Kevin Shoebridge, the 25-year-old Captain of the Cooks Bay Canucks expansion team, is having a good year.

After seven games of the team’s fledgling season, he’s not only the leading scorer in the league with 12 goals and 10 assists, he’s the leading scorer in the country for men’s senior hockey.

“I guess the stars are aligning for me,” he said, though he was quick to point out that it isn’t just him. “I have to give credit to the guys around me. There are a lot of good hockey players out there and they’re giving me good opportunities.”

The Canucks are part of the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League, a small but competitive league that boasts players with both professional and semi-professional experience.

“He’s a strong offensive player, with a pinpoint accurate shot and a quick release,” said coach John Soulliere,

When coaching, Soulliere likes to dictate philosophy based on the caliber of the players. This year he has a good skating team and is trying to get speed to be the catalyst.

“I like hockey to be creative,” said Soulliere, “You still need to hold the players accountable for defense, but I like the offensive game to build on speed and creativity.”

That style of game fits Shoebridge like a glove. “He’s got excellent skating skills,” said Soulliere, “and he can see the ice very well.”

Shoebridge, who began playing at around five years old in the Lefroy Minor Hockey league, says he’s generally a point producer but that this year is, “Definitely above average. It’s generally the job I’m given on a team.”

After his local beginnings in Lefroy, Shoebridge moved to Innisfil Minor Hockey, played triple A in Barrie, Junior for Aurora, Couchiching and Vaughan, with his career culminating at the minor pro level in Quad City, Illinois.

After a three-year break, he returned to the game with the Georgian Bay Senior Hockey league, played last year in Shelburne and finally landed back in Innisfil this year for the start of a new franchise.
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We started talking a few years ago,” he said of the possibility of starting a senior team in the area. “We decided we needed something over here.”

As well as being a player, Shoebridge is one of the people instrumental in bringing the team to Innisfil.

“It’s the first time we’ve had a team like this since the Barrie Flyer’s in the early 80’s,” he said, adding that initially the spectators weren’t sure what they were getting.

“The fans have been pleasantly surprised with the product on the ice. I think we’ve definitely met their expectations if not more.”

To date, the team is 4-2 with one overtime loss which places them second behind the 7-0 Whitby Dunlops, the runner up in Canada for two years running.

“It’s a good spot for an expansion team,” said Shoebridge.
Their original goal was to be competitive, but he believes they’ve already met that mark.

“Ultimately, the goal is to win everything, and based on what we’ve done so far it’s not a stretch to see that as a reasonable goal … We’re right there.”

He’s quick to point out they’re not in the class with Whitby yet, the previous World Champion but that they’re definitely holding their own.

But in the end, it’s really only about one thing, Shoebridge said.

“We’re not there to make money now. For all the players the competitive fire is still there. We’re out there for the love of the game.”