Cordel Larson came into the WHL as a 16-year-old just a couple of months away from winning the Telus Cup with the Notre Dame Hounds. He is now a 20-year-old leader on the Spokane Chiefs roster looking to leave his mark and help his teammates reach their potential.
Gaining independence and summer preparation
Larson had only good things to say about his summer, which was just a bit shorter than the one he had in 2020.
“My summer was really good. I was able to kinda move away from home a little bit this summer. I went out to Kelowna and I had a really good group skating out there. Just was in a really good routine, had a good setup, and just kind of made some strides in areas that I kinda thought I could improve, and that kinda led into a good camp and a good preseason.”
Big improvements this off-season?
Larson says that he doesn’t think that anything has improved exponentially but that he had some areas that he worked on and feels good about.
“I think kind of in the off-season you just kind of pick a few things and work off that. I think for me, as just kind of a smaller guy, I just wanted to focus on my board play and my play down low, Using my speed and my quickness to my advantage and just fine-tuning that. So I think that kinda goes into both the on-ice training and off-ice training portion and just dialing in those smaller aspects of my game.”
Slower than normal start
Perhaps you think the Chiefs should have had a stronger start. Perhaps you believe they are right where they should be. Either way, you might just be right, but the veteran forward has his own observations. He knows his team is making moves in the right direction and is thinking further than just the immediate future.
“I think our start has been okay. It hasn’t been really good, like not where we want it but, we’ve got a lot of new, younger guys this year. They’re kind of adjusting to the league and adjusting to the style of play in this league. It’s obviously a lot faster so you know, these first games it’s just kind of a learning experience for sure. I think everyone is making good strides in the direction and catching on to our coaching system and how the Chiefs play.”
Feeling in the room now that we’re back to a full schedule
“Everyone’s really excited. Obviously last year, we missed so many games and not all the guys were back, playing in different places. So the feeling’s been good. Everyone’s gotten to kind of have a normal summer and we had a normal training camp and preseason this year so the feeling’s high. Obviously, we’re just kinda looking to keep building every day. Keep getting one percent better every day is kind of our focus right now. Just kinda keep improving. I know we’ve got a lot of work to do but everyone’s eager, coming to the rink every day. We’re all hungry to improve and I think that’s a great mindset we have in the room right now.”
As far as having fans back in the arena this season, Larson is fully aware of the impact that the energy from the crowd has on the game.
“Yeah, it’s huge. I mean last year in the bubble I think that was an eye-opener for all of us. Not having fans, you definitely notice it so when we can have fans back in the building like this it’s like having an extra skater out there for us. It provides us with so much more energy and the guys are excited to play in front of people again so it’s huge. Our fans are amazing here and we want to put on a good show for them every night.”
Larson also spoke on what he noticed most from last season, between the shortened schedule and all of the COVID protocol, as well as what has changed for this season.
“I think what we kind of touched on early, the fans. I think that was such a huge thing for me, you know, as a player who plays with a lot of energy. You kind of feed off the fans and having somebody to play in front of. I think that was one thing, and then obviously like having the protocols were a little bit of a hassle. It was something we had to adjust to. It wasn’t exactly easy being tested non-stop. It’s nice this year, we kind of have a little bit more flow, a little bit more of a routine and guys are really starting to catch on to it. It’s definitely nice that a lot of that protocol stuff is behind us. We still have different protocols we have to follow but the majority of it is pretty much normal again.”
Of course, I had to ask about his favorite thing about being back in Spokane, but the Chiefs forward had more than a couple of things he looks forward to when returning for the season.
“I don’t know, I think a lot of it just has to do with meeting all the new guys and obviously our organization is so good with Bobby Brett, it’s always nice to hear from him. Away from the rink, I’ve had a great billet family I’ve been able to live with the past three years and it’s always nice coming back and getting to live with them again and catch up with them. This city is amazing, I can’t say enough good things about it.”
NHL in Spokane, by way of Seattle
What was it like to see the barn in Spokane hosting an NHL preseason game between the Seattle Kraken and the Vancouver Canucks? It was the Kraken’s first-ever outing in a game, and even though it was preseason, there was a lot to take in.
Better, but I still think this crowd has more#SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/PtxiX2tzlQ
— Lizz Child (@LizzChild) September 27, 2021
The good news is that Larson and his teammates were able to get tickets to the game and soak up the entire experience.
“I guess that’s just a taste of what the Chiefs fans are like. That building was rocking. The atmosphere was amazing. It’s obviously super exciting for the people around here to finally have an NHL team kinda close like that so the city’s definitely kinda buzzing around that.”
With the Kraken local, has he seen any change in the amount of interest in the sport in the area?
“Yeah, I think the interest has grown a lot. Especially when you get a new team like the Kraken, obviously the NHL does a really good job marketing a new team like that so I think you see, even at our games, there’s so many Kraken jerseys and people talking about the Kraken. It definitely brings a buzz about the new organization and I think that’s a good pull for kids in this area to kinda be interested in hockey and learn more about hockey and maybe get involved with hockey.”
To the newer hockey fans in the area, he just wants to encourage them to catch a Chiefs game.
