By Don Kleep
There’s no panic in Brett Corkey’s game. The smooth-skating Calgarian plays defence like a seasoned quarterback, gathering up pucks and calmly moving them forward.
Proper positioning and puck movement are big parts of his game, he says. He admits that, at 175 pounds, “I’m a little undersized for a defencemen. That’s why I have to see openings and be the first one to get the puck. If I don’t get there quickly enough, I’ll get smashed by some of the big guys in this league.”
He adds that “it’s not always about making that big hit, though. Guys my size can be just as effective by separating the other player from the puck, and that’s what I try to do… the coaches here have shown me how to get guys off the boards when you’re smaller, how to use your stick to pry them off the boards. Mostly, the coaches have shown me how hard you have to work to be successful at this level.”
Last year with the Calgary NM Flames AAA Midget team, Brett had 6 goals and 9 assists in 29 games. He expects to focus mainly on his defensive skills this year for the Vipers, but his accurate passing and his ability to get point shots through to the net should net him points in the BCHL.
He’s working on his shot. “It’s usually accurate enough,” he says, “but I need more power.”
Other junior teams were interested in Brett, but he chose the Vipers because “I was really impressed by the way they handle themselves. Very professional, very classy. Larry Black saw my first Flames game last fall, and came to the Mac tournament, and I guess the Viper scouts followed me all year. When they brought me out to Vernon at the beginning of January, I just fell in love with the place.”
“Yeah, I’m a little homesick, I guess. I talk to my family in Calgary daily. But my billets are really good people. I can’t thank them enough for what they do to make me feel at home. I appreciate them, that’s for sure.”
So what does he think about the Vipers opening losses to Salmon Arm? He responds, “I think we can just chalk it up to nerves, especially that first game. I mean, nobody on the team was impressed with the way they played. But we’re getting better every day, and we’ll do a lot better this weekend.”
