Page 19 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 20

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Deke & Squeaks Bar and Grill

Presents... Then & Now, Cornwall Colts Edition:

Chris Ayotte: Former Colt’s College Success

By Morley Seaver definitely been one of the highlights
of my life so far.”
or some, hockey is an education
Ayotte says the educational aspect
Fon its own. Chris Ayotte,
of the college really helped make the
however, piggybacked hockey with
experience complete. “The school is
a formal education and excelled at
just top notch,” he gushes. “There
both. The former Cornwall Colt has
is a lot of importance placed on the
had an impressive junior and college
scholastic part of things. It’s not just
career that got its start right in his
hockey-oriented. So when you’ve
hometown.
graduated, you really feel like you’ve
“I was always playing hockey,” he accomplished something. I can’t say
remembers. “I played with a number enough good things about the place
of minor hockey teams in the area and would really recommend it to
and for me, hockey was the greatest players who were thinking about
thing in the world.” Ayotte says that going the college route.”
it was an honour to get to play part of
his junior hockey career at home in Chris says that the close proximity
Cornwall. “We would go to the rink to the school was also a plus for his
and it would be full of aunts and uncles many relatives who would make the
and grandparents and everybody and short trek to watch games. “There
would just make it so much fun to were a lot of us from Canada there,”
play in front of everybody.” he laughs. “In my last year there, I
think there was only one American.
Unfortunately, the right-winger
The rest of us were from Ontario, BC
came onto the Colts with a roster of
and all over.”
older, established players, making it
harder to crack the top lines. “I was Graduating with a Bachelor of
pretty much playing on the third and Science, Ayotte returned to Cornwall
fourth lines,” he says. “My game is and had a brief run with the Cornwall
about scoring and I wasn’t able to River Kings. Presently managing
show what I could do but I’m really Scores restaurant, he is keeping
grateful that I had the opportunity Chris Ayotte was never the biggest player on the ice, but that never himself in shape and exploring lots
to expand my game and get some stopped him from getting to where he wanted to go. of possibilities to extend his hockey
experience doing things I wasn’t part Photo by Icelevel.com. career.
of previously. I learned a bit more “I still play a couple of times a
of a grinding game and how to kill scoring talents. Seasons of 46 and 64 interest from Oswego State. Chris
penalties and that kind of thing and points followed. “That was a lot of spent the next four years there and week,” he says. “During the week, I

it really filled out the number of fun playing in Wellington,” he recalls. helped the Lakers climb back into the do my serious playing and working
things that I could be called on to do “The coach, Marty Abrams, gave me playoffs and really make some noise. out and then on the weekend, I get
in a game. It was a valuable learning lots of great opportunities and put me During the four years he was there, together with my buddies and we
experience.” out there with some great players. He the team sailed to an impressive play in Massena. That’s always just
really put me in a position to excel. I record of 97-17-2. “We went to the a lot of fun. Who knows what’s just
After a two-year stint with around the corner? I keep myself in

had a terrific time playing there.” Frozen Four, all four years,” he says,
the Colts, Chris moved onto the “and the last two years, we made it to pretty good shape and ready for the
Wellington Dukes where he was able From his noteworthy play in the national championship game. It’s next thing to come along.”
to contribute with his considerable Wellington, Ayotte generated some

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