Riverside Boys: How Friendship and Love of the Game Are Helping to Fuel the Wheatley Sharks

They drive 45 minutes each way. Four guys from Riverside, carpooling out to Wheatley just to play hockey.

For Rory Sandison and Cooper Bulmer, it's not a sacrifice. It's the best part of the week.

Sandison, who played in Amherstburg last season, made the move to the Sharks and hasn't looked back. He's already carved out a spot on the first line and power play, and says the locker room feels like home.

"These coaches really believe in me," Sandison said. "It feels a lot better out there when you got coaches who really believe in yourself."

Bulmer is newer to the mix. Last night was his first game with Wheatley after making the jump from Amherstburg. He almost didn't come back to hockey at all, until his buddies talked him into it.

"I wasn't going to play at all," Bulmer said. "My buddies were bugging me. I just came back and was like, okay, and it just kind of worked out."

The two have known each other since they were seven years old. The 45-minute carpool? Goes by fast when you've got that kind of history.

"You get to hang out with your mates, then you get to the rink and play the game you love," Bulmer said. "You make friendships for life."