This evening, the Solent Devils are thrilled to announce the re-signing of team captain, Alex Cole.
Cole returning for his 13th season and 7th as the captain commented
“As captain I’ll bring everything I always do, that’s commitment, passion and hard work.”
Solent Devils Head Coach Murray said
“I’m delighted to have secured the service of Alex for another season! He is a leader on and off the ice, as well as being a fans favourite. Coley is a role model to many young athletes who aspire to take sport seriously and apply themselves every day to become better.”
With 323 games, 21 goals and 129 assists the experienced defenceman spoke about his goals for the season ahead
“Goals are what they always are and have been, we don’t enter a season with arrogance, every season the teams strengthen. What the devils have and pride themselves on is our bond as team many of us have been together for many years. The team members have big commitments with work, family and travel outside of ice hockey but playing for the devils is a privilege, every training session we are competing for a spot, we train hard to play hard.”
Reflecting on the Spring Cup victory, Cole explains why the series was important for psychological and physical state of the players
“I always try to stay in shape in summer around hockey and train to be a better hockey player around my other commitments, the previous season didn’t finish and then the next one didn’t start”
Speaking on behalf of the team Cole continued
“You gear yourself up to compete in a tough league then it doesn’t happen, it’s very disheartening. When Murray said we are playing lots of games in a short period I was excited. Everyone is in the same boat, you could only prepare for a couple of weeks or so and this goes back to the heart and commitment of the devils so when things get tough games we know how to pull through.”
When asked about emotional wellbeing and coping with the impact of the pandemic on everyday life Cole contemplated
“The positive being honest is that the group stayed in contact, during lockdown we video called, then when the restrictions were lifted we were able to go in groups to play golf. We are very lucky with the way the team is setup and run, the comments from players who have joined from other clubs is that we are like no other”
Looking forward to the start of the season ahead
“I am very self-critical and I look to my peers to give me feedback on area’s I can strengthen. This summer has been very tough for me with a lot going on with a house build, but it’s tied in perfectly to the new season. Only 8 weeks until it kicks off and I can’t wait to commit to the team and give our fans everything they deserve.”
Murray commented
“Alex has improved every year working on all parts of his game.
He will bring a really strong presence in our end as well as our changing room!”
Cole will return to the Devils in shirt #8. If you would like to sponsor a Devil or become a team sponsor, contact devilssupporters@outlook.com.
