Monday, August 24, 2015 – Submitted by Cleve Dheensaw/ Times Colonist
Cole Pickup joins an illustrious list of athletes who have been as comfortable on a lacrosse floor as on a sheet of ice. Wayne Gretzky, Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Kyle Turris, Joe Sakic, Steve Larmer, Adam Oates, Doug Gilmour and Brendan Shanahan are among those who have credited crossover skills from the box helping in their hockey careers.
Pickup is among those continuing the well-established tradition, leading the Victoria Junior Shamrocks in scoring this summer in lacrosse (36 goals, 39 assists, 75 points in 18 games) and hoping to do the same with the Victoria Grizzlies in the upcoming B.C. Hockey League season.
“There is so much you learn in lacrosse that you can apply to hockey,” said the six-foot, 180-pound Belmont grad, who won B.C. hockey titles in both his bantam seasons with the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies, and is entering his third BCHL season with the Grizzlies.
This is a big season for PIckup as he hopes to lock down an NCAA athletic scholarship to play collegiately in the U.S.
“Hockey is my main sport and my goal is to play pro in North America or Europe. But I also have a great passion for lacrosse,” said the 19-year-old, who grew up playing both sports in the respective Juan de Fuca organizations.
That passion could lead to the 2015 Mann Cup national Senior A lacrosse championship. Pickup recorded an assist Friday for the Shamrocks as a junior call-up in Game 4 of Victoria’s four-game sweep of the New Westminster Salmonbellies in the Western Lacrosse Association final.
The Shamrocks have a loaded roster and probably won’t need to call up Pickup, but he continues practising with the Shamrocks at The Q Centre while also skating with the Grizzlies in their training camp taking place up the hill at Juan de Fuca Arena.
“Of course we would let Cole play in the Mann Cup, if he gets the call,” said Grizzlies head coach Craig Didmon, himself a former hockey and lacrosse player.
“We think his great season in lacrosse this summer with the Junior Shamrocks will help him find his confidence offensively for us in hockey, too.”
Didmon said Pickup’s 10 goals and 21 points in 56 games last season for the Grizzlies isn’t indicative of his potential hockey output. What is, say coaches, is Pickup’s five goals and 10 points during the Grizzlies’ 16-game playoff run the previous season in 2014.
“We expect him to break out and be a big player for us,” said Didmon.
Whether or not Pickup gets the nod for the Mann Cup, the Colwood native is grateful for the opportunity to stretch out his lacrosse season.
“I grew up watching guys like [Shamrocks stars] Dan Dawson, Corey Small and Rhys Duch play, so it’s like a dream come true to be on the same floor with them,” said Pickup, also a standout on the water in wakeboarding.
On the ice, his hero was Trevor Linden “because he stepped up in the big moments and was a leader off the ice, too.”
The lacrosse-hockey double is a family affair, with 17-year-old brother Clark Pickup playing this summer for the Intermediate A Shamrocks and hoping to play this hockey season in the Island Junior B League with the Westshore Wolves, while 10-year-old sibling Wyatt Pickup plays both sports with Juan de Fuca.
Asked to describe his game in both games he loves, Cole Pickup said: “My skills are on the offensive side but I play with an edge, as well, and try to be a leader on and off the ice and floor.”
Who knows? It might lead to a Mann Cup ring on the floor and NCAA scholarship on the ice.
