The Life Of Cole Ikkala:

This is posted on the Vernondeals.ca website:

Ikkala & Thompson: Vernon Viper's Editorial

The Life of Cole

By : Cole Ikkala

My name is Cole Ikkala and along with Adam, I will be blogging for you fans this year. This first week we felt like you should get to know us before you read about us and our team. First off, I’m from Philadelphia, PA…it’s no Calgary but it’s a great place to live. I’ve been there for the past three years, but actually spent my childhood growing up in Colorado, Alaska, and California. Growing up in Alaska, I spent my squirt year playing with former Viper Kory Roy. Growing up in all these states, hockey became a big part of my life.It wasn’t where I lived that got me going though. My Dad got me into hockey at an early age being a great player himself. He grew up in Michigan and played D-1 hockey at Northern Michigan and after that a few years pro in Germany. Growing up he was always there to coach me, whether it was good or bad, it turned me into the player I am today, which I really appreciate. He got me and my two brothers, Cody (20) and Dylan (15) into the sport. Cody, who played here in Vernon last year now plays D-1 hockey at Army. My little brother on the other hand, quit hockey and took up lacrosse. He currently plays varsity for my old high school and is looking to go D-1 and I must say he is a pretty sick player. Both of them make me proud to be their brother. But I can’t give all the credit to my Dad, my mom was there to make it all happen! Now a little about myself….In my free time I like to play NHL ’10. Dylan Walchuk and I are currently the doubles champs after winning the last tournament…going in as the 4th seed after coming into the playoffs out of the losers bracket. Some called it a backdoor route to victory and we just called it pure skill. In terms of singles the best player is probably Braden Pimm...he has some talent when it comes to gaming. Honorable mentions go to Garrett Noonan, Connor Jones, Kevin Kraus and Adam Thompson. One of the few things I agree with Adam on is the Philadelphia Flyers. They are the best team in hockey these days. Growing up I was a Colorado Avalanche fan but once I moved to Philly it was an easy change. Mike Richards is probably the best player in the league and could teach Adam’s Iginla a few lessons. He’s a great captain and has so much skill making him one of the best all-around players in the league. My favorite baseball team is the reigning national champs, the Philadelphia Phillies. I usually get out to about five games a summer to tailgate and watch some good baseball. If you’re ever in Philly that is something you need to do. In terms of football, my favorite team is the Denver Broncos having grown up in Colorado most of my life. Drew George claims the Saskatchewan Rough Riders are the best football team, but let’s get serious they don’t deserve any recognition in this blog. When I’m around the house with my roommate, Graeme Gordon, and I watch a lot of Wild n’ Out. It’s probably one of the best shows on TV these days. I enjoy listening to country and rap music, the two opposites of the spectrum, with Jason Aldean and Rodney Atkins as my favorites. Other than that there is not much more to know about me. In the weeks ahead we will be blogging about road trips and daily routines. Make sure to check us out and come to our next home game!