Growing up in Fort McMurray, AB it was always a dream of Kole Gable’s to one day play for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
That dream became a reality this past season when the 20 year old suited up for the MOB for his final year of junior hockey. Gable made an immediate impact to the line-up, bringing a wealth of experience, a tireless work ethic and a scoring touch that allowed him to make a dynamic duo alongside Reed Morison.
After a four year junior career split between the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, Gable will continue his hockey career at Grant MacEwan this fall as the Fort McMurrayite announced his commitment to the Griffins of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.
“The program is great, they’ve had a great team the last three years. The coach (Mike Ringrose) is awesome, he really seemed to really care about my well being and what I wanted and that made the decision easy,” said Gable on choosing Grant MacEwan after fielding offers from several schools across Canada.
The Griffins are a top team in the ACAC, having won the championship three straight years. Gable knows it will be a tough line-up to crack but feels his versatility as a player throughout his junior career has prepared him for whatever role he will be thrust in to.
“I know they’re losing a few scorers so the coaches said hopefully I can come in and fill that role. I had a pretty good season this year so I feel I can use that as an advantage going in,” said Gable who had 65 points in 58 games with the MOB this season. “But even if they need someone who can be a third-fourth line guy I’m okay with that, I did that my first three years of junior so it’s nothing new.”
Growing up, Gable was always a top player in his age group and like any top athlete in Fort McMurray, he had to move away from home at a young age to pursue his dream.
At the age of 14, he headed to Fort Saskatchewan to join the Rangers AAA program and spent three years developing at a higher level. Drafted by the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League, Gable made the team as a 17 year old in the 2015-16 season.
Entering his second year in the WHL, he was traded to the Swift Current Broncos and joined a team that was primed for something special. The following year, the Broncos won the 2018 WHL Championship with Gable contributing in a depth role. He played 166 games in the WHL, scoring 18 goals and 39 points. When the decision came as to what he would do for his final junior year, coming home to don the blue and gold in front of family and friends, was the perfect fit.
“I got to leave home and I got to experience all these things and play in the Memorial Cup and win a WHL Championship and then I got to come home and be a leader and play a bit more and be at home and everything just felt right,” said Gable of his hockey career coming full circle.
He found himself in a larger role under Head Coach Tom Keca and became a player that was counted on in every situation.
“Kole’s a dynamic, two-way forward that played a big role for us last season,” said Keca. “As a local player with WHL experience, Kole was a leader on and off the ice for us last season.”
Gable had a smile on his face the second he skated onto the ice after being introduced at the Casman Centre during the home opener, That smile stayed there all season except for a brief grit of the teeth every time he blocked a shot, which happened many times throughout the year as Gable helped the MOB to the 2nd-best penalty kill (85.71%) among AJHL teams during the regular season.
“The first game of the season against Grande Prairie, skating out onto the ice. Home ice, playing for the team, 20 years old, I think that was the moment when I said wow, this is really happening, this has been my dream for ever,” said Gable of his favourite moment with the MOB. “Then in playoffs, coming out to that crowd when everyone was into it, it just seemed so surreal. It’s hard to explain but those were two moments this year where I said wow, this is really happening, I’m with a great group of guys, I’m at home in front of friends and family and you couldn’t really beat it.”
As Gable heads to Grant MacEwan next year, he’ll be joined by his teammate and captain Taner Miller who also recently announced his commitment to the Griffins.
“It’s super exciting, it’ll be comforting to know there’s a familiar face around at the rink for someone to go to,” said Gable of playing with Miller.
Until then, Gable plans to continue to enjoy his time at home before heading to school to study Business and work towards a Bachelor of Commerce.
“This season playing at home was the best year of hockey I’ve ever played and I had so much fun.”
