Cook credits brother and coaches for getting him to NLL

By Lethbridge Herald on September 24, 2024.

billie Barrett photo Carter Cook in game action with the Calgary Mountaineers.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Local lacrosse player Carter Cook will hope to live out a professional lacrosse later this fall.

Cook, whose brother Conner got drafted by last year by the Calgary Roughnecks, got drafted year at 49th overall by same team, in last week’s National Lacrosse League Draft.

Cook, at 20 years old, is the youngest player from south of Calgary to be drafted  to the NLL.

The brothers played for three seasons together on the Rocky Mountan Lacross League’s  Calgary Mountaineers junior A team.

“It was a lot of training done with my brother,” said Carter, on his preparation before the draft.

“Just being able to play and learn from him because he’s a great player, (he) had experience in Senior A already … and just high tempo practices with a great coach.”

Cook thinks it is key to keep growing and expanding at the junior level.

“I think (a) huge part of it, is just being around great players and great coaches and just trying to reach new levels,” said Carter.

It fired him up when he saw his brother get drafted last year.

“It really fired me up just to even have an opportunity because it’s always been the goal and then seeing him do it, just proves that you can do it coming from Lethbridge,” said Carter.

Cook now will prepare for Roughnecks camp in November.

“I’m just (going to) go in (and) prove to them that I’m a high level lacrosse player and just earn it just like I’ve always done,” said Carter.

Lacrosse has meant so much to Carter.

“It’s built so many great relationships and it taught me so much about myself,” said Carter.

“It was amazing and well deserving,” said Cody Hawkins, Mountaineers head coach.

“He had to be patient that day. If I had it my way or it was my decision, I think he would (have) gone earlier on the board . So I think the Roughnecks are really lucky to have gotten him where (they) got him and  being from the Rocky Mountain league, typically some of our players don’t really get the credit they deserve. But I believe Carter’s one of those players that’s going to show up at training camp and kind of wow his coaches just like he had done for us and everybody else that’s ever had the opportunity to see him on the floor.”

Cook played all the way up through the Lethbridge minor lacrosse ranks before being drafted by the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League’s Calgary Jr. A Mounties in 2021.

“We drafted him kind of not knowing if he was an offensive player or a defensive player and he ended up just being an incredible competitor,” recalled Hawkins.

“He’s the only player in our league, I would say, that typically plays a full time defensive position and an offensive position. I think that’s where he’s going to be able to kind of transfer his ability into the next level is honestly just his capability of being able to handle whatever load is given to him at a high level.”

He was named the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League’s Transition Player of the Year in 2023, named an assistant captain by the Mounties last season and played in the Minto Cup in 2023.

While Carter will try to make the Roughnecks, Conner has signed with the Colorado Mammoth after just finishing out a season out in B.C. playing Senior A  lacrosse.