It was a series that while it happened in April of 2024, many hockey fans are still talking about it, or at the very least, remember how it unfolded.
The Northern Manitoba Blizzard and Dauphin Kings locked horns in the first round of the Turnbull Cup playoffs and it was one of the most epic series in Canadian Junior Hockey League history. Cole Sheffield was a massive reason why it went the way it was.
The 20-year-old from London put on a show for fans. As Dauphin opened the series with a win, Sheffield turned away 46 shots. Then we fast forward to game six which was a game that ended far past midnight, Sheffield made 71 saves in a five-overtime victory for the Kings. Dauphin fell in game seven in triple overtime, but Sheffield once again brought his best game making 52 saves.
Months later, Cole still thinks about what a crazy series that was to be a part of.
"It was special. Looking back at it now, it's one of the best series you will ever see," said Sheffield. "Having a day off from that five-overtime game and then going to triple overtime, it was definitely tiring. It was definitely a cool experience and a lot of fun."
Following a solid off-season in the gym and on the ice, Sheffield had options when it came to where he would play this season. Kings fans were thrilled when they found out Cole was returning to Dauphin for his 20-year-old season.
"It's the culture, we have a lot of guys that returned from last year, and having that relationship with them is important," continued Sheffield. "I also live with our goaltending coach Dan Keeping and we have a great bond. He's great and has been a big part of my development, along with Doug, Rick, Brad, and Chad."
As Dauphin prepares for a key MGEU West Division matchup against the Virden Oil Capitals on Friday night, the Kings will be looking to flip the script. The team is coming off a 4-2 loss last Saturday against Virden in front of a sold-out crowd on Ukrainian Night. While that was a disappointing loss, it has been a season full of positives as the West Divison leaders sit at 26-10-1, six points ahead of Northern Manitoba with two games in hand.
Dauphin has the fourth-highest winning percentage in the league and while they're not chasing anyone in the West, they are chasing the East Division leaders, and Dauphin has games in hand on all of them. They're 10 points back of Winkler and Steinbach, with four games in hand on the Pistons and two on the Flyers. The Kings also have four games in hand on Portage and are six points back.
"We're building off each win. I feel like there's times when we're feeling really good about our game and we go into contests with swagger," said Sheffield. "This is a winning hockey club and we need to continue coming to the rink ready to compete and battle for one another."
Cole also continues to cook up some tasty meals between the pipes. Nicknamed 'King Sheffield' by many team fans, Cole has 22 wins this year, tied for the second-most in the league while leading in minutes played with 1877.
Sheffield also has two shutouts to his credit and his goals-against average and save percentage are right near the top. Sheffield can make a massive save when needed and make the cool and collected save. He's a treat to watch and Dauphin fans are lucky to witness what he has to offer all season long.
"Yeah, it's been good. Doug (Hedley) has given me a great opportunity to play a lot," commented Sheffield. "I've been fortunate enough to get that chance to play a lot and it's my job to give our team a chance to win."
Cole should have been invited to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League / Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Showcase last year but was left off the 20U all-star teams. This year, the MJHL got it right and named him to Team MJHL 20U Black.
Sheffield got the team's first game off as Christian Green of Steinbach gave up nine goals. Cole was in the net on Wednesday and what a performance it was. Sheffield made several outstanding saves including a save on Rylan Williams when he was awarded a penalty shot late in the second.
Sheffield turned away all 21 shots he faced in the third period finishing the game with 43 saves and was named the CCM Star of the Game for his team. It was the best goaltending performance of the tournament as Cole shut down Team SJHL 20U Gold.
"It was great. Especially after our first game when the team didn't play as well and lost, I really wanted to make sure our team won," he added. "The guys played great in front of me and I was able to make some big saves. It was great to get that experience and pick up the win for the team."
Cole was joined in Manitoba's capital by his teammates Naaman Hofer, Cayden Glover, Matthew Thomas, and Gavin Nemis. He played on the same team as Glover, Thomas, and Hofer while Nemis was on the MJHL's 18U all-star team.
"Thomas and Hofer were great defensively, they helped me a lot. Glover brings that offence and had a great game," continued Sheffield. "We had a chance to watch Nemis twice and he was flying out there, definitely one of the best players in the 18U games."
Cole's junior journey began in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League in the 2020-21 season with the French River Rapids where he played 39 games across two seasons. He joined the Kings in training camp in the 2022-23 season, the rest is history.
Sheffield has played 120 MJHL games, recording 69 wins and putting on a show for fans countless times. This season is Cole's last chance to make a championship run and he's not taking it lightly.
"I remember I was 16 playing junior and one of the veterans said just enjoy it, it goes fast," ended Sheffield. "Looking back now, it definitely flies. I'm trying to enjoy every second and that's what I'm doing. I believe we have the group to get the job done this year so hopefully, we can buy in and win a championship."
Sheffield chats with Darnell Duff.
