Hanging up the skates in a good place

RYDE, UK – Dayton, Ohio and Ryde on the Isle of Wight are unlikely destinations to chart the start and finish line of a professional hockey career.

Cornish with good friend Joe Rand and son

However the American city famed for its aerospace engineering and the quaint British seaside town with its old pier and expansive beach mark the beginning and end for a player who has entertained thousands of hockey fans over an eventful sixteen year period on the ice.

Canadian Jeremy Cornish is a curious figure in British hockey and arrived with a background that suggested he wouldn’t hang around for long.

After all, he came over the pond as a fighter, another import on the gravy train of Elite League hockey, not famed for his stickhandling or sniping but for being tough as hell and ready to stand up to an increasing number of sluggers in the UK’s top tier in the mid noughties.

Over a decade later, the fact he remains a proud citizen, respected across the leagues of a country with somewhat of a love hate attitude towards imported talent, suggests that the flame haired winger didn’t stick to the expected script.

Taking on Payette (Tony Boot)

It was four years prior to his big move to Europe, that the fresh faced Canuck made his debut in the ECHL with the Dayton Bombers that set him on a road even he could never have envisaged.

‘I always wanted to play professionally and to be totally honest I wasn’t sure if I would ever make it’ admits the 36 year old, Ontario native.

‘I played my first professional game in Dayton and that was a pretty proud moment, but I only lasted there for about a month. My second year in San Angelo Texas was where I thought I could make a career out of playing and I wanted to play for as long as I could.’

Cornish earned a reputation as a serious enforcer in the following two seasons as he iced for Flint Generals, Laredo Bucks and Memphis Riverkings playing an incredible 118 games in a relatively short space of time.

The busy schedule would have been even busier had it not been for the eye watering 541 penalty minutes he picked up in just two campaigns.

By the time he arrived in London to play for then Elite League side London Racers, he had already featured on many a YouTube toe to toe bout.

The Racers team that season already had NHL enforcer Eric Cairns on the roster thanks to a lockout that saw a number of teams pick up some serious heavyweights from across the pond.

When the lockout guys returned, Cornish remained and embraced his British hockey experience.

The seasons he subsequently spent in the Elite League with London and then Newcastle Vipers, Sheffield Steelers and Basingstoke Bison would be the last he would regularly drop the gloves as his career took an unexpected turn.

Dropping to the third tier of UK hockey with Wightlink Raiders in 2009/10 Cornish was no longer relied upon as an enforcer, indeed as a Player Coach he had a much wider portfolio to deliver for his team. The rare willing opponent persuaded him to drop the mitts, but in the main, his regular fighting days were behind him.

‘Fighting was always a big part of my game since I moved away at 17’ explains the 6’ 4” forward.

‘It was something that I brought to the team and every team was always in need of one or two guys that would be willing to stick up for team-mates and do whatever it takes to win.’

‘There’s a lot of negative press right now about fighting in hockey and I fully understand and respect why they are trying to take it out of the game.’

Good times in Newcastle

‘I played in a different time compared to now and fighting has provided me with an opportunity to play in places I would not likely ever visited, it also gave me a free education and I met my wife through hockey. So, overall I’m pretty proud to have been a tough player that always put the team first.’

Cornish was one of many imports lured to a contract by the prospect of paid education as part of the deal.

It was Ryan Aldridge, then coach of Basingstoke Bison that dangled a degree in Sport Science from the University of Winchester in front of a 28 year old player, worried about life after hockey.

‘I had no back up plan for life after hockey, so when Ryan called and offered me the University spot I made sure I didn’t turn it down’ admits Cornish.

‘I followed up my degree with a year of teaching training and now have been teaching Primary school for three years.’

‘Teaching has probably given me some structure to my life and now I don’t just depend on hockey to support my family. I really enjoy the job and it’s not much different to coaching a group of twenty somethings, they are both on the same maturity level most of the time.’

This change of life direction, along with the birth of his two children (Dougie and Cooper) to wife Rachael coincided with his successful coaching of the Raiders on the Isle of Wight.

Holding the trophy with wife Rachael

Eyebrows were raised when the struggling club appointed such a big name to the Island, especially as they had just dropped out of the English Premier League.

Cornish had to deal with a whole new challenge of attracting British players to play for him, adapting to the unique surroundings of Ryde Ice Arena and not least being relied upon more as a scorer and playmaker as one of the two permitted imports allowed under league restrictions. Toughness alone would not be enough.

