Cole Caufield has some very big goals for the upcoming campaign
The 15th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Cole Caufield, had a dream 2020-2021 season. This included winning the Hobey Baker Trophy and the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship. He made his professional debut with the Montreal Canadiens and reached the Stanley Cup Final. It's very unusual for athletes to have such a busy year, however, it only confirms that Caufield is no ordinary kid. He even called the past year the best year of his life so far, which is only fitting.
Just two days ago, Cole Caufield was officially presented with the Hobey Baker Trophy in person. At the end of the ceremony, the 20-year-old winger opened up about his goals for the upcoming season in an interview with Arpon Basu.
From what we can tell, Caufield has very big plans for the future, as he has his eyes set on the Calder Trophy.
"Yeah, that's something that you only get one chance at in your career, so it is a big goal of mine. Obviously, there's a lot of things that go into that, but it will always be in the back of my mind. I'm not going to worry too much about it because I'm obviously playing to win, but I think that's something that everybody works for. For me personally, it's a goal for me that I'll be hoping to get."
The Canadiens' number 22 is not lacking in confidence, and we fans love that! However, he remains lucid. Caufield does not take his place in the lineup for granted. He will work hard to get his spot next to Nick Suzuki.
"I think every year you have to go in to try and earn your spot. Everybody's trying to push, so my mindset is just earning my spot, earning some respect. I've got a long way to go, but I want to be a difference-maker, and I think that will come with me proving myself. That'll never stop in my career."
Caufield even admitted that he kept in touch with his partner Nick Suzuki during the summer. They obviously have a lot of fun together, even off the ice.
"Nick and I talk pretty much every day. We're always keeping in contact, just seeing what's up. We'll share some things on social media that we think are funny and stuff. We stay in contact pretty often. We're both excited to get back there and get back to work."
The youngster also shared his experience with his captain Shea Weber. According to him, Weber has a special aura that everyone feels, even when he is not present. This gives a good taste of the atmosphere that will reign in the Habs locker room next season, which is very encouraging.
"I think just right away, it was him being really respectful to everybody. He made it less stressful for me walking into a room like that, just having a guy like that, captain of the team, walk up to you and shake your hand and welcome you. I think his presence, no matter where he is, is felt by everybody, and I think that's what's so special about him."
