Cochrane is known for churning out elite level athletes from the gridiron to the rink and one of Cochrane’s golden boys has stood out in the eyes of his community.
Dillon Dubé has been recognized this year as the Best Local Athlete for the Cochrane Eagle’s annual Best of Cochrane Readers’ Choice awards.
“It means a lot,” said Dubé who added he has always been amazed at how much support he has received from the people of Cochrane and “how much they care about people from this town.”
Dubé moved to Cochrane when he was 10-years-old and since then he has had the fortune of being on the roster of some high performing squads.
Whether it was winning back-to-back championships with the Timberwolves or the Notre Dame Hounds or medalling with Canada’s World Junior Team, it’s easy to see how he is a local fan favourite.
Amplifying that hometown appeal was when Dubé was drafted to the Calgary Flames in 2016.
While making the NHL was a dream come true for Dubé, he said being chosen by the Flames was icing on the cake.
“It makes it a lot more special every time I play in the Saddledome,” said Dubé about being able to have a hometown crowd and family in the stands.
Dubé played 25 games with the Flames last season scoring one goal and registering four assists.
Next season he is hoping to hit the Flames roster fulltime and has been putting in the work in the off-season to make that happen.
“It’s not just getting stronger and faster, it’s mental too,” said Dubé.
With international gold and silver and a WHL championship under his belt, Dubé now has his eyes set on the Holy Grail of hockey – the Stanley Cup.
He recognizes it will take a lot of hard work to hoist that coveted prize, but he is also confident and believes the Flames have what it takes to reach that pinnacle.
“It’s in reach with the team Calgary has,” he said.
