Calgary Kids - Cash Koch

First time moving away from home is always a memorable day.

For Calgary product Cash Koch, the shift from Calgary to Tri-City was massive - but he wasn’t alone in the process, with plenty of local talent on the squad.

“One of my boys, Jackson Smith, I grew up and played on the same team with since Timbits,” Koch said. “Been on the same team every year expect one, so it's been special to carry that memory and our hockey childhood with us. It’s very rare you see that (playing on same team), let alone every year, so for us to only miss just one season is something special.

“Living away in itself is hard enough, but being in the U.S. was another element on top of that. I remember going down there and checking out the school and how different it was compared to Edge. The weather was way different, I’m not used to having no snow in my yard every morning, which I didn’t mind at all, but still kinda missed it.”

Koch and Smith have been through it all together, from minor hockey to their journey to the WHL, and a big credit to that was their time at the Edge School.

“The Edge pushed me on and off the ice, especially the academic part,” he said. “It made me the guy I am today and made me into a leader, too. The on ice stuff, training, we’re all brothers there. The exposure playing in the CSSHL with all the showcases and the scouts coming on the weekend is a big factor that plays into that. The facilities there are awesome and still training there in the summer, I’m grateful for that.”

For the past two seasons, Koch has built an identity in the Ams lineup, a physical presence who plays with a high motor, and seemingly hits everything that moves.

And although the offensive numbers didn’t end where he would have liked, there is still a lot to build on.

“The team made a big improvement to our outcome last year,” Koch said. “More successful overall, making playoffs and throughout the year, we had more success, especially when we went on that 14-game win streak that really highlighted the success we had and built for the future.

“I know I could’ve produced more in the points area, tried to play as physical as I could the whole year, stood on that and that’s what led me and built me.”

Ranked 181st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, the tenacity to his game caught the eye of the scouts and brought a new element to the Americans lineup.

“I was honoured, it’s a big accomplishment,” Koch said on making the list. “I always saw my buddies who were older than me get listed on there and always thought it was so cool; I'm grateful for it.

“Coaches and players gave me the same advice throughout the year: take it in, soak it all in, make the most of it and embrace every moment of it. That’s what I tried to do and still do now.”

Being a local kid, Koch spent many days at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Attending Flames and Hitmen games, the now-18-year-old once dreamed of hitting the ice and took a quick liking and mirrored his game around a former Flame.

“Seeing (Matthew) Tkachuk is what built me into the player I am playing that gritty style of game,” he said. “The guy who really put me into that physical play first was Big Buff (Dustin Byfuglien. I would watch highlights when I was little of him hitting guys and thought, ‘Damn, I want to be that one day,’ and I feel like I’m going in that direction.”