Scoran: No Better Place

Kory Scoran was playing hockey in Holland, and he wanted to make the most of the opportunity. So he made a trip to Belgium. ?I flew my girlfriend to Holland, we took a train to France and I proposed to her at the top of the Eifel Tower,? recalled the veteran defenseman. ?I even went to the Antwerp diamond district in Belgium to get a ring.? While Scoran was making life-changing family decisions, the 6?3? defenseman was also making the most of his trip to Holland on the ice, tallying 33 points (9 G, 24 A) while guiding the Tilburg Trappers to the finals of the Dutch National Championship. ?I always wanted to go to Europe and hockey gave me a chance to go before I got too old,? said Scoran. Though Scoran enters the 2011-12 season as a veteran in his sixth full professional season, it was as a rookie that the Winnipeg native first became acquainted with Idaho. ?When I came here my first year I was a young rookie and I was looking up to the older guys,? Scoran remembered. ?My first line partner was amazing and helped me out a lot.? In his first full professional season in 2006-07, Scoran racked up 22 points in helping Idaho claim its first Kelly Cup Championship. Before leaving for Europe, Scoran posted 23 points during the 2007-08 campaign and a career-high 33 points during the 2008-09 season. One of the ?older guys? that Scoran looked to for advice was teammate Marty Flichel, who was in his fourth season as a Steelhead. ?It?s great to have him back,? Flichel said. ?He?s really grown up and he?s a veteran now so we expect a lot from him. He?s a good guy and a good teammate so we welcome him back with open arms.? Scoran, who has lived in the Boise area during the summers since he moved here as a rookie, said he had been looking forward to returning to the Steelheads. After a season with the Wichita Thunder in the CHL 2010-11, he got his chance. ?You kind of see things in a different way,? Scoran said of returning to Idaho as a veteran. ?Now it?s my role to be an older guy and help the newer guys on and off the ice.? But no matter how many years of experience Scoran has, the goal has always been the same. ?We won a championship here before and that?s my goal; to win another one,? stated Scoran. ?There?s no better place to win a championship than Boise.? (Story written by Media Relations Intern Jake Drzayich)