Interview With Cameron Marks

By Allison Dawe

To Cameron Marks hockey represents more than just a sport he loves, it’s a lifestyle. From a young age he realized that hockey was going to be part of his life for a long time. It’s taken him many places, and has made an unforgettable impact on his life every step of the way. I asked him about how the sport has shaped his life and journey. Here’s what he had to say:

Hockey is a popular sport in your country, when did you first start playing? 

The importance the role of hockey plays in Canadian culture cannot be expressed in words and like many young kids before, I was thrown into ice skates shortly after I began walking. Skating lessons at the tender age of two transitioned into organized hockey just a few years later at five,and since then, the sport has played a major role in my everyday life. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that I would be entering my fifth year of professional hockey in the country of France, but here we are, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

What led to your decision to play at UNH? 

Unfortunately, there’s no great backstory that factored into my choosing of UNH. In fact, I didn’t even know where the school was located if you were to put a map in my face shortly after I committed. However, if I were to say what the biggest factor was that weighed into my selection, it would have to be the recruiting work and oversight that former assistant coach Scott Borek had in the process. He made myself alongside my parents feel comfortable with what UNH meant as both an educational facility and an athletics powerhouse. Looking back on it now, committing blind and putting full trust in Scott ended up being the right choice and I can confidently say that I spent four of the best years of my life being on the Durham campus.

What is one of your favorite hockey memories? 

Winning the provincial championship and hoisting the Fred Page Cup with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL is something that I’ll never forget. I’m always a sucker for cheering on the underdog in sports culture and during the year 2013-2014, this was the absolute definition of our team heading into playoffs. After finishing the year hovering around a record of .500, there weren’t many people who gave us even an outside chance of passing the first round.

Nonetheless, we put our heads down and got to work slowly knocking off teams one by one until we reached the finals, where we won the best of seven series in four straight games. Proving everyone wrong and etching our team name in history makes this answer an easy one.

You are currently playing in professional hockey in France. What has that experience been like? 

Simply put, the style of ice hockey that is taught in Europe places further emphasis on using precision and skill rather than physicality and toughness, which suits my game style a lot more. From an off-ice standpoint, the team provides import players with accommodation within walking distance of the ice rink, a vehicle, and a livable salary among other things. This gives us the unique opportunity to explore the rich history that exists in the continent, which has provided me with several memorable life experiences along the way.

What memory from playing at UNH stands out most in your mind? 

The memories I made at UNH were countless, but the the one that first comes to mind is winning the playoff series against Providence my freshman year to advance our team to the Hockey East semi-finals and essentially give us the chance to play at the TD Garden. The sheer elation in the locker room after winning the third and decisive game in overtime is something I will always remember and cherish. A close second would have to be playing an outdoor game against Northeastern in the Frozen Fenway series during 2017.

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January 5th, 2024