Regardless whether it鈥檚 the left coast or the other coast, this guy comes out smelling like a rose on either of the Canadian rocks.
Goaltender Zack Rose of Newfoundland has used his rookie season in the crease with the Victoria Grizzlies to land an NCAA Div. 1 scholarship to play hockey for the Bowling Green State University Falcons beginning in the 2019-20 season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice campus, but what I liked best was the local support in the community for the team,鈥� said Rose, of his recent visit to Bowling Green, Ohio.
鈥淚t was a break, so few students were on campus when I was there, but the [5,000-seat] arena was still almost full for the [WCHA conference] game I attended against Western Michigan.鈥�
Rose plans to major in business.
It鈥檚 just the latest adventure in hockey and life for Rose since his grandfather first enrolled him in a goaltender camp in his hometown of Paradise, N.L., when he was eight years old. Little Zack told his family he liked the position because he thought the pads looked cool.
鈥淚 loved it and stuck to it and haven鈥檛 looked back,鈥� said the 18-year-old Rose.
It eventually led to Lake Forest Academy, a prep school and hockey factory near Chicago, which has served as a major player pipeline for the Grizzlies of the sa国际传媒 Hockey League, producing such players as Jake Stevens, last season鈥檚 BCHL top defenceman award winner, Cody Van Lierop, the Grizzlies鈥� captain last season, and current Grizzlies winger Ryan Nolan.
Rose has used his opportunities well. The Falcons really noticed him when he was selected to the World Junior A Challenge in December and was outstanding in leading sa国际传媒 West to the gold medal. Rose made 35 saves in the 5-1 championship game victory against the U.S., 26 saves in the 5-1 semifinal win over the Czech Republic and 18 saves in a 4-3 quarter-final win over sa国际传媒 East. Rose was named the world tournament MVP for his 1.58 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in five games after coming off the sa国际传媒 West bench during pool play to replace Mitch Adamyk of the Powell River Kings.
TSN analyst Craig Button described Rose as 鈥渋mpenetrable鈥� following the championship game.
Rose said he patterns his game after both Carey Price and Jonathan Quick.
鈥淚 really admire Price鈥檚 calmness but I鈥檓 not as big as him in the nets,鈥� said Rose.
So the six-foot-one Quick provides a better example for the six-foot, 180-pound Rose about crease movement than the six-foot-three Price.
鈥淚鈥檓 a mix of both those attitude and style elements,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 stay as calm as possible.鈥�
Rose takes a 14-12 record, 3.07 goals-against average and .918 save percentage into tonight鈥檚 BCHL game in Duncan against the Island Division last-place Cowichan Valley Capitals (9-31-7).
He is the sixth Grizzlies player this season to commit to an NCAA team, joining Alex Newhook (Boston College), Jamie Rome (Western Michigan), Matthew Doran (Alaska-Fairbanks), T.J. Friedmann (Quinnipiac) and Drayson Pears (Alaska-Anchorage). Rose鈥檚, Newhook鈥檚 and Friedmann鈥檚 NCAA commitments are for 2019-20, so the trio should be back in Grizzlies jerseys next season.
鈥淥ur goal is the Royal Bank Cup [national Junior 鈥楢鈥� tournament],鈥� said Rose, of the current Grizzlies team, which leads the Island Division at 25-17-7.
Newhook, the sensational rookie forward tabbed potentially for the first round of the 2019 NHL draft, is also from Newfoundland.
鈥淎lex is a couple of years younger, but everyone in the Newfoundland hockey world knows each other in some fashion, so I knew of Alex but we certainly weren鈥檛 as close as we are now,鈥� said Rose.
Both have ended up on the other rock on the other coast. Rose said he is enjoying his time on the Island except for one thing.
鈥淚 love it here but I don鈥檛 like how much it rains,鈥� he said, with a chuckle.
鈥淲e get cold and snow back in Newfoundland winters, but also some sunny, bright days.鈥�
Yet, regardless of the West Coast grey and drizzle of his adopted junior hockey home, this is a guy who seems to have plenty of bright days ahead in the sport.
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