Welcome to this week’s edition of the Calgary Canucks alumni profile.
Corey Hirsch spent one season in the blue, green and white as a 15 year old backup goalie during the 1987-88 season. Corey played a handful of games during the season and considered Buddy Brazier, the team’s starting goalie at the time a mentor. “Buddy was so good to me, he was a hard edged guy but as a 15 year old he really looked out for me and helped me develop during my time in Calgary”. Corey ended up playing game 7 of the Abbot Cup final against the Notre Dame Hounds in one of the most talked about games in team history. “Curtis Joseph was really the biggest difference in the end result, you look back and think about playing against him and Rod Corey Hirsch Brind’Amour and they were all that and then some” Corey reflected further “it was a memorable year, especially with Craig Thorson passing away from 01-Jul-72 Born cancer, I was 15 and hadn’t really ever gone through anything like that. It Medicine Hat, AB, CAN had a big impact on the team and really brought us together as a group. I think it’s really important that we remember Craig and what he meant to Position Goalie our team” Shot Left Junior Calgary Canucks (AJHL) Hockey Teams Kamloops Blazers (WHL) Binghamton Rangers (AHL) New York Rangers (NHL) Canadian National Team (Intl.) Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
Syracuse Crunch (AHL) Following his time in Calgary, Corey spent 4 seasons with the Kamloops Utah Grizzlies (IHL) Blazers and while he had difficulty adjusting to life away from home he Milwaukee Admirals (IHL) blossomed into a top tier major junior goalie winning the CHL goalie of the year in 1992. “it was hard at first, I remember that first year I thought about Pro Hockey Washington Capitals (NHL) coming back home to the Canucks, but I stuck it out there and Kamloops Teams Cincinnati Cyclones (AHL) really became like a second home for me” Corey followed up his time in the WHL by being drafted in the 8th round by the New York Rangers “Being Albany River Rats (AHL) drafted by the Rangers was everything and then some. It was honestly like Philadelphia Phantoms playing for the Yankees. Playing on the big stage at Madison Square Garden (AHL) was just amazing and like I said it was like playing for the Yankees and you Dallas Stars (NHL) only get that feeling with the Rangers and Yankees in New York”. Corey went onto playing 13 years of pro hockey including stops in New York, Vancouver, Utah Grizzlies (AHL) Washington and Dallas before finishing up his pro career in the Swedish Elite Timra IK (SEL) League. ”Sweden was a great experience, it’s very similar to Canada over there and I really enjoyed my time there. The people over there are Kassel Huskies (DEL) outstanding and honestly the hockey is very professional and not that far off Malmo Redhawks (Swe-1) the NHL” Playing 1987 - 2006 These days Corey is living in Phoenix and has a few exciting projects on the career go “Well first off I spend a lot of time taxiing kids around” Corey laughed “I have a daily hockey talk show starting up on Sirius XM Radio, I’m also doing some hockey panel TV work for the Phoenix Coyotes with Tyson Nash and Canucks Career have a few real estate ventures going on in the Phoenix area”. Seasons 1 Corey offered some simple advice to the up and coming Canucks players GP 32 “Hockey is an expensive sport to play and we’re all trying to make the NHL GAA 3.59 but it’s not all about the money, it’s all about the life skills you gain and being a part of a team that will stay with you for the rest of your life”
The Canucks would like to congratulate Corey for his continued success both on and off the ice and thank him for his contributions to the Canucks organization. Calgary Canucks Alumni Feature – October 13, 2016