Former Thunderbirds, Rockets goaltender Schwebius named WHL Grad of the Month for November

Vancouver, B.C.- Time to bust out the brooms.

With a perfect 6-0-0-0 sweep in November, UBC Thunderbirds netminder Cole Schwebius has been named WHL Grad of the Month for November.

“It feels good,” Schwebius said. “I had a chance to look at some of the past winners, and it was just a list of very respectable players, so that means a lot to be kind of part of that group.”

The third-year Thunderbirds goaltender backed up his perfect monthly record with a paltry 1.33 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage and a 19-save shutout against the West Division Rival University Calgary Dinos on November 16.

🏒 MHKY | Cole Schwebius flashes the glove doing his part to keep this game scoreless well into the 2nd period #GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/WVHIk0lOTb

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) November 17, 2024

Heading into the winter break, UBC leads the competitive West Division with a 12-5 record and eight straight victories, highlighted by a pair of 5-2 road wins over the Mount Royal Cougars.

Schwebius is also proud of how the Thunderbirds dug in after starting their season 0-3-1, which included a pair of one-goal decisions and a shootout loss.

“It took a little bit, but our team just really believes,” Schwebius added. “There was no panic, just, ‘Hey guys, keep doing what we’re doing’ and it started to work out for us.”

The 6-foot, 185-pound netminder holds a 28-4-4 career record with UBC to go along with a 2.17 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage and four shutouts.

Last season, he backstopped the Thunderbirds to their first Canada West Men’s Hockey Championship in 53 years.

His competitive drive also extends to the classroom.

The 23-year-old is attending UBC’s prestigious Sauder School of Business and has earned Academic All-Canadian honours twice.

“I’m just pretty competitive,” Schwebius smiled. “I have a few guys on our team, Benjamin Keon and Samuel Huo, we’re in the business program together, so most of our classes are the same, most of our schedules are the same, and we kind of just compete for marks all the time. It helps our learning. I’m sure it, at times, adds a little bit of extra stress that doesn’t need to be there, but, you know, it keeps it fun.”

Schwebius’s penchant for academic excellence goes back to his WHL days.

Growing up in Kelowna, B.C., he loved cheering for the Rockets and would eventually pull on the iconic teal sweater himself, but the WHL Scholarship also played a key role in his decision.

“When I was 15-16, I was pretty good academically,” Schwebius recalled. “Looking at NCAA was a pretty big pull for me… But I had heard stories of guys that, you know, just get injured, or  your scholarship isn’t full tuition, and we wouldn’t have been able to afford that. The WHL Scholarship was a really, really big thing.”

Originally drafted by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 10th round of the 2016 WHL Prospects Draft, Schwebius went on to play one season in Washington and parts of three campaigns in his hometown.

He closed out his WHL career with a 17-23-2-0 record, a 3.67 goals-against average, a .890 save percentage and two shutouts.

For each season played in the WHL, a player is awarded a one-year post-secondary scholarship, which includes tuition, compulsory fees, and required textbooks. In partnership with Canada West universities, numerous WHL Scholarship recipients each year are also awarded additional financial assistance from their university to receive Western Canada’s Premier Hockey Scholarship.

Since 1993, the WHL has awarded nearly 8,000 scholarships to graduate players. The WHL is the leading supplier of hockey scholarships in Western Canada and offers one of the most comprehensive scholarships in North America.

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.

About Canada West

As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes who excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university-level high-performance sports programs throughout Western Canada.