AMHERST – The new Cumberland County Blues coach wasn’t joking when he said he was going to make a few big changes to the team. After a few trades, and other changes, to the Cumberland County Blues, Tyler Gould found himself to be one of the only remaining veteran players on the team.
“We all played here for the past three or four years together,” he said referring to the trade earlier in the season when Liam Carr, Geoff Burke and Devon Muir were dealt to the Brookfield Elks. “They were good buddies of mine, three of the better players. In my last year, seeing them trade out good players to work towards next year didn’t really make me overly happy.”
Although the move wasn’t on Gould’s high list of great season moments, he understood it was all about making moves to build a stronger team for the future.
“Fortunately, for the younger ones, they are going to benefit from it,” he said.
As one of the older players on the team, Gould is now able to pass on years of wisdom with the team before he says his final farewell to the Blues.
“The rookies could take over if they wanted to,” he joked. “I give them my little bit of wisdom, but I don’t know if I teach them how to play.”
Gould did ask a fellow teammate if he taught him anything during their time together on the team. The player’s response earned a chuckle out of Gould but was on the negative side.
Gould signed up for hockey when he was younger, probably under the influence of hisparents he said, and fell in love with the sport. When he was in Grade 12, Gould said he was too old for midget hockey and needed to find somewhere else to place, which led him straight to the Blues.
“I tried out in Springhill and made it. I’ve been there for the last three years,” he said.
With the hockey season half over, Gould said he’s hoping for the Blues to make it to the provincials.
“Are we going to win Atlantics? Probably not,” he said. “Making the play offs would be the biggest goal for the rest of the season.”
