Brock Caufield Finding His Comfort Zone In Reading

October 31, 2024

The 2023-24 ECHL season didn’t end quite the way Brock Caufield had envisioned. The 25-year-old right winger and older brother of Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield was about to wrap up his rookie season with the Newfoundland Growlers, who were fighting for a playoff spot.

Then, suddenly, it vanished with the speed of one of Brock’s shots at the net.

The ECHL pulled the plug on the Growlers’ membership last April after the club failed to fulfill all its obligations under the league’s Bylaws. The Growlers still had six regular-season games remaining, all of which were canceled.

“It was kind of crazy how everything happened so fast,” Caufield, a Stevens Point, Wisconsin native, said. “Just when we thought we were fighting for a playoff spot and trying to make our season last as long as possible, it was weird how it all ended. But you can’t control everything.”

That’s certainly true. Sudden change is just a way of life for a professional hockey player. The best way to deal with it is to regroup and keep pushing toward the next opportunity.

With his rookie season abruptly finished, Brock spent a few days at the lake back in Wisconsin before spending the rest of the summer training with Cole in Michigan. It was a good mix of relaxation and hockey, especially after the roller coaster ride of last season.

“I got to hang out with family and stuff, which is always special especially after last year being in Newfoundland and kind of away from everything on an island,” Caufield said.

Caufield was also in search of a new team. When Reading Royals head coach and general manager Jason Binkley called during the summer, the two immediately bonded.

“I like his passion,” Caufield said of Binkley, who’s in his first full season as head coach and GM of the Royals. “We’re similar in a lot of ways. We want to win and we want to build a good culture here. It was a really good fit for me. I decided I wanted to come here and got really excited.”

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Brock Caufield Finding His Comfort Zone In Reading

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