Wheeling Nailers: Get To Know Rookie Cole Tymkin

On a Saturday morning after a morning skate before a 7:10 pm game against Central Division foes, Cincinnati Cyclones, Cole Tymkin sat down with Olde City Sports Network to talk about his OHL days, signing his first professional contract, and more!

Prior to Tymkin’s collegiate career, he played in the OHL for the London Knights. He dressed in 199 games and tallied 38 goals and 55 assists. Tymkin touches on the organization and what they provided to him in terms of development.  “It was a very professional organization. I learned a lot from the staff. The amount of talent that came through London really helped me realize how skillful and dedicated some of the players are. It really just prepped me for having the confidence and playing my style. Dale Hunter, my coach, really abled me to play my rough kind of style and carry the guys as far as physicality and fighting and all that, so I could only credit him as like, for how I got to play and really help my play style.”

After his time with the OHL and the London Knights, Tymkin went on to Brock University to play in the USports League. USports is the highest level of play for Men’s Ice Hockey at the University level in Canada. “It's a great opportunity for you to go get a degree because you get that OHL scholarship if you meet your requirements as far as your contract, but outside of the school part, the hockey is really good, it's kind of slept on in my opinion. You get a lot of great major junior players that probably could go to the ECHL right away or go to the AHL right away out of junior, but you might as well take your school package if you have school set in mind, so in that factor, like it's it's really good to do that. I'm getting my degree and finishing it this year and I'm happy I can do that, and then also go on and play pro hockey, but it really does set you up with like with your time management because you got to do school, you gotta do athletics, your social life, so it really does prepare you. The coaches were really great when I was there, and it really set me up to be a professional coming here.”

Going from OHL, to collegiate play, and then into the ranks of professional hockey, there are differences within each level. Tymkin touches on what he feels the differences are for him, even with just being in the ECHL for such a short time. “Big time., I mean, the fans, the rinks, and the style of hockey. It's completely different. It's a lot more soft in the OUA just based on that kind of being that kind of league, but yeah, like coming here, it's definitely a big change. It's a lot more professional in terms of like the snacks they have out for you, the trainers. I mean, the trainer that we have in Brock [University] was great, too, but it's just a little bit of a step up.”

Signing the first professional contract is always a dream come true for players who want to go to the professional level. Sometimes players do not know what to expect coming into a schedule and the rough terrain of the ECHL. “It was cool. I mean, I didn't really know what to expect coming in, right, like you're a new guy coming to a new team. I only really knew Cole Cameron from playing against him, and it was cool to sign it. It was honestly a long time coming. I always felt like the ECHL kind of suited my play style and my game. When I did get the text from Mitch [Giguere] reached out to me first, I was really excited looking at the team and hearing about the history of the team and everything. I thought it was a good fit for me, but it was a really exciting feeling.”

Every player gets their start in hockey from a young age. Starting at a young age, players tend to have the rules ingrained into them and learn their style of play throughout the years. “I lived in a little border town until I was about 10 years old. My older sisters started playing before me, and they did the first year of figure skating, so then I did my first year of figure skating when I was about four years old. It's not easy, and I wish it made me a better skater because I'm not the best skater in the world. That's when I got into it was was about four years old and then played when I was five and then played for a couple of years in Minnesota and then moved to Fort Francis and then kicked off my career.”

Physicality is a major part of Tymkin’s game and style. In 21 games thus far, Tymkin has accumulated 63 penalty minutes. He came into a Wheeling Nailers team that needed grit and size. “I mean a big role, like it's always been a part of my game. I've always tried to be that guy that people kind of fear when they're on the ice just cause they know I'm gonna finish every hit and be in your face kind of thing. It's a huge role. I think whoever wins a physicality match usually wins a game, so, I think wearing down the team of physicality goes a lot further than a lot of people think.”

Improving the game outside of the rink is just as important and improving it inside of the rink. Rest and recovery play a huge part into how a player plays. “Just honestly preparing the body, like talking about physicality, like you get pretty worn down, come to that Sunday game in a three and three and making sure, like I just got out of the ice bath and like doing little stuff like that, rolling out. Gator's been great with our recovery [Mark Gaydos, Strength and Conditioning Coach]. Ritzi's [Lauren Rittle, Athletic Trainer] been really good with whatever is nagging at you. Just honestly keeping up on your body, make sure you're eating well. That's the biggest thing outside of practice.”

Pressure situations on the ice happen throughout every game. Tymkin touches on what he does to keep the bench in a good mood and keep the nerves away. “I just honestly try to keep it light. I was mic’d up yesterday. I have pretty bad ADHD, so I'm kind of all over the place on the bench sometimes, but I feel like a part of me that helps me kind of keep it loose without being too loose. When I hit the ice, it's game on, and I'm serious about it, and I'm serious about it on the bench too. It's just that I try to keep it light, so it's not like I'm gripping my stick too hard or making other guys feel nervous with my nervous energy. I wanted to stay light and keep everyone going that way.”

Every player tends to have a player that they model their style and game after. Tymkin touches on who he likes to model his game after. “Oh, it's a good question I like to think like a Tom Wilson kind of style or like a like a gritty kind of player that that can also like play hockey and make some plays and, you know, be a be a part of the success without just being a, you know, a fighter and and a tough guy, so yeah, I think Tom Wilson's a good a good guy to, a model like I like to model my game after a bit.”

There is always a dream three-on-three overtime lineup. Tymkin touches on what his three-on-three would be if he had a choice “I'll say I’m going back to my London days, Liam Foudy was always crazy in three-on-three's. He always got the job done. I'd put him as one. I'd say I'm gonna go all London. I go Liam Foudy, for Robert Thomas and Evan Bouchard.”

Tymkin signed with the Wheeling Nailers on February 20th. He has played in 21 games thus far and has tallied three goals and two assists. 

- Samantha Wismer/ Olde City Sports Network

- Photo Credit- Stacey Grubich/ Olde City Sports Network