Corey Cowick started his pro career in the Ottawa Senators organization splitting time between the Binghamton Senators and the Elmira Jackals over two seasons. With 28 points his first season (BNG 1+3+4 ELM 5+9=14) & only 24 points in his second season (BNG 5+6+11 ELM 8+5=) and seeing only 83 games in the American Hockey League; Corey’s third season has become a break through year for the 3rd year pro who was drafted in the 6th round, 160th overall by his hometown team the Ottawa Senators.
This season Corey has impressed many including Head Coach Luke Richardson with his work ethic, heart and desire to be more then just a 4th liner who bangs bodies and gives the lines above him some rest and a break. The now alternate captain for the B-Sens brings experience, a winning attitude and sense of confidence for the coaching staff and his teammates on the ice either in PK situations, 5-5 or whether the team is in the need of a big goal or a huge defensive play in their own zone.
Through 55 games this season Corey’s number’s may not seem impressive with only 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points, but consider that at the beginning of the season the young 23 year old was in a 4th line role with rookie center, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and veteran right winger & former 1st round draft pick, Hugh Jessiman and after all the injuries and call-ups to Ottawa, a newer line of Cowick, Pageau and Jackals call-up of Dustin Gazley has turned into one of the B-Sens more recent prolific scoring lines and Corey explains why that might be “I think the familiarity is huge with me and Pager (Jean-Gabriel-Pageau) have been together since the 2nd month of the season or so, we’ve killed every penalty together, I don’t know if I can play a shift without him on my line right now.”
And a head coach at any level would love to have 3 or 4 lines that connect as well as the latest combination of 23-10-39 have been for the Binghamton Senators. Since Corey came back from a 3 game upper body injury that saw the B-Sens drop 2 of those 3 games, the B-Sens have won 5 out of 6 games and have garnered points in all 6 with Corey registering 3 goals, 4 assists in that stretch, J.G.P. registering 2 goals, 4 assists and Dustin Gazley with a goal and 2 helpers. Corey comments more on the line and Dustin Gazley’s contributions “and when Gaze came on, they’re very similar players, in the way they play, very very skilled, very very quick, and it just fit well. I am a bigger body that likes to take the body out on the ice, but I think I can skate with the best of them, so I think that adds a nice element to our line and I think we just work hard and when it comes to it we out work most teams.”
The B-Sens going into tonight’s game are only 1 point out of 1st place in the Eastern Conference, East Division and the American Hockey League in the standings, vs. the Rochester Americans a team who they have owned this season not losing in regulation to the Amerks (5-0-1) will need to continue to out work any team they face as the playoffs roll around. “Win the last game, I think that’s everyone’s goal each year, if you win the last game you win the championship right? We want to make the playoffs and get the highest seed we can so we can play as many games in this barn (BCVMA) as possible. But I hope it’s a long playoff run.”
Corey remembers what the city of Binghamton and the B-Sens fans went through as that team in which he was a member of the Black Aces witnessed as that roster in 2011 made a magical run through the playoffs to win the cities first professional championship in 38 years.
“Watching that city transform in that Calder Cup run was one of the coolest things I’ve seen…watching everyone get behind that parade was kind of crazy and I would like to see that again.”
And as Robin Lehner started to mature as a goaltender in the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs, leading the team to a Calder Cup championship, the Ottawa Senators organization could be seeing another maturation of a home grown talent in Corey Cowick, a player looking to win a championship this season in Binghamton and to make the move up to Ottawa & the NHL, something he says “is the dream.”
You can listen to the full interview with Corey on tomorrow evening’s edition of the Power Play Post Show. You can also follow Corey Cowick on twitter: @ccows
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