Cole Perfetti grew up playing youth hockey in Whitby and joined the Wildcats for bantam and minor midget hockey. He played 64 games with the Vaughn Kings of the GTMMHL where he recorded 125 points. He also played five games as a 16-year-old affiliate in the OJHL, where he scored two goals and four assists. Perfetti committed to Michigan but was taken fifth overall by Saginaw in the OHL Draft and signed with the team.
We chatted with Perfetti about his youth hockey experience, his commitment to Michigan and why he signed with Saginaw instead.
Neutral Zone: How and when did you start playing hockey?
Cole Perfetti: I started playing hockey at three years old. My parents signed me up for a local house league.
NZ: What’s your earliest memory of playing hockey?
CP: Skating on the pond behind our house.
NZ: What was your youth experience like?
CP: My youth hockey experience was awesome. I played on the same team with most of the same players for the majority of my life. We had great coaching and had many unbelievable experiences and a lot of team success.
NZ: How did you join Whitby?
CP: I live in Whitby and my parents signed me up for tyke hockey there. I made the Novice AAA team and stayed on that team until minor midget when everyone on our team went their separate ways.
NZ: How did playing there help your development?
CP: I was lucky to have very good and supportive coaches. I was also able to play up with the ‘01s so that really helped me to develop.
NZ: What adjustments did you have to make as such a young player in the OJHL?
CP: I played five games as an [affiliate player] this year. It was a fun experience. I was given a lot of opportunity by the coaches, and the guys treated me great. I just tried to play my game but it was tougher playing against older, stronger and faster players.
NZ: What was your NCAA recruiting process like, and how did you ultimately choose Michigan?
CP: We met with and visited a number of great schools but at the end of the day the combination of academics, hockey and history of success I felt was the best at Michigan. I was a big fan of Michigan sports since I was little, so that played into it.
NZ: What was your OHL draft experience like?
CP: The draft year was a lot of fun and I got to meet a lot of great hockey people. When my name was called it was kind of weird since I was already committed.
NZ: How did you decide to sign with Saginaw?
CP: Once I was drafted, the team had me down to see the city and the facilities. Once I met the owners, coaches, management and some of other players, I began to realize that playing in the OHL was the best route for me to develop over the next couple of years.
NZ: What’s your best on-ice skill?
CP: My hockey sense I believe is my strongest attribute.
NZ: What area of your game are you trying to improve the most?
CP: I want to improve my straight-line speed the most.
NZ: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
CP: Work hard and have fun.
NZ: What’s the toughest challenge you’ve faced in hockey?
CP: In my first year of minor midget I fractured the growth plate in my shoulder and I missed a month. In such an important year it was difficult to be away from teammates for so long.
