There is a long history, from Wayne Gretzky to Joe Nieuwendyk, of hockey players complementing their athletic careers in summers by playing box lacrosse.
So Cole Pickup, the fourth overall pick in the 2018 Western Lacrosse Association draft by the hometown Victoria Shamrocks, admits it is 鈥渂ittersweet鈥� and 鈥渢ough to swallow鈥� having to step away from lacrosse this summer after his freshman season in NCAA Div. 1 hockey at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not completely my choice. The [Nebraska-Omaha] coaches were not supportive of me playing lacrosse,鈥� said Pickup.
鈥淭hey know what they are talking about. My [hockey] future is in their hands.鈥�
Not that it鈥檚 easy to be training this summer when competitive sport loomed in the WLA.
鈥淚 love hockey and lacrosse both, but I love hockey the most, although I never made it a 12-months-of-the-year sport,鈥� said the talented, but now former, two-sport athlete.
Pickup graduated from the Victoria Grizzlies of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League with 27 goals and 65 points in 53 games in 2016-17. His numbers in lacrosse, however, were splashier. Pickup led the Junior Shamrocks in scoring last season with 37 goals and 58 assists for a sa国际传媒 Junior A League third-leading 95 points in 19 regular season games. He was a lacrosse natural right from the start for the Junior Shamrocks with 37 goals and 88 points in 2016, 36 goals and 75 points in 2015 and 32 goals and 71 points as a rookie in 2014.
Pickup was selected in the second round, 22nd overall, in the 2017 pro National Lacrosse League draft.
The 22-year-old forward had a goal and three points in nine games of spot duty this season at Nebraska-Omaha before expecting a full-time role for the remaining three seasons of his NCAA career.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to take out a senior for a freshman,鈥� said a philosophical Pickup, noting that Nebraska-Omaha seniors David Pope and Tyler Vesel signed NHL entry-level contracts with the Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers, respectively, following the NCAA season.
鈥淏ut I learned more in one year than I did in my whole life [of playing hockey].鈥�
The Shamrocks, meanwhile, were taken aback by losing Pickup and the reason for it.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hugely disappointed and sad for Cole,鈥� said Shamrocks GM Chris Welch.
鈥淲e are not happy about this. Cole has been a two-sport athlete his whole life. Many great hockey players have also played lacrosse. The Shamrocks would never tell a player that he couldn鈥檛 play another sport. We regret that after such a promising junior lacrosse career, Cole鈥檚 career with the Shamrocks appears to be over. But it creates an opportunity for somebody else.鈥�
The Shamrocks continue training camp ahead of the WLA season opener May 25 against the Burnaby Lakers at The Q Centre.
