DU Recruit Aims For Canadian Championship

From: Vancouver Sun
by Cam Tucker

University of Denver 2013 recruit Cody DePourcq wasn’t alive in 1986, the last time a Penticton Junior ‘A’ hockey team won the national championship.

It was well before his time, but, having just turned 17 years old in March, he’s well aware of that magical year, when the Penticton Knights earned a 7-4 victory over the Cole Harbour Colts to win what was then the Centennial Cup. 

His father, John, knows about it well. He was a member of that championship team, which just so happened to be the last from Penticton to ever make it that far — until now.  John DePourcq went on to play college hockey in the late Eighties at Ferris State.

Three of John's teammates on the Penticton team went on to play at the University of Denver; Dave Shields, Rod Summers and Marc Rousseau.

These realities not lost on DePourcq, the son, as he and the 2012 Penticton Vees wait on the eve of their Royal Bank Cup tournament opener against the Northern Ontario Junior A Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds Saturday (2 p.m. PDT) at the Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt, Sask.

“It’s pretty special just to be able to have this opportunity, to have my dad, who has won it before,” said DePourcq, the Vees forward who two years ago was playing for the Penticton Minor Hockey Association Bantam AAA team and is now committed to the NCAA’s University of Denver Pioneers, beginning in 2013-14. 

“My dad knows what it takes and he’s been helping me along. It’s something I’m definitely going to remember for a long time. He’s just pretty much said it’s going to be a hard, intense tournament. Everybody obviously wants to win and it’s going to be really tough for us. We’ve just got to fight through it and enjoy the moment. This is sort of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you just want to make sure you give it your all because you might not get another chance.”

“A lot of people talked about the 1986 team and how much fun that was and just to be able to do it for all the people in Penticton, it’s just incredible.”

The Vees have been, to this point, the team to beat throughout the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

They achieved history with a 42-game winning streak that is not only a CJHL record, but a North American one, and a BCHL-best 54 wins during the regular season, to go along nicely with a BCHL Fred Page Cup and a Doyle Cup, the latter earned in a five-game series win over the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

The final leg of the Vees’ journey starts Saturday, but it likely won’t prove to be easy. Penticton will take on a Thunderbirds team that finished with a 37-11-2 record, tops in the NOJHL.

Speed should be the main difference for the Vees in the opener.

“They’ve got guys that can score when given the chance, but the tempo of the game has to be played at a much higher pace than they’re used to in their league,” said Vees general manager and head coach Fred Harbinson.

With a round-robin format, Harbinson was quick to apologize for using the “one-game-at-a-time” cliché. But he also knows the next eight days will determine whether the drought concludes at 25 years, or endures to 26. History is, at maximum, six wins away.

“Our goal has always been to win the national championship and for our town, it’s our first time back here since 1986,” said Harbinson.

“That means our players weren’t around when that happened. It’s a long, long time. I think that’s motivation in itself.”

LaLeggia Becomes DU's 10th WCHA R.O.Y.

Joey Leggs Named WCHA Rookie Of The Year

1960 - George Kirkwood

1961 - Jack Wilson

1967 - Keith Magnuson

1969 - George Morrison

1983 - Craig Redmond

1987 - Dave Shields

1988 - Rick Berens

2005 - Paul Stastny

2011 - Jason Zucker

2012 - Joey LaLeggia

Three Former DU Players Inducted Into B.C. HOF

(above) 1985-86 Penticton Knights

The 1985-86 Pentiction Knights [BCHL] hockey team was inducted into the British Columbia Hall of Fame on July 22nd.  Three members of that Canadian national championship team went on to play at the University of Denver.  Leading scorer Dave Shields, Defensemen Rod Summers and Marc Rousseau.

Dave Shields scored an amazing 54 goals and 76 assists in 51 games that season.  Shields would go onto become a Hobey Baker finalist his Senior season at DU.

Today Rod Summers is a very active member of the DU Hockey Alumni Association.  He has raised thousands of dollars for the DU hockey program and lives in Denver.

Marc Rousseau was drafted by the NHL Hartford Whalers but never played professionally.  He played four seasons on the blue-line at DU alongside Summers and Shields.

All three DU alums were reunited at the event.

The Knights posted a 44-8-0 regular season record and went 25-5 in the playoffs.  They won the Canadian Junior-A National Championship against host the Cole Harbor Colts [Nova Scotia] in the 1986 championship game.

Former Colorado Avalanche player and current Denver resident Joe Sakic was also inducted into the B.C. Hall of Fame on the same night as the DU alums. 

Former DU star and six-time Stanley Cup winner Glenn Anderson was inducted into the B.C. Hall of Fame  in 2001.

DU Student Newspaper Reports On Trotter

From: DU Clarion Student Newspaper
by Brooks Kirchheimer

(left) Brock Trotter

Another season of DU hockey and another player leaving the team early. This time around, sophomore forward Brock Trotter is the culprit, as it was announced last Thursday that he had signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens and will forgo the remainder of his college career.

"I had some personal issues going on, which led me to look at my options, and there seemed to be some interest for me to play pro hockey," said Trotter. "Montreal then got involved, and the more I looked at it the more I realized that it was a great fit for me. The organization liked the way I play and liked what I had to offer."

These personal issues that prevented Trotter from traveling with the team last weekend to Minnesota State. At a time last week when Denver was in the midst of losing four of its last five games it was just bound to happen that Trotter would leave.

It is no huge surprise that Trotter would make the decision with the type of numbers that he has shown in a little over two seasons.

Trotter scored three goals and dished out two assists his freshman year in five games before suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury and later receiving a medical red shirt.

Last season Trotter showed that he was truly the real deal as he led the team with 40 points on 16 goals and 24 assists in all 40 games. With the 40 points, Trotter became the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since the 1986-87 season when Dave Shields did it.

Before the Minnesota State series, Trotter had played in every game this season and lead the team with 31 points on 13 goals and 18 assists. The Brandon, Manitoba, native has finished his Pioneer career with 32 goals and 44 assists for 76 points in 69 career games.

"It has always been a goal of mine to play pro hockey, and to be able to be a part of such a great Canadian hockey organization is a dream come true for me. And with Montreal being an Original Six team in the NHL, it is even a bigger honor for me to be with them," said Trotter.

The former Pioneer has been assigned to the Canadiens minor league affiliate, Hamilton, of the American Hockey League and could play as early as tomorrow.

"I arrived here the other day, and I am getting settled in and am looking forward to helping them the rest of the season. I haven't played back in Canada in a really long time, and I am extremely excited to be playing back in my home Country," said Trotter.

The last time Trotter played in his native country was when he was a member of the Dauphin Kings in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League during the 2003-04 season.

The Canadiens and Avalanche will not meet this season, which makes the earliest chance for Trotter to return to Colorado during the Stanley Cup playoffs or next season if he is on the NHL roster.

"The guys were very supportive, the coaching staff was really excited for me and all the players were really good about it," said Trotter about his early departure.

"We will have to wait and see what the professional future holds for Trotter, but for now all we can say is: good luck," said a teammate.

What they're saying...
"I'm definitely going to miss him he's a good friend of mine, he was my line mate so it's hard on me but all in all I'm happy for the guy and best of luck to him," - Tyler Bozak, forward

"It's a lifelong dream of Brock's to play in the NHL as it is a lot of guys on this hockey team. He is one of our best players on our team, but I'm happy for him I wish him all the best." - Matt Glasser, forward

"Brock Trotter is a great player and we are excited to see how he does at a professional level like you said that's everybody's dream and he's going for it." - Peter Mannino, goaltender