When Cole Zurawski arrived in January of 2025 in a trade with the Flint Firebirds for Sam McCue it didn’t take long for his personality to shine through and his skills to make a mark. Zurawski had heard great things about the team-as-family atmosphere in Owen Sound and was looking to play somewhere with more minutes and more opportunity. The Attack have been a great fit for the draft-eligible forward. I caught up with Cole on Wednesday with the team about to pack the bus for a weekend of road games in Peterborough, Kingston and Ottawa. Read on to learn more about Cole or take a listen to the full interview our new Soundcloud account.

First of all, thanks for taking the time to talk today. Maybe if we talk long enough you won’t have to load the bus.

Yeah, hopefully (laughs).

I was thinking we’d rewind right to the beginning, because I honestly don’t know a lot about how you got started playing hockey in the first place?

Just been around it my whole life. My dad played. My brother played. So my brother would always bring all of his buddies over and go downstairs and kind of play ball hockey. So I think ever since I was like three or four, I’ve just always been around it, and I just started skating. I guess my parents told me that I didn’t need to use like the bumper thing. I just got on the ice and started skating. So ever since then, I guess it’s just always been hockey.

Yeah, and lots of minor hockey days and hotel rooms and mini sticks and all of it.

Oh yeah. Just having fun. I always got told to take it in. I never really thought about it that much until, you know, you get to the next level and it’s a lot different. So I definitely would tell my younger self to enjoy it.

I’ve seen your parents at lots of games. What kind of support have they given you over the years?

Yeah, they’ve always been there for me. They’ve always helped me out, you know, they’ve given me the right tools, whether that’s training or driving me to the rink. They’ve given countless hours driving me to hockey schools and to the rink in the morning at 6 a.m. Yeah, nobody wanted to be there. So yeah, I’m pretty thankful and grateful for that.

When did you first get an idea that maybe you’d be going on to the OHL or pursuing things at another level?

I think I always knew that I wanted to. Ever since I was a young guy, I always wanted to play at the next level or, you know, play in the NHL. It’s always been a dream of mine. But I think U14, U15, and U16 were the years where I was like, okay, I can hopefully make something out of this and see where it takes me. And I mean, obviously I played well enough to, fortunately, get drafted to the OHL. I was really grateful for that and I was excited.

Obviously you started out in Flint. How long were you in Flint? What can you tell me about your time there?

Yeah, I was in Flint from the start of the season to January 8, the day I got traded. I know that day pretty well. I was in Brantford. So no, it was a great time in Flint. Obviously, I had a great time with the guys. All the guys were great. They were really welcoming. It was pretty easy to talk to all of them and the over-agers there. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out the way that my family and I and my agent wanted. So we requested a trade, and I kind of was hoping to come here. It was a place that I got told a lot of good things about, and I was excited to have the chance to hopefully come play here. And when I heard that I was coming here, I was pretty excited. So yeah.

That’s awesome. Who told you good things about here? Because it isn’t always something that we hear, that people are keen to come to Owen Sound necessarily. So what had you heard?

I think just before the draft, talking to Dale, hearing all the good things and all the fun stuff that happens around here. And then just other players that I even played with in Flint. They heard stories from players that they played with who had played here. I was only hearing good things about here. I heard the coaches were great. That they treated the team like family and that’s something I really look into, because I love a family as a hockey team. So yeah, I was pretty excited to come here.

Awesome. And then you got here. It’s a much smaller town, and I think there was room for you to kind of carve out way more ice time, more of a role. Has it been what you expected when you arrived?

Yeah, the day I got traded, I had a phone call, obviously, with the coaches, just to kind of get to know them a little bit more. And they knew how it was, how much I was playing in Flint, and they told me right then and there, that’s not how it is here. You’re going to play a bunch of minutes. Obviously, if you’re not playing well, you’re not going to get those minutes. But no, when I got here, I was quite surprised with how much I was playing. I mean, I had the opportunity to play power play as a first-year player. I was between the third and second line. So, I mean, you can’t complain with that as a first-year player. So I was super happy to be here and just play as much as I could to show them that I’m worth it.

