San Jose Jr Sharks

The Jr Sharks are proud to announce that Kevin Cole has signed a tender agreement with the Traverse City Hounds in the Midwest Junior Hockey League. Kevin, a '96 birth year player, has been a part of the Jr Sharks organization since his first year Mite season in 2003-04. He was a part of the Jr Sharks Pee Wee AA squad that finished 3rd at the 2009 USA Hockey National Championships.

The Jr Sharks would like to congratulate Kevin and his family on his accomplishments. We wish him the best of luck on the next phase of his hockey career.

Below is the article published on the Traverse City Hounds website:

His hometown might say San Jose, Calif., but Kevin Cole is far from a stranger to Traverse City.

Cole, a 17-year-old forward (he turns 18 in July), signed a tender agreement recently with the Traverse City Hounds and in a sense, will be playing for a team in a city he knows very well.

“Since my father was born in Traverse City and my grandparents still live there, joining the Hounds is a great way to continue hockey at the next level,” Cole said. “I've visited Traverse City almost every year of my life and I am looking forward to moving to a new place to get a new experience.”

Last season, Cole skated for the prestigious San Jose Jr. Sharks organization, leading the Midget AA squad in goals and points, along with serving as a captain. Cole was coached by Rod Romanchuk, a former pro and college player who helped Wisconsin to an NCAA national championship in 1977.

Talent and leadership are two qualities Traverse City GM Randy Montrose seems to always build his teams on, along with finding players that have a winning pedigree.

“Kevin will bring a great deal of talent to the Hounds and we’re excited to see him make the jump from midgets to junior,” Montrose said. “From everyone we talked to, Cole is ready to play juniors and should be a key component of what we are trying to build for next season. The fact he already knows the area can only help his confidence and get him going right out of the gate.”

Looking down the road, Cole is gearing up for a summer of working out and skating, along with setting reachable goals for the 2014-15 MWJHL season and beyond.

“I hope to use my quickness and scoring ability to help the Hounds have another successful season,” said Cole. “My goals are to play hockey at the next level and ultimately, play hockey in college. My life goal is to be a good person and a positive contributor in the community.”