Catching up with Calgary Canucks captain Bowden Singleton

The AJHL experience

The hometown kid, Singleton, played in 185 games in the AJHL, where he scored 77 goals and 219 points. He began his Junior A career briefly with former AJHL teams, the Sherwood Park Crusaders and the Okotoks Oilers, before moving on to the BCHL to join the Vernon Vipers.

His time in the BCHL was short-lived, appearing in 16 games with the Vipers, where he knew it was time for him to head home. Returning to his hometown team was an instant success, where he scored nine goals and picked up 26 points in 22 games to wrap up the 2022–23 season.

The following season, he was named captain of the Canucks, leading his team to back-to-back championships and helping turn the organization into a premier Junior A program.

What has been the best part about leading this team the past few seasons?

Singleton: “The best part about leading this team and organization is the people around me, from the support staff, the coaching staff, and the players that we have brought in are all great people. Makes my job a lot easier, and everybody’s bought in. That was our one thing from the beginning of last year, is the players have bought in, you buy into your role, and everybody sticks to that role, and you can see it has taken another level here. And I think it’s good for the organization to win a few championships, puts us back on the Billboard, I would say, and makes this an awesome place to play in junior hockey.”

How does it feel for this team to win back-to-back titles?

Singleton: “It feels really good. It’s hard to win once. It’s even harder to win twice. And I felt like our group last year paved the way for us this year, and kind of showed us how we can win and how we can do it together. And our culture is huge, and it’s been a big factor in our last two years of winning.”

After battling through injuries last season and missing the finals, what did this title mean to you?

Singleton: “Playing in the finals is way different than watching from the stands. You’re out there playing with the boys, playing your hardest, doing all the little things, right. And the way I lead on the ice is by example. Even [Head Coach Brad Moran] said to me after we won, ‘Does it feel a little bit different to be on the ice when you win?’ It does feel different being in that moment, being with your team and having an impact on the win is way more exciting.”

The Centennial Cup is coming to Calgary!

Starting next week, the Canucks will be be hosting the National Junior A Championship, May 8–18 at the Max Bell Centre in the 10-team tournament.

Last season, the Canucks finished among the final four teams in Canada, coming close with an appearance in the semifinal, and this year look to win the Centennial Cup. The Canucks won the Centennial Cup one previous time in 1995.

This will be Calgary’s first time hosting the tournament, returning to Alberta after the 2019 edition in Brooks.

What’s the team vibe and energy heading into the Centennial Cup?

Singleton: “I think we’re super excited to be hosting it. We got the city of Calgary behind us and our great fans to get us going, there’s just a great buzz. We won the AJHL cup, and that’s a good feeling, but we want an even better feeling, and something that’s never been at home.”

Have you looked at some teams securing their spots this past week? Which team are you most excited to see play?

Singleton: “I would say the Melfort Mustangs. They knocked us out in the semifinals last year in Oakville, and I feel like we want payback. We didn’t give them our best, we weren’t our very best last year in the Centennial Cup. Sometimes you gotta learn to lose before you win it all, right? I think we have a lot of experience from our guys returning to the tournament and have our sights set on winning it all.”

What can people expect from the Canucks if they visit Calgary?

Singleton: “We’re a super fast, smart and skilled group; we can put the puck in the back of the net, but we can also defend and shut teams down, making us a hard team to play against. I think we can beat anybody when we stick to our game plan, do the right things and stay on the same page as a group throughout a game. A few little tweaks here and there to adapt to various styles of play in the leagues across Canada.”

NCAA commitment and future career

Singleton is wrapping up his junior career and has committed to NCAA Division I, having chosen Tennessee State University back in early October.

What are your future plans for hockey? What classes are you pursuing at Tennessee State?

Singleton: “I’m pursuing an education in Kinesiology. I’ve always been the guy who likes the movement activity and the physical side of things in training and sports. And the plan is to go to Tennessee State starting next season and work my way up. I want to one day play pro, whether that’s the NHL, AHL, Europe or wherever that may be, the dream is to play pro.”

We at The Win Column would like to thank the entire Calgary Canucks organization for allowing us to cover the team’s most recent playoff run. And a special thank you to Bowden Singleton for taking the time to chat with us. We’ll be cheering you on, wherever your career takes you!