What have you grown to love about this city and playing for this team?

I think just because it’s a small town, you don’t have too many distractions. And just the fans that come here every weekend, whether we’re playing good or not, just shows how much the community supports us. And I think we have the highest population-to-average-attendance percentage. So I mean, that just goes to show how much they care about our team here. Yeah, for sure.

Obviously, a season is a process, and this team started off really hot, and then trade deadline came, things got a little wild. Things kind of went downhill for a bit, but it feels like things are starting to come together now. What are you feeling like this team is still capable of this year?

Yeah, I mean, like you said, we had a great start to the year. It wasn’t a surprise to anybody. I think we were ready for that, and we were excited to start off the year. And obviously, every team goes through slumps. Unfortunately, our slump was way too long, and it wasn’t fun. But I think it’s just constantly trying to make ourselves better, whether it’s yourself or your teammates or your coaches or even your staff. It’s a team thing. It’s a team sport. So you kind of have to push through it together. You can’t get your backs up. You can’t go into self-protect mode. You’ve kind of got to just go day by day, get one percent better every day, and you’re going to get out of the slump eventually. And I think we’re doing a good job of that now.

So what’s the vibe like now, in terms of what you guys think you can still achieve?

I mean, there’s nothing I think that we can’t achieve. Obviously, we’re still fighting for a playoff spot, and I think that’s something that is really important to us, just making the playoffs, just kind of making that first step, getting there. And then, you know, you kind of go from there. Obviously, there’s always potential, and there’s always room to make it past the first round and even make it past the second round. And I don’t think that’s out of reach for this team. You know, I think we have the guys in the room to do it. It’s just we’ve all got to buy into our roles and play as a team. I think we can do it.

There were some quotes in the Sun Times about this team dinner that seems to be taking on a legendary status. The outing was how everyone started thinking about putting the team first. And there were some quotes from you about that that I noticed The next few games you were picking up some primary assists and making some great feeds to Max Delisle. Is that a change in your game, thinking about putting the team first?

Like you said, the team dinner was long overdue. We haven’t had one of those all year. And I think just going out and socializing with all the guys instead of everyone in just their little groups is something that’s really important, just getting to know everybody else, rather than just the guys you’ve played with. Even the staff, the coaches, the general manager, the owner of the team — it kind of just puts things into perspective that the team comes first. You have to know everybody, and you’re going to create chemistry with everybody, not just players you’ve played with before. So yeah, I think it was really good for the team, and it’s a team-first mentality, obviously, like you said. So I think it definitely helped our team have a little bit more jam in our game.

Yeah, cool. And Max is your billet brother?

Yeah, he lives with me, so we hang out quite often. So we have good chemistry already.

Tell me a little bit about what the experience at the OHL Top Prospects Game was like?

Yeah, it was obviously an unbelievable experience. I’m so grateful that I had the chance to even go do that. I was super excited the day that I heard that I was going, just because I got to play with all the best players in the league. A lot of familiar faces, playing against guys — and it was just cool to play with them and see what guys are capable of. I kind of went there with the mentality of just going to have fun and hopefully let the play do the talking. I mean, obviously it’s coming here next year, which is pretty cool. That’s good for Max — he won’t have to travel too far. That wasn’t the fun part, the traveling getting there. But that’s not the point of it. It was a great event. I’m super happy that I got to go. Coaches were great. The boys were great. And the game was unbelievable. Lots of skill out there. So I mean, it was hard to compete against them all but it was definitely a good challenge.

I noticed your usual number 17 was taken, so you opted for 67. Was that a nod to the millions of children obsessed with that number?

No. I mean, obviously, Alessandro Di Iorio, he’s a great player. He’s the captain in Sarnia so it was kind of obvious he was going to get that number. I wasn’t upset about it. He deserves it. And they know that I wore number 67 last year in Flint. So I think that’s kind of why they chose it. When I saw that I had that number, I was pretty excited, obviously for that reason — the kids love it.

Yeah, that’s hilarious. And you dropped the gloves at Prospects, which isn’t something that we’ve seen a lot. What was happening there?

