Brock Caufield, Brother of Canadiens Winger Cole Caufield, Embracing Role with ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers

Brock Caufield talks ECHL opportunities with the Growlers and family ties in hockey in a one-on-one with The Hockey News.

“He looks just like his brother!”

That’s the general sentiments and recurring theme surrounding Brock Caufield as he navigates media day for the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers at the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s on Tuesday.

And while the resemblance between him and his younger brother – Montreal Canadiens ace scorer Cole Caufield – is striking, Brock Caufield is his own man on and off the ice.

“I’m kind of just trying to learn from those guys,” Caufield shared during a one-on-one with The Hockey News. “Obviously Cookie (Coach Matt Cooke) and a lot of the staff, they’ve been to the highest level and know what it takes and the ins and outs of the game. Kind of just picking their brain and trying to get better each day. There are a lot of good veteran leaders here and they know the way. Trying to follow them and get excited about the first game.”

Caufield, 24, appeared in 172 games with the University of Wisconsin (NCAA) over five seasons, registering 33 goals and 41 assists. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin native captured the NCAA (B1G) Regular Season Championship in the 2020-21 season.

Prior to his collegiate career, Caufield collected 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 118 games with the Green Bay Gamblers (NCAA).

In Cooke, Caufield has found a veteran presence who has been through the grind of long playoff stints and the demanding rigors of pro hockey.

“I think, just as a player he’s given me a lot of confidence to go out there and just be myself,” says Caufield. “That’s just on day two so far. I haven’t known him that long, but he seems to be really player-focused. Just trying to get each player better and find their own path.”

A multi-talented winger who, at 5’9, 180 pounds, relies on speed and skill as opposed to size to find comfortable areas on the ice, with a handy knack for generating offense.

“I think I play well on both sides of the puck,” he says. “ I think I like to look to make plays, and I like to score goals and kind of just anything to help the team win. Putting the puck in the net is fun too.”

Naturally, hockey was baked into the pie for the Caufield clan long before Brock and younger brother Cole began their on-ice journey.

Father Paul was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, played for the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UWSP), where he was an offensive juggernaut. 

Their grandfather, Wayne Caufield is a member of the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame who played semi-professional hockey for 13 years and spent over two decades working within the hockey system in the Milwaukee area.

“My grandfather played and my dad played,” Brock shared, diving into his earliest interactions within the sport. “Growing up at the house hockey was always on. Me and my brother were going downstairs to play mini-sticks, shoot pucks, everything. It’s always been ingrained in us and I fell in love with it at an early age.”

Admitting that he grew up a diehard Avalanche fan due to his father’s affinity for the Nordiques, which in turn migrated with the club to Colorado, Brock jokes “It’s different when you’re brother is in the league. You kind of pull for him a little bit.”

With Cole manning the ice for Montreal and Brock fully entrenched in the Toronto system, dinner table conversation could tend to skew toward the age-old Habs/Leafs rivalry. Though Brock’s quick to admit that both brothers are forever supportive of the other’s path through the wide world of hockey.

“You look at the gear and the stuff, it’s weird when we were both airing out our gear and it was right next to each other’s. It’s cool that we’re both playing hockey still and trying to get better. I love to watch him play and he likes to support me too,” he said.

“I love watching his games and learning from him as a player too. It’s supporting as a brother but there are also things to learn from him because he’s a talented player and fun to watch.”

As for the task at hand, Caufield looks forward to honing his skills with the Growlers, learning under Cooke, development coach Adam Pardy, and the Kelly Cup-winning crew in St. John’s.

“Obviously I want to produce and play well that way, but whatever it takes to win here. I know these guys and the veterans, they’ve done it before, so kind of learn from them along the way. Hopefully win here and develop myself to be the best player I can be.”