By Sheri Monk

Colin Patterson may be a Stanley Cup-winning hockey player, but when he was in college, all he really wanted was his degree.
After high school, he attended Clarkson College and was working on a batchelor degree in science. While hard at his studies in 1983, in his third year of college at 23-years-old, the Calgary Flames asked him to join the organization. He signed, but insisted on completing his degree.
“The big thing for my signing with them was they would pay for the rest of my schooling. I was on a full scholarship at Clarkson so I couldn’t afford to pay for my last year unless they were going to pay for it.”
“It was a surprise,” Patterson said, explaining how he had been cut from a Junior A team, which led him to believe his chances at a pro career were finished. “The game was changing, they were taking a lot of younger players, 18, 19, 20, whereas I went to college when I was 20.”
The unexpected hockey career did delay his graduation – he spent three summers to finish his last year of college. He ended up with his batchelor of science with a major in marketing and management. Knee injuries in 1990 kept him out of the entire season. He would not return for a ninth season with the Flames and was picked up by the Buffalo Sabres, where he played for another two years.
While the transition from hockey can be difficult for some, Patterson says dealt with it well.
“I was psychologically ready for it when it happened because I knew time was ticking down. When you’re only playing 40 or 50 games a year because of injury, you know that there’s younger guys who can do what you can do and can play 80 games.”
After one year of playing pro in Europe, Patterson was ready to enter the working world with the degree he had worked so hard for years before.
One of the highlights of Patterson’s career was winning the Stanley Cup in 1989, still alongside the Calgary Flames.
Patterson grew up in Rexdale, Ontario and spent much of his childhood on the ice in his backyard. While backyard rinks are still around in today’s world, Patterson says other aspects of the game have changed.
“Yes and no. The fact that kids want to play and just have fun, that hasn’t changed. I think what has changes is the preparation of how kids get into the game and the expectations of parents. I think there’s also a change in how much it costs financially to get into the game and play the game.”
Patterson says kids should be exposed to several sports, not just to hockey to ensure they are well-rounded and not too disappointed if they don’t make to the next level.
Today, Patterson is in the final stages of completing his MBA and is married with two children at Calgary. He played in the 2005 NHL Alumni Celebrity Tournament and will be attending the 2010 Celebrity Tournament April 10 at the Maple Creek Community Arena.
“I believe in what hockey can do for people and especially in the smaller towns and communities, the rink is a big thing. And it’s a focus point for bringing people together and I’m a big believer in that. That’s why you get a lot of guys more than willing to come down and help out.”
For more information on the celebrity tournament log onto thebadger.ca/4on4.