Obviously, like I said before, there’s a lot of skill there. You can’t always go with the mindset that you’re going to be the most skilled guy, because that’s not always the case. So you’ve got to showcase something else, whether that’s hitting guys, fighting, or crashing the net. And I think that was something I needed to do in that game. Obviously, I didn’t put up any points, so in the second period I asked someone, “Hey, do you want to drop the gloves?” There was no bad blood. It wasn’t planned. And he said, “Ask me in the third period, and I’ll do it.” So I was out there, and he got on the ice in the third period, and we looked at each other and were like, “Alright, let’s do this.” So I’m happy he gave me one. It was awesome because it gives a chance to have everyone in the building’s eyes on you for 30 seconds. And I think that was kind of the point of it for both me and him. It was a fun fight.

Yeah, for sure, and it definitely made the rounds on social media the next day. So yeah, that can’t hurt. And you’ve announced your commitment to Notre Dame. How excited are you about that?

It’s super exciting. Just the verbal commitment is something that I’m super excited about, just to have something to look forward to in the future. Obviously, I don’t know when I’m going there, I don’t know that timeline yet. But I’m definitely super excited. Their staff is amazing. Their coaches are amazing. Kind of the same as here — they treat their team like family, and that’s something that’s really important to me. So I’m really excited to have something to look forward to in the future. And they’re a great school. They’re a hard school, which is unfortunate just because I’m not a big school guy. But it’s something to look forward to for sure.

I noticed in your announcement that you thanked your agent for being relentless and I liked that word choice. What did you mean by that?

I think a lot of agents in today’s world, unfortunately, they don’t really talk to their players much. They kind of just don’t come to games or talk much. But my agent, he’s always at games. He lets me know when he’s coming. We’re always talking, no matter if he’s down south or here. We’re always staying in contact and talking about things. He’s giving me updates. I’m giving him updates. And I’m really thankful for that. I’m glad I found him. He’s always being relentless on my behalf, whether it’s helping me commit somewhere or talking to people for me. I’m just super grateful for him and the opportunities he’s given me to showcase myself. He’s putting my name out there quite a bit, for sure. I’m really happy to be with him.

The NHL draft is coming quickly. How focused have you been on that this season?

I think I’ve said in a lot of my interviews this year, when I get asked something similar to that, that the biggest thing is you can’t think about it too much. If you do, you’re going to be overwhelmed with the what-ifs, and that’s not good for you. So I just try to go about it knowing it’s my draft year, but not stressing about it. Just play, let the play do the talking, and see where you end up. Try to have no regrets.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re pretty funny. How would you describe your personality and how that impacts your style of play?

I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m funny. I definitely throw jokes out there a lot, but some of them don’t hit. I think every team needs a guy like me. I’m talkative, I have a lot of energy, and I try to stay positive as much as I can. Obviously, you’re going to get frustrated at moments. That’s part of everybody. But I think I’m a pretty cool guy to be around. I like to laugh, even if they’re laughing at me because I made a silly joke.

What’s one thing no one knows about you that you’d want to share?
I play guitar. I learned about two years ago sitting in my buddy’s room. He had two guitars in there, and I just grabbed one and started strumming. I didn’t know chords or how to put songs together at the time, but he helped me a lot. I ended up getting a guitar for my birthday, and I was pretty excited. Ever since then, I’ve been teaching myself through YouTube and social media. It’s something a lot of people don’t know about me, and I’m pretty happy I learned because it calms me down and helps with stress.

Awesome. Well, that’s it. Thanks for your time. Good luck on the road.

Thank you. Couple big games coming up.

Yeah, a couple of big games for sure. You get to go play Bedzy.

Oh yeah, I can’t wait.

This season’s player interviews are sponsored by Burke’s Brick Work. Burke’s Brick Work is a full-service masonry company offering new home construction, as well as restoration work. We service both Grey and Bruce County. We work with all types of materials – brick, Block, and stone. We are available by phone at (289) 200-8290, by email at  burkesbrickwork@gmail.com You can  learn more at our website at https://www.burkesbrickwork.com and you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/burkesbrickwork and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/burkes_brick_work