Promising forward Scott Cooke, who only played one game with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, has been forced to retire from hockey due to an injury suffered in his first game as a Bulldog.
Cooke spent three full seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Vancouver Giants and Moosejaw Warriors. The Bulldogs signed him in October and fans were looking forward to seeing him play at the Dogpound. But in his first game, on the road in Victoria, Cooke suffered a concussion and has experienced reoccurring symptoms ever since, coaching staff noted in a press release.
Cooke remained with the team hoping to get back on the ice but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
“It’s with great sadness that my hockey career is over,” said Cooke in a statement. “I have played hockey since I was three years old. Although my time with the Bulldogs was brief, I loved playing here and will miss the players, organization, fans, and especially the game.”
Cooke signed off with one final message to his teammates by saying, “Bring home a
championship.”
Cooke’s jersey will be hung in the Bulldogs dressing room for the remainder of the season as he begins the next phase of his life by attending school in Kelowna in the new year.
“The Alberni Valley Bulldogs would like to thank Scott for wanting to be a part of our family in the last year of his junior career and wish him all the success in the world in a healthy transition to life after junior hockey,” the team said in a statement.
In another move this week, the Bulldogs have reassigned 1997-born defenseman Josh Harvey to the Oceanside Generals of the VIJHL.