senators jersey and some hats.

At that point, Corey decided no draft party would be complete without balloons, so that came next.

Only on the way home, though, he decided to stop in at the Beacon Hill Butchery to see his best friend, Marc-André Wathier, who was behind the counter.

Unfortunately, Corey and his buddies left the car windows down. By the time they got back, the balloons were floating high in the sky over a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. So back to the balloon store. Finally the party began. “I woke up (Sunday) and had 85 new friends on Facebook,” Cowick said Tuesday. “But lots of people helped get me to this point, so what’s wrong with that? Everything has just been kind of hectic.”

One of the first calls young Cowick made, and there were many, was to his uncle Bruce, a retired police officer who was away on a camping trip in the British Columbia woods.

Bruce Cowick, now 58, was an original Ottawa 67, then later a Philadelphia Flyer. He was also part of one of the worst expansion NHL teams ever, the 1974-75 Washington Capitals, and finally a St. Louis Blue.

“He just said, ‘Congratulations,’ and asked if I was heading to a good situation,” Cowick said.

Right now, Cowick couldn’t imagine a better one. He didn’t even tell his uncle about getting to use the freight entrance.

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I like this kid - he will do well where ever life takes him (and I really hope it takes him to the NHL - certainly won't be for lack of trying hard).