Captain Cole ready to lead Kings

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

The Strathmore Wheatland Kings are hoping their new captain can turn back the clock and bring some of that magic that helped him capture a midget double-A championship.
Head Coach Joel Robinson anointed Cole Busslinger to captain the Kings in his final tour of duty in the junior B ranks.
“It was pretty humbling to be named the captain of this team. I thought the coaching staff had plenty of options of who to give it to, so it was a pretty good feeling knowing that his group and the players in the room think of me as their leader,” said Busslinger, who has sniped 28 goals in 106 career games with the Kings.
Busslinger, who takes over from Keenan Ogle as the leader on the squad, wore No. 19 for his first three seasons with the Kings. Two of those years, he served as an alternate captain under Ogle.
No. 19 is one off from No. 18, which Busslinger wore throughout his time in the Wheatland Athletic Association (WAA), including his final year when he captained the Chiefs to a South Central Alberta Hockey League championship.
No. 18 wasn’t available for Busslinger because it had been assigned to Chris Williams two years ago following his graduation from the program. Williams is also serving his first year behind the bench as an assistant coach with the Kings.
“I figured why not switch it up and go with what worked when we won a championship,” said Busslinger. “We have a lot of guys who have won at different levels in the past in this room, so I think we can come together and take it to the league and surprise some teams.”
The newest Kings captain feels strongly about the potential this locally-grown team has and he said he doesn’t feel wearing the C comes with any added pressure than that with which he already plays.
“I’m just going to try and be an example for the younger guys. I don’t need to be the one scoring; I am more than happy going out and winning a faceoff or blocking a shot,” said Busslinger. “For me, if you don’t like what’s going on out on the ice, you need to set an example by making a solid play, getting the puck out or running someone over.”
Joining Busslinger in his victory lap with the Kings will be Hayden Vander Ploeg and Brenden Moore, who have served as staples on the blue line and were also assistant captains the past two seasons.
“I have a little bit of mixed emotions with it being my last kick at the can. I’ll miss this team next year, but I also like what we have in this dressing room with some great guys in it and I think we should be pretty good.”
Joining the three veterans on the leadership committee are a pair of first-year local captains in Kody Hammond and Isaac Benoit.
Hammond is entering his third year with the Kings and was the Rookie of the Year for the 2011-12 season, when he supplied 11 goals and 22 assists in 36 games.
Benoit was one of the many players now on the Kings from the provincial championship winning WAA Chiefs from the 2016-17 season. The coaching staff thought it was important to develop leadership with some of the rookies on the squad.
In four games this season, Benoit is tied for the team lead with four goals and two assists.
“I thought it was a good idea to include Isaac and Hammer. Benoit is a very skilled player and a vocal guy in our room, and Hammer has been around for a long time and is a hard worker. Both will be solid alternate captains,” said Moore.
After a slow start to the season, the new captain’s crew helped turn things around with a pair of victories last weekend.