If playing a role in helping Alberta raise the WHL Cup in an inspiring comeback win doesn't light your fire for the balance of the season, nothing will.
A storybook win at the WHL Cup still resonates with Matthew Hilderman, Jensen Marsh and Leif Oaten. It was a textbook demonstration of why you never say die when the chips are down.
Because they were.
Saskatchewan had grabbed a 4-0 lead over Alberta in the cup's semifinal and looked to be on their way to beating our boys for the second time in the tournament.
That all changed at 14:45 of the second. In the final five minutes of the period, they scored two powerplay goals, one by Cochrane's Matthew Hilderman, and knocked on the door with a third with 22 seconds remaining in the period.
Five more unanswered goals followed, two of them by Hilderman. His fourth goal of the game was an empty netter in the final two minutes of play to give Alberta a 9-5 win.
The scoring floodgate Alberta had been seeking all tournament had been opened in time for the games that mattered the most. The final against Manitoba almost seemed anti-climactic, an 8-1 win, with Hilderman getting his second game winning goal of the tournament.
Matthew Hilderman, 15, says it took until the playoffs for the chemistry to kick in. The game before they had lost to British Columbia 2-0 and were scoreless for almost four period.
"We still weren't clicking really well," says Hilderman, "And when it came to that semifinal second period, we definitely started to click more when we started going to the net and communicating more on the bench."
Hilderman says they were expecting a tough semifinal game against Saskatchewan and studied hard to pick apart their defence.
"Our goalie coach showed us a good goal scoring video and places to shoot on goalies. We used that and it worked well."
Scoring four goals in that game will be a lasting memory of being part of a special team.
"It was pretty cool to score four goals in the semifinal game of a tournament like that. Being able to celebrate that win with my teammates after was a pretty cool experience."
He was teamed up with Cochrane's Jensen Marsh and Airdrie's linemates from the U18 AAA Airdrie Bisons.
"I think our coach thought that the chemistry we had from our U18 team would carry over and it definitely worked out for us.
Marsh and Hilderman already had a bond that goes back years before joining the Bisons this season.
"I've played Jensen for about four years now. We've gained a lot of chemistry over those four years and have a pretty big friendship."
The Bisons are off to a strong start in the U18AAA AEHL with a solid 7-2-1 record. Hilderman says they are determined to make the cut for the elite Circle K Classic tournament being held in Calgary, Dec. 27 to Jan. 1. The announcement of the teams selected for the tournament is imminent.
Both Hilderman and Marsh were selected by WHL teams in the spring. Hilderman with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Marsh by the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Since being drafted by the Thunderbirds last spring, Hilderman has attended camp with Seattle and played in a few preseason games. He may be called up for a few games this season and aspires to play with them full-time next season.
Cochrane goalie Leif Oaten, who plays with the Edge U19 prep team, was also solid between the pipes. He was the first goalie selected in the WHL draft in May and was snatched by the Lethbridge Hurricanes.