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Cole Webber, 18, of Dawson City, Yukon has been signed by the Fox Creek Ice Kings. He previously played in Ontario for the Midland Flyers of the PJCHL during the 2019-2020 season.

The Ice Kings, located in Alberta, play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Ice Kings are playing two games this weekend to open their season. Webber is getting the start in the first game against the Enoch Cree Nation, with another goalie playing the second game on the weekend.

鈥淎t the start of the season, that鈥檚 how it goes,鈥� says Webber. 鈥淥nce you figure out which goalie is better for your team, you start going with him more. There鈥檚 obviously going to be a fight for it, because it鈥檚 just the mentality. You have to want that starting position.鈥�

As for how Webber sees the competition in goal, 鈥渋t鈥檚 pretty strong from what I鈥檝e seen. That鈥檚 good though, because I鈥檓 really excited by that. I like it when it鈥檚 a really fast-paced and high-intensity game.鈥�

They have already played an exhibition game against a team of local ex-junior and ex-WHL players. Webber played about half the game.

鈥淚 was a little weak at the start,鈥� relates Webber. After getting comfortable in there, I got really confident, and started playing the puck better. I was playing good.鈥�

So what made him decide to become a goalie?

鈥淢y dad was a goalie. But not only that, I was asking to be put in that position when I was really young. And then when I finally got the opportunity, I just really liked it, and seeing everything on the ice in front of me. It was really cool. It was surreal. So I just decided to stay with it.鈥�

Webber started playing goal when he was seven years old.

鈥淚鈥檝e had lots of practice. Seen a lot of ice.鈥�

Webber explains how he ended up signing with the Ice Kings.

鈥淚 was playing Junior C in Ontario 鈥� a couple of years ago and I really wanted to pursue my hockey dream, so I decided 鈥榳hy not look for another team?鈥� And then last year with COVID and everything, it was pretty hard, so I just played house league in Dawson. But this year I saw that they needed players, and I got the opportunity to call the coach and then try out, and he really liked what he seen, so he decided to sign me. It鈥檚 going really good right now.鈥�

Like any goalie, Webber wants to be the starter.

鈥淚 definitely have a shot at starting. He told me at the start of the year, 鈥榗ause you鈥檙e supposed to sign four goalies, but he told me if he signs me, he鈥檒l only sign three, so that cuts one goalie out of the mix. And then he told me I鈥檓 starting on Saturday.鈥�

Webber feels he has a few strengths.

鈥淚鈥檇 say I鈥檓 pretty strong at covering most of the net, and keeping really good positioning while I鈥檓 in there, so there鈥檚 not much of the net to be seen when I鈥檓 in net.

鈥淢entally I feel I鈥檝e gotten a lot better and last year at Dawson City with the house league there, that helped me a lot, 鈥榗ause I kind of got rid of this thing where I felt nervous and now it鈥檚 just like I鈥檓 more confident and I feel like every time I go in there, that鈥檚 my puck. I鈥檝e been working a lot on it.鈥�

Like any young goalie, he also has a few things to work on.

I definitely need to work on my blocker hand more, and up high right side, and I鈥檓 still getting used to breakouts with like two on none and two on ones, three on ones 鈥� but every goalie needs to work on that. It鈥檚 just a part of the game.鈥�

As for influences in his life, Webber has a few.

鈥淚鈥檝e had quite a few coaches in Dawson that have helped me a lot to figure out where I want to be and what I want to do in hockey.鈥�

Dave Ezzerd was one of the coaches who helped Webber find his way.

鈥淚 was really young when he was coaching me so he kind of helped me a lot, figure out that I wanted to be goalie more, and he was putting me in that position a lot more because the team did really rely on me, because there wasn鈥檛 many goalies in Dawson at the time, so that also kind of pushed me more to go in that position.鈥�

Paxton Schulte also helped Webber.

鈥淲hen I moved to Onaway (Alberta), he was one of the first 鈥� he wasn鈥檛 a coach on my team, but he saw that I needed help, and what I needed to work on, so he pulled me out to his camp, which he had every week and that really helped me out a lot, 鈥榗ause he鈥檇 have goalie coaches there and they鈥檇 find out what you needed to work on, and they鈥檇 give you that like, education.鈥�

Webber hasn鈥檛 had much of an opportunity to work with goalie coaches.

鈥淣o, not a lot. I don鈥檛 even have a goalie coach on my team right now. But my dad has definitely coached me a lot growing up and once I got to a certain age, he couldn鈥檛 really help too much. But that鈥檚 where Paxton came in. And he had his goalie coaches come and help me.鈥�

Webber鈥檚 dad played goal in Junior C, a couple of exhibition games in Junior A in the OHL, and some college hockey.

Webber, a member of the Trondek Hwech鈥檌n First Nation, considers himself an Indigenous role model.

鈥淚 do, personally. I feel the kids in the community, especially Dawson, should look to strive 鈥� and even if they have to leave home to do it, they should definitely pursue their dreams when they have to.

鈥淎nd sticking to school. That鈥檚 a big part of it. I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today if I didn鈥檛 stay in school.鈥�

Webber says he wants to continue with his schooling.

鈥淎 big part of me playing on this team is I want to continue going to school if I get the opportunity to.鈥�

Webber is realistic about his future goals.

鈥淢y dream has always been to make the NHL, but realistically speaking, I know that doesn鈥檛 always happen. If the furthest I can make it is like the European league, then I鈥檓 fine with that. But like, I really want to make the NHL and I told my coach at the start of the season my goal is to make the next level. It鈥檚 a ladder. I gotta keep movin鈥� up.鈥�

Webber can see himself playing in the American Hockey League as well.

鈥淒efinitely. That鈥檚 where a lot of goalies start out. Like (Marc-Andre) Fleury, he was drafted to the NHL, but that鈥檚 only one out of every 300 goalies, 400 goalies that are drafted.鈥�

But for Webber, the future starts now.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking very forward to this season and every other season that comes with it.鈥�

Webber鈥檚 current coach, Andre Payette, says the young net-minder made an instant impression on him.

鈥淐ole gave me a call and asked if I鈥檇 have a look at him and he came to practice and you know what? He competes very very hard. Last year there wasn鈥檛 very much hockey going on, but even on the ice for the first time, for a goalie, he battles to see the puck, and he tries very very hard and he competes. So for me, if a guy鈥檚 gonna work hard, and he鈥檚 gonna compete, he鈥檚 gonna get better. I really like his attitude, and I like his effort levels. So I鈥檓 very happy to have him on my team this year.鈥