Sports Series: McCormick would welcome Buffalo-area coaching gig
By Sam Laskaris
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Cody McCormick would welcome another opportunity to be more involved in a sport he was forced to abruptly end as a professional.
But McCormick, a member of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation in southwestern Ontario, is not thrilled at the prospect of moving in order to land a coaching job.
“I’m not looking to uproot my family,” said McCormick, who played in 432 National Hockey League (NHL) contests during his pro career, which lasted from 2003 through 2015.
McCormick was forced to retire in 2016 as blood clots, which started in his leg but spread to his lungs, jeopardized his health. A return to playing could have further increased his risks.
McCormick announced his retirement a year-and-a-half after playing his final NHL game in January of 2015.
Though his health has since improved, McCormick does continue to take a pre-cautionary dose of blood thinners daily.
Following his retirement, McCormick has done some work at hockey camps in Buffalo.
He’s also had a couple of different coaching gigs.
He briefly served as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, who compete in Ontario Junior Hockey League.
And he was also the head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Beauts, a professional women’s squad that participates in the National Women’s Hockey League, for a portion of the 2018-19 season.
McCormick, who is 37, said he would consider another coaching offer if it came his way. But he would in all likelihood not accept it if it meant having to move from his current home in a Buffalo suburb.
McCormick, who is married and has three children (two daughters and a son), said he moved around quite a bit during his own playing days and would prefer to remain where he is now.
McCormick had been on the move since the age of 16 when he joined the Belleville Bulls, who were members of the Ontario Hockey League. He spent four seasons with the Bulls, including the 2002-03 season when he was the captain of the club and averaged more than a point per game, racking up 69 points in 61 outings.
Though he had some offensive traits, in the pro ranks, McCormick quickly realized he had to bring other attributes to the rink in order to maintain a job.
During his rookie season in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, the club’s roster featured numerous high-scoring players including Joe Sakic, Alex Tanguay, Milan Hejduk, Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.
“I don’t think they were looking for too many other goal scorers,” McCormick said, adding he knew he could find some playing time with the club by playing a physical and aggressive game when counted on.
McCormick though was not content to simply be known for his physical play throughout his career.
“At the same time I tried to evolve with the game as the game evolved,” he said.
When fighting started to become a less important part of the sport, McCormick said he started focusing on other aspects of his game that would keep him in the lineup. To that end, he became more proficient at killing penalties and taking key faceoffs, allowing him to earn some ice time later on in his career.
Besides Colorado, McCormick also had NHL stints with the Minnesota Wild and Buffalo Sabres. And as a pro, he suited up for six different squads in the American Hockey League.
Since his retirement as an athlete, McCormick has also travelled to various Indigenous communities throughout Canada, including fly-in ones, to talk not only about hockey but also about health and wellness.
“I would like to get back into the communities,” he said. “That’s something I really enjoyed.”
This story is part of an Anishinabek News series, written by Sam Laskaris, profiling former athletes with Anishinabek ties.