Combining life on the farm with stopping pucks on the rink
This week’s story is intriguing, one we are glad to be sharing.
It begins in Lower Truro where Ashton Cutten grew up on a crop farm. Developing an early interest in hockey, he played the game before starting school.
“My early interest in hockey would have come from my father (Chris) my aunt Sarah and my uncle Barton, they all played hockey. I played forward up until age six, then I switched over to goaltending.
“It had a lot to do with my father being a goaltender. I kind of got a jump on goaltending because my father held goaltender clinics.”
Playing in the Truro & Area Minor Hockey Association from Novice up through the ranks, an early highlight saw Cutten stopping pucks in Pee Wee AAA hockey. During that season as a 13-yearold, he got an invite to a tryout camp with the Hockey Nova Scotia 11 to 14 team.
He gained further experience playing Bantam, by the 2018-19 hockey season Cutten was playing with Fundy Thunder in Minor Midget ranks.
“I didn’t play the 2019 – 2020 season,” Cutten, 18, said. “The 2020 – 2021 season was definitely a change of pace for me, I tried out for the Brookfield Junior B Elks and coach Phil Lynds told me I had made the team. He explained that the team had an experienced, returning goaltender but that I would gain some experience. Danny Walsh was a good guy, it was cool to be around a guy of his calibre, he had a lot of determination as a goaltender.”
Cutten showed up for every practice and every game just waiting for his chance, for his opportunity. Late in the season, he was given a road start against the offensively strong Liverpool Privateers.
Facing 65 shots, Cutten turned in quite a performance.
Although the Elks lost 5-2, the young man, small in stature at 5 foot 9 inches and 135 pounds, put on a goaltending clinic in acrobatic fashion as he amazingly stopped 60 of the shots he faced.
“That game showed me I could play in the league, and I could be a plus factor against the top teams. It kind of made me feel like I belonged.”
In action with the Elks early this season, Cutten has again been brilliant.
“His teammates can’t believe the outstanding saves Ashton has been making,” coach Phil Lynds said. “Ashton has been keeping us in games, he’s been giving us a chance to win every night. Our players have a lot of faith in Ashton, they know they can count on him.”
I watched Cutten closely firsthand during an early November game at the Sportsplex in Brookfield. The strong East Hants Penguins came at the young goaltender with power and force. Cutten put on a magnificent performance as he stopped 42 of the 44 shots he faced.
In a home game played later in November, the Elks trailed the visiting Strait Pirates 5-2 midway through the third period. A pair of goals by the Elks Noah Latimer and another tally by Owen Gravel tied the contest up at 5-5.
The Elks Brennan Macdonald scored with seconds showing on the clock (Jacob Bolgar assisted on the goal) giving the Elks a tremendously exciting 6-5 comeback win.
Not to go unnoticed was another remarkable performance in goal by Cutten, he stopped 44 of 49 shots directed his way, sparking the Elks to their first win of the season.
“Every one of us were happy to finally get the job done,” Cutten told me. “The coaches have been telling us we can put it together, that we’re a better team than our record indicates. Finally winning, it was crazy in the dressing room. Hopefully, there will be many more wins ahead.”
And that also creates the possibility for the Elks (sixth in their division which is led by Sackville Blazers) to become a contending team.
We also had an interesting conversation on Ashton’s theory on goaltending and his potential to play a higher calibre of hockey in the future. And I was intrigued as he shared with me his interest in the workforce and being involved in business.
“Part of it would have started during my youth,
I got well acquainted with work,” Cutten said. “I helped harvest the hay every summer, I ran the tether and the rake, I also spent time on the hay wagon.”
For the last two summers, Cutten has been operating his own business.
“In order to fend for myself I’ve been clear-cutting property owned by my father,” he said. “I sell the firewood. It’s gone pretty well, and it keeps me in money for the summer.”
Looking ahead to this winter, Cutten will operate a snowplow for his father.
“There is a challenge in having to get up around four a.m. but it’s interesting the things we do. For the time being, I plan to work for my father’s business, but the plan is for me to eventually go into business for myself. I’m learning the ropes of being a businessman from my father Chris. I want to learn more about dealing with people so to get ready for bigger business and whatever takes place down the road.”
You have to tip your hat to Ashton Cutten, the young man deserves credit as he steps up to the plate in both hockey and working for a living.
Worth Repeating is a weekly column touching on stories from the past, life experiences and events from the present day. If you have a column idea, contact Lyle at 902 673-2857.