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MyLittleHexx · 11-20-2019, 08:11 PM

Cordero being interviewed SMJHL Draft Prospect scrimmage

One of the hottest prospects coming up in the world of hockey was born in a place that not many would expect to produce such a hockey talent. Oscar Cordero was born and raised in his early years in Havana, Cuba. He understands he didn’t come from a traditional hockey country, but it doesn’t matter to him. He’s worked hard to get where he is now, he’s worked hard to catch up to his peers, who were able to start hockey at a much younger age. For Oscar, it’s about realizing his dreams, achieving something that many in Havana would say would be impossible. His path to professional hockey has been an interesting one, and it all starts in Havana, Cuba.

Hockey isn’t a big sport in Cuba. For many, they might not even know it exists. In fact, there currently are no official ice rinks on the island. The nation hasn’t had a professional team since 1939, so the sport of hockey hasn’t been a large interest for Cubans in quite a while. So how did Oscar discover hockey? Well his father always collected new tapes to watch. Most of the time, Oscar had no interest in watching the tapes his father watched. One night however, he noticed a lot of red and blue on the television, two colours that were his favorites. It was a game between the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques, a game that most fans know as the “Good Friday Massacre.”

Young Oscar walked in near the end of the first period, and was almost instantly hooked. Seeing the way the players gilded effortlessly, he thought it was some science fiction movie. The more he watched, the more amazed he was. Finally it reached the infamous brawl, and that firmly cemented he wanted to see more. Oscar asked his dad what the name of the movie was, and his dad told him it’s not a movie, but recording of an event that actually happened. Oscar was blown away, he thought this was some distant future, but it actually happened. Oscar asked if there more tapes like this, and it quickly started a tradition of spending weekends watching old hockey games.

Away from the tapes, Oscar tried as hard as he could to emulate what he saw. After school, he’d always grab a nice tree limb and pretend to handle a paper ball like how the players on the tapes would. He’d make a little goal on the wall with chalk, and pretend to score the game winning goal like he saw in many of the tapes. Initially the other kids would make fun of him, but soon he was able to convince enough of his friends and peers to join in. They were able to create a floorball type league, with six teams with four players on each team, one serving as a goalie. Over the course of the school year, they’d keep statics and even let trades happen. By the end of the year, Oscar was leading goal scorer of the little league. He wouldn’t be able to defend that title the next school year, though, as his life would make a massive change.

Oscar’s father would have exciting news. Oscar’s uncle, who lived in Michigan, was willing to take in Oscar if the family could get him there. It wouldn’t be an easy journey. Tensions between Cuba and the US were still high, getting to Michigan would be tough. Oscar’s dad said that once he was there, there would be no issues. Oscar would just needed to keep quiet, and not mention to anyone that he would be leaving the island. It was only a few hours to keep quiet, because midnight that night his father brought him to an old dock away from the main town. Oscar’s dad told him to follow and listen to whatever the boat captain said to do. When asked about the trip, Oscar always states that it was mostly a long time spent in a cramped compartment hidden underneath the deck of the ship. He did say that when he was finally allowed to leave, it was still dark. The only thing that he recognized was his uncle in this new land.

Once Oscar was in Michigan, his uncle started getting him used to ice rinks. Every weekend, they would go around all the local ice rinks and would skate as much as they could. At first, Oscar hated the cold and painful skates the rinks had. He wanted to play hockey, not skate in a circle, or fall in a circle in Oscar’s case. This isn’t what he remembered from the tapes, this was nothing like what he saw. Plus, he absolutely hated the cold, he couldn’t understand how anyone could deal with the coldness of the rink. After a few months of basic skating, Oscar’s uncle felt confident enough to bring Oscar to a learn to play event at one of the ice rinks.

“I remember the gear smelling awful, and some of the equipment feeling unnecessary. I never liked the helmets the players wore, and I didn’t like the cage they made us wear. Once I was able to have the puck on my stick, I fell in love with the game again. It reaffirmed my desire to play hockey, and after that day I started to work harder and harder at every open skate my uncle would bring me to.I worked so hard to get caught up to what other kids my age were able to do on their skates.” - Oscar Cordero on his first time trying on hockey gear.

And so started the hockey career of Oscar Cordero, a boy from Cuba who is known for a laser of a shot and accurate stick checks. Recently drafted by the Kelowna Knights sixteenth overall in the S51 SMJHL Entry draft. Many are excited about what the young Cuban will be able to do in the SMJHL, and where he might go if drafted into the SHL.

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~1030 Words, Draft 2x media 

*Zoone16* · 11-21-2019, 12:03 AM

Cordero already wins the heartfelt background story award.

RedCapeDiver · 11-21-2019, 01:57 AM

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