Monday morning arrives and they shuffle slowly into class, baseball caps on and book bags in hand. 
They look tired, but are ready to learn the lessons planned by their instructor that day.
Their exhaustion can’t be blamed on the usual weekend escapades of young college students though. For this group of 16 men, Friday and Saturday nights are most often spent on the ice – in Lethbridge and around western Canada and the United States.
The students are members of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, the team that competes in the eastern conference of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and that has played home games at the Enmax Centre since 1987. The WHL provides the young hockey talent with the opportunity to maintain their academic goals while perfecting their skills on the ice; for college-aged players in southern Alberta, that means taking transferable post-secondary courses at Lethbridge College.
For the last five years, the college and Hurricanes have worked together to set class times according to the team’s game,practice and road trip schedule. The players attend classes together, which creates a closeness and camaraderie that is an important dynamic for a team sport. Instructor Brent Cottle teaches the courses – Introduction to Literature this semester, film studies or composition other semesters.
The partnership truly benefits the players, says Jim Stewart, the Hurricane’s educational advisor.
“Not only do they get to play hockey at an elite level, but they have the opportunity to take college-level, university-transferable courses,” he says. “This allows them to keep their academic skills sharp. A lot of players do not make it to the professional level, and obviously, education is a preferable route to a career.”
Cottle agrees. “It’s really good for the Hurricanes,” says Cottle. “They know that most of the players won’t go on to the NHL. And so they want them to have the educational opportunity. They realize these kids still need an education.”
The partnership is good for the college as well, as it brings students from across Canada and the United States to campus and adds new voices to conversations in the halls and food court. It shows what can happen when community institutions – a hockey team and a post-secondary institution – join together.
Stewart credits the coaches’ commitment to developing student athletes – not just athletes – as a reason for this success. He also praises the college for making the partnership work.
“Each year they make education a priority in the team’s schedule,” says Stewart. “The School of Liberal Arts has really accommodated this venture. They are very willing to be creative and flexible to meet our unique needs. In particular,Dr. Brent Cottle – affectionately known to the boys as ‘Doc’ – has truly been flexible. His commitment has contributed tremendously to our success at the college.”
Cottle enjoys the work.
“It’s very fun,” says Cottle. “It’s also very challenging sometimes. These guys eat, sleep and drink hockey.” That can make it tricky to get the students excited about poetry or short stories – turning the talk from breakaways and blind passes to personification and protagonists – but it’s a challenge Cottle embraces.
Former students look back at their time in Cottle’s classroom with fondness.
“One the most memorable moments I had was actually when I ended up getting traded halfway through one of the classes I was taking,” says Craig Orfino, who is now studying at the University of Lethbridge. “I talked to the prof and he let me finish the class and do the work while playing in Regina. It just sticks out in my mind, as he took the time to keep in contact with me so I was able to complete the class.”
Orfino concludes: “I was definitely happy that I was able to take classes while playing in the Western league.”