“I think to newer fans maybe just come out and experience it. I mean hockey live is a totally different experience than watching hockey on TV. I think when you’re in the building and you’re around other fans and the atmosphere of the game, it’s a pretty amazing sport to watch live so I mean, come watch us and come kind of experience the amazing sport it is.”
Words of advice and leadership qualities
As he’s in his 20-year-old season, looking back on his time in the WHL, what would he tell rookies and those who will follow in his footsteps? For that, he looked at what he thought would have helped himself during his rookie days.
“When I came into the league, I definitely struggled with being confident and playing my game. I think when these new guys come in, I think if they can just stick to their strengths, there’s definitely an adjustment with the speed and style of play but these guys are all here for a reason, these younger players and newer players. So if they can find a way to bring their strengths and what worked for them at previous levels and kind of bring that to the table, it helps us tremendously.”
(Photo: Seattle Thunderbirds/Brian Liesse)
He also sees his role as a leader on this team as an opportunity to offer that support and help build the confidence of those on this team over the next few years.
“As an older guy, you just want to make those younger guys feel comfortable and kind of let them know that they have a spot here for a reason and we want what’s best for them and we just kind of try and help them with just smaller things we see in their game where we can maybe help. It’s kind of our role as older guys to kind of step in and help them out.”
Telus Cup Experience
Of course, we had to talk about the Telus Cup. Larson and his Notre Dame Hounds U18 AAA teammates had a dominant performance at the 2018 Telus Cup. With 7 points in 7 games throughout the tournament, Larson gave an incredible performance with the Hounds before jumping to the WHL full-time. He likes to talk about it a lot, as you can see in this Teammate Trivia video the Chiefs posted.
He had the opportunity to elaborate on the experience and did not hold back. His pride in what his teammates accomplished was apparent, and you have to love when it all comes together for a team, no matter what level.
The Notre Dame Hounds picked up a pair of goals from Luke Mylymok while Cordel Larson tallied once and doled out two assists to help lead their side to a 5-2 victory over Winnipeg Wild in the championship game Sunday of the TELUS Cup https://t.co/SvRhWNbShU
— Notre Dame Hounds Hockey (@NotreDameHounds) April 8, 2018
“Yeah, the Telus Cup was amazing. We kind of had an incredible team. A lot of that team, we started playing together our first-year bantam at Notre Dame together so that was 14 and we just kind of stuck through our 15-year-old year and our 16-year-old-year, and by the time we were all in our 16-year-old year we all had like incredible chemistry. We had amazing coaching, and our team was amazing. We went 20-0 through the playoffs, 7-0 through the Telus Cup tournament there. I mean, the tournament was really tough, there were a lot of really close games but we were super confident, we knew we could win. We’d done it all playoffs and all year so I don’t know. It was just an amazing experience. I love Notre Dame. I went there for four years. I have nothing but good things to say about that program and I’m a Hound for life for sure.”
Quick hits with Cordel Larson
Favorite TV show or movie
“My favorite movie is Step Brothers and my favorite TV show? I don’t know. I’m not a huge TV guy but I started watching Peaky Blinders on Netflix lately and I’ve just gotten kind of into it.”
If he could go on a trip to anywhere in the world, where would he go?
“I’d probably go somewhere in Europe, maybe Ireland? That’s where my great-grandparents are from. Or somewhere over in Europe like Sweden or Switzerland. It’s obviously very beautiful out there, I’ve just never been over to Europe so that’s where I’d go.”
His favorite off-day activity
“Maybe just golf or hang out and watch Netflix. An off-day for me is usually pretty chill.”
Flip that, his favorite training activity
“There’s this program I do in the summer called Power Edge Pro. It’s like where they set up these apparatuses that you stickhandle around and just make moves and be creative around it, that’s probably my favorite training activity.”
Which teammate should not be given the aux cord?
(He thought about this one for a moment. I love the reactions to this question. They’re telling.)
“Our Russian import defenseman Timafey Kovforeniya.”
Just plays stuff you haven’t heard?
“Yeah, I mean he listens to Russian rap so it’s just like, super confusing and yeah, I don’t understand it. He does grab the aux cord sometimes so it’s a little bit chaotic.”
Which teammate should be given the aux cord most?
(A fast answer for this one)
“Michael Cicek. Our rookie. He’s been excellent on the aux cord so far.”
Rookie on aux, that’s a new one for me.
“Yeah, for me too but he’s done a great job and the guys love him.”
Go to foods
“Chipotle. I always get the same bowl from Chipotle with chicken and guac. Beans and rice. I love it.”
Is it because you don’t have them in Canada?
“Yeah, I think that has a lot to do with it. I just like it because it’s healthier food that tastes good and is convenient.”
Favorite food when he’s back at home
“I’d say maybe Earls or a Moxie’s. I’d say, Earls. I love that restaurant chain in Canada. I think it’s great. It’s just like a higher, not super high end, just a nicer restaurant that just has affordable, kind of unique foods that are semi-healthy and taste good. I find in the States there’s kind of a big gap. You have either fast-food restaurants or super high-end places that are super expensive. There’s not a restaurant chain that’s in the middle. In Canada, you have the Earls, Moxies, and Browns Socialhouse that are just like really good food and a decent price and healthy kind of thing.”
Final words for the fans
“Just keep being awesome. We love how loud and passionate our fans are. Keep bringing that energy to every game because we love you guys.”