There was also the small matter of winning over a fan base demoralised by a number of lengthy losing streaks in recent campaigns.

‘It certainly was a unique place to start, but it didn’t take long for me to feel at home there and to put my touches on the team’ he explains.

‘The owners Geoff and Steve are the best owners I’ve played for and that makes things easier as a coach. A lot of coaches have to be worried about owners sticking their nose in and thankfully those two have always been supportive and available to chat when needed.’

‘I really do appreciate how they run the team and let me bring in players I want and treat the guys first class.’

Unique circumstances they may have been, but Cornish had the advantage of drawing on the experience of a number of coaches he had played for in the past, not least his Jr. A coach back in Aurora Ontario.

‘I take influence from all of my past coaches, but the main one is Brad Selwood’ admits Cornish, who was born in Lucan.

‘He had played for the Maple Leafs which is obviously impressive but he was as honest as they come and loved tough players.’

‘I learnt a lot from every coach I’ve had and I try to instil that in my players on the Island. We always have committed teams and I do believe most players that play for me would do whatever it takes to win.’

Wightlink win the play-offs in 2015

Winning is something Island fans have gotten used to since Cornish arrived. His knack of upsetting the odds and getting success from seemingly gritty hardworking rosters has been a hallmark of his tenure.

Other teams may have the star players, but Wightlink often have the star team as their Play-Off Championship last season proved.

For Cornish, his success with Wightlink is right up there with his best achievements in his career.

‘Winning the Play-Offs in Newcastle was definitely a career highlight for me, but winning the league in 2010 and the play-offs last year as a coach of the Raiders were just as important when reflecting back.’

‘All teams that win together forge a lifelong bond together and I have been pretty lucky to keep in touch with most of the players from those years.’

At the end of this season Cornish’s skates will hang up alongside many of his past team mates as he bids farewell to his career as a player and reflects on the rollercoaster ride that began in Ohio and will end somewhere in the South East of England in the coming weeks.

‘I have lots of wonderful moments to look back on, playing in Newcastle and meeting my wife Rachael is at the top of the list. Playing for Dennis Maxwell in London and having a coach that had faith in me that I could play the game was another big moment for me.’

‘I love reflecting back and thinking about all the teams we have had here over the years and how I’ve been proud of each team in a different way. This year is no different, we’ve played almost three months without a home rink and not trained. Not one guy has complained and we have battled hard to be near the top of the standings all year.’

Deciding to hang up the boots is an emotional time for any player, and most cannot avoid shedding a tear when that time comes to applaud the crowd, step off the ice and say goodbye to a physical endurance that dominates most of the week for the majority of each year.

Waterworks are unlikely for the tough Canadian however, mainly because he doesn’t see it as the end of his involvement in the game.

‘Not really sure if I will shed a tear’ he laughs.

‘I think I’m at peace with the decision and hope to get a deal done soon to be back with the Raiders next year behind the bench where I think I have a lot to offer.’

‘I’ve played a long time now and getting up for work on a Monday is getting tougher and tougher. My job takes up a lot of time as well, so I want to make sure I’m focusing on that as much as possible so I can progress and get where I want to be in the future.’

‘Also, both of my boys are into sports and I want to make sure I can be there for them as they grow up.

‘I want to stay involved with the sport as much as possible as well as making sure I am the best husband and dad I can be.’

‘Hockey has always come first in my house and it’s time I share hockey with the other responsibilities I now have. I don’t think things will change much other than I won’t have to have a pre-game nap now!’

Photo – Tony Boot

‘I’ll be able to spend some more time in the mornings of hockey days with my family and then set off to the rink.’

With Dougie and Cooper Cornish possible hockey stars of the future, the family will no doubt still be familiar with ice rinks for many years to come. For his part Daddy Cornish is thankful for all the support he has received from those close to him.

‘My parents and sister have supported me so much over the years, they have travelled a ton of miles and made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to chase my dream and I will always be grateful for that.’

‘Rachael has been amazing, especially later in my career when we started our family. She has really kept the house going while I’m out the house three and four nights a week playing.’

‘She also brings the boys over every Saturday to watch us play and for everyone who has travelled to the island, that’s no small feat with two young boys!’

So there you have it. The enforcer who came to England, won his medals, met his wife, found a career and made a family.

As an ice hockey playing career goes, that’s a pretty cool story, but with coaching and two more kids to guide through junior hockey, there are still chapters to write.