Just call him Captain Consistent.

You know what you’re going to get with Denver senior center Cole Guttman. He’s scored 20 or more points in all four seasons at DU. He plays every game (he’s at 117 and counting). He wins nearly 55 percent of his face-offs and is the type of player his coaches will send out when the clock is winding down. He’s also a three-time NCHC Academic All-Conference Team member and raised the bar last season by being cited as an NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete (grade-point average above 3.5).

In other words, he’s trustworthy.

Last season’s team MVP also is one of three DU nominees for the Hobey Baker Award, joining his wingers Bobby Brink and Carter Savoie on that list.

The Los Angeles native recently fired away at some sweet feeds from Magness Mayhem.

What are some of your favorite things about Denver?

The thing that separates our program from others is the culture and the history of all the different teams. It’s amazing to see, especially when there is an alumni weekend and the alumni come back and share stories. You get to hear their stories and compare them to yours. Obviously there is a rich history of winning, the success that we’ve had and the expectations we have. It’s extremely exciting to play here.

Before you got to Denver, what were some of your favorite memories in hockey?

The Quebec (International) Pee Wee Tournament was a big one. We (L.A. Selects) were fortunate enough to win it. Going to Iowa (Dubuque of the United States Hockey League) and living away from home, living the junior experience. Probably those two things.

That Quebec team had a lot of people on it who are still playing at a high level.

There are a lot of guys who went on to play Division I, major junior, guys who were drafted by NHL teams. We had a really good team. (It included U.S. Olympian Cayla Barnes, Minnesota Wild prospect Ivan Lodnia, San Jose Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, Philadelphia Flyers prospect and Boston College defenseman Jack St. Ivany, Canisius forward Cooper Haar and forward Brannon McManus, who is on this weekend’s foe Omaha).

Speaking of the draft, what do you remember about that?

Pro hockey has been a dream of mine since I was a young kid. Getting drafted was an awesome experience, but right now you can’t really focus on that. You’ve got to focus on being here in Denver and winning a national championship. That’s part of the culture here. Pro hockey is a dream, but right now your head has to stay (in the present), winning these games and going to the playoffs.

Growing up, did you have favorite players or a favorite team?

I liked my hometown team, the L.A. Kings. And my favorite player was always Sidney Crosby.

If you were to build your ultimate line with any players in hockey history, and you’re on a really good one right now (with fellow Hobey Baker Award nominees junior Bobby Brink and sophomore Carter Savoie), who would be your line mates?

I’d have to go with Wayne Gretzky and maybe Crosby because he’s my favorite player.

So three centers?

I’ll go wing (laughs). I’ll let those guys handle center.

One of your strengths is face-offs. What are some of the keys to being so good in the circle?

Face-offs are huge. You learn more and more about that as the years have gone on, especially in defensive zone situations and end-of-game situations. You’ve got to come up with possession in order to make things happen. We practice them after practice a lot and watch some video. As a smaller guy (5-foot-11, 180 pounds), getting my weight over the dot and getting as much weight on my stick and speed is important because a lot of centers are bigger than me. Using my weight in the right way and being fast with it are important.

Who have been some of the biggest influences on you, whether growing up, in hockey?

My dad (Brent) is the biggest influence for me. He’s always been my biggest fan when it comes to hockey. He comes to every game and we talk about every game on the phone to this day. He plays hockey for fun still, so he loves the game. We’re always talking about the game. He gives me tips on what he sees. Just getting his advice growing up and having him support me is huge.

Did he play growing up?

He played for fun in youth hockey. It wasn’t as big in California then as it is now. Then he started playing men’s league when he was 18 or 19.

Let’s shift gears a bit. What is the ultimate pre-game meal?

Every time it’s two pieces of chicken teriyaki, pasta, and maybe a chocolate cookie after.

What are the important skills to have to balance school and playing a college sport at the Division I level?

Time management is the main one. If you asked every freshman who goes here all the way through their senior year here that’s the learning curve, managing your time. You have to learn how to get school done and focus on hockey. Something I had to improve on was separating out school when I’m at the rink and separating out hockey when I’m at school. A lot of it is knowing what aspect of your life to focus on when and devoting all of your energy to that.

What types of things do you enjoy when you have free time?

It depends on the weather. I like to go outside, I like to play golf. I’m not very good. Or play video games with my roommates and teammates.

I’ve heard there are quite a few funny guys in the DU locker room, so who are the main comedians?

It depends. There are a lot of different types of humor. (Jack) Works is pretty funny, pretty witty. He’s got some quick things to say. And Mike Benning is pretty funny in his own way. He doesn’t mean to be funny but just the way he does things and how he comes off is pretty hilarious.

I’ve heard Kyle Mayhew is now the main D.J. What does he supply you guys with to get you pumped up?

If it was just up to him it would be pretty hard-core rap. But the boys don’t all like that. So he’ll throw in some EDM and some country, depending on the mood. Occasionally some rock, so he plays it all.

If there was someone in the room running for President, who do you think it should be?

That’s a tough one. I’ll give it to Kyle Mayhew. He’s pretty level headed and he’s pretty good at articulating his thoughts. I’ll go with him.

We’d like to thank Cole for his time.

©First Line Editorial 2022