Meet Corbett Rowcliffe!

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Corbett Rowcliffe and I live in Kirkland, QC, which is a suburb of Montreal.  I was born and raised in Baie D’Urfe, QC which is where I started to play hockey for the Baie D’Urfe Screaming Eagles.  I currently work in the software industry for a company called Cornerstone OnDemand where I am the Sales Manager for Eastern Canada.

I started playing hockey when I was four years old and played until I was 15 and then I chose to concentrate on my tennis.  I played outdoors occasionally for the next few years and then started playing again full time when I was 30 in a few different beer leagues.  I currently play in two old-timers leagues, the KOHL in Kirkland and the FPHL, which is a 3 v 3 league.  I love playing a few times a week with these great players and I love the friendships that I have built through the sport.  I also make sure that I play in a few tournaments every year, which are such fun and always raise funds for great charities!

The thing I love the most is being on the ice or watching my ’09 daughter, Millasyn play.  Whether it be regular season, tournaments, 3 V 3 or summer AAA, there is nothing I enjoy more than watching her and her friends play the game they love!  Millie has been playing since she was four in Pre-Novice and is now in her last year of Atom.  We have created such a fun bond with hockey and we both love travelling to games and tournaments together and with the whole family!

I have been coaching girls hockey for the last five seasons as either an assistant or head coach in Pre-Novice, Novice and Atom and have also coached during the summer at the AAA level as well as 3 V 3.  I think the many years of coaching tennis and working at top camps in the USA in the summer provided me with great skills that I am able to translate over to hockey.  I had some great coaches over the years and I try to emulate and use what they taught me.  Watching these young ladies I coach mature and grow up and learn so many new things is a privilege that I take seriously and I love every minute of it!

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A WHL BRAND AMBASSADOR?

I want to help women’s hockey grow in Quebec and all over North America. Quebec is a little behind the rest of Canada when it comes to female-specific leagues as we only start in Pee Wee. I would love to help change this by raising awareness of how much fun girls hockey can be!  Despite all the incredible female players who come out of Quebec, we still struggle to field a lot of girls-only teams.  The good news is that is slowly changing and I want to help with the process!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AS A #WHLAMBASSADOR?

I am hoping to contribute to the growth of women’s hockey all over Canada and make sure the next generation of younger girls realizes how much fun hockey is and what opportunities the game can provide them in the future.

WHAT’S SOMETHING NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I played NCAA tennis and was a nationally ranked singles and doubles players and I played a handful of Pro tournaments.  Another thing people may not know is that my oldest daughter only has half a working brain due to a Hemispherectomy surgery.  Despite this, she has still won numerous gold medals in swimming and rhythmic gymnastics at the provincial level with Special Olympics and at a national level in Defi Sportif.

IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN AND HAVE DINNER WITH ONE FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYER, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

There are so many to choose from but I would like to have a BBQ with these four ladies who I feel changed the game for the next generation:

Caroline Ouellette, Julie Chu (who have both worked with my daughter, Millie), and of course Haley Wickenheiser and Cammi Granato.  I think this foursome of ladies would have such great stories and provide such insight into women’s hockey since they were all such different players.  I think it would be a great round table discussion!

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN IN HOCKEY OR IN LIFE?

Nothing in life comes easy without hard work!  My college roommate my freshmen year (Pat Leahy) was blind and he was still an NCAA Division I wrestler.  He showed me what determination is and how nothing in life is easy but with hard work you can succeed.

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM FOR WOMEN’S HOCKEY?

Short term, I would love to see growth in Quebec and Canada and have girls’ teams at the youngest levels.  Long term, I would love to see more professional women’s hockey teams. I don’t see why we can have professional farm teams for the NHL in every city but only a few women’s teams.

Do you have what it takes to be a #WHLAmbassador?

Get more details and apply here!