Carter Brooks is not only my colleague, but he’s a person I also consider a friend. I make that statement simply as a disclaimer because I am going to use this space to praise our associate editor, Carter Brooks, and his father, Jonathan.
This season, the Brooks’ coaching team guided their Winnipeg U-18 AA Twins to Hockey Winnipeg’s city championship and they did so in style.
The Twins finished the season with an eye-popping record of 24-2- 0-1. Then, in the playoffs, the Brooks’ Twins continued their domination, going undefeated with a semi-final sweep of the Lord Selkirk Rebels before shutting out the St. James Canadians in three-straight.
Naturally, Carter gave all the kudos to his players.
“We had an incredibly talented group of players who fully bought in from the start of the season,” he said. “Not only that, they were willing to put in the work every step of the way. Having the best player in the league as our captain (Dylan Martens) and a goaltending tandem that shared just two losses on the year (Massimo DeLuca-Taronno and Tristan Boak) certainly helped.”
Naturally, Carter gave all the kudos to his players.
“We had an incredibly talented group of players who fully bought in from the start of the season,” he said. “Not only that, they were willing to put in the work every step of the way. Having the best player in the league as our captain (Dylan Martens) and a goaltending tandem that shared just two losses on the year (Massimo DeLuca-Taronno and Tristan Boak) certainly helped.”
After the championship was locked up and the players had skated with the trophy, Carter and Jonathan announced their retirement from coaching.
It had been a long 40-year haul for Jonathan, and after winning it all, this was a perfect time to go out on a high and on his own terms.
But not before one final honour.
“Being presented with the Twins’ Lifetime Achievement Award was an incredibly special experience for the both of us,” Carter said. “Although we only spent 10 years coaching the Midget/U18 team, the award definitely recognizes my dad’s commitment extending far deeper than the past decade. He began coaching in 1981 with the Bronx Park Bruins and went out on top with a city championship and a near-perfect 30-2-1 record with the Twins this season.”
“I’m no expert, but I would imagine that 40 years of voluntarily coaching minor hockey would be some sort of record within Hockey Winnipeg,” Carter added. “I’m honestly not sure if there is another wife out there who would allow her husband to be out at the rink five nights a week from September to April every year either. If there’s anyone who really deserves an award, it’s my mom.”
Alongside Carter and Jonathan, the full U-18 staff - consisting of fellow longtime members Carter Cerasani, Noah Evans, Riley Glesby and Austin Zimak - have also decided to move on.
“I’m no expert, but I would imagine that 40 years of voluntarily coaching minor hockey would be some sort of record within Hockey Winnipeg,” Carter added. “I’m honestly not sure if there is another wife out there who would allow her husband to be out at the rink five nights a week from September to April every year either. If there’s anyone who really deserves an award, it’s my mom.”
Alongside Carter and Jonathan, the full U-18 staff - consisting of fellow longtime members Carter Cerasani, Noah Evans, Riley Glesby and Austin Zimak - have also decided to move on.
The 25-member U-18 Twins roster was presented with their deserved championship rings at the year-end pool party windup in early-August. The personalized rings - as designed by coach Brooks - feature the team's 30-2-1 overall record as well as their playoff series sweeps, captured and created perfectly by Jostens Canada.
https://twitter.com/boakerstar/status/1554650841772064769
Congratulations, Carter and Jonathan, and thanks for all you have done for hockey in Manitoba.
*This story first appeared as the 'Letter from the Editor' in the May/June issue - Year 10, Edition 5 - of Game On Magazine.
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