Cedar Rapids RoughRiders’ Cooper Flinton not satisfied

CEDAR RAPIDS — Robert Flinton wants more.

“I’m not satisfied with just being all right, I want to be the best, ” the 18-year-old Cedar Rapids RoughRiders hockey player said after Sunday’s 4-1 win over Green Bay at the ImOn Ice Arena.

Flinton, who goes by Cooper, has notable intentions for his future.

“My plan is to go to Dartmouth next year, and then take it from there,” Flinton said. “I like to take it year by year.”

Along with his Division I commitment, he also was drafted by Tampa Bay.

“It was unreal,” Flinton said. “I didn’t see it coming, to be honest, but it was a dream come true.”

With impressive aspirations on the horizon, Flinton is one of many successful athletes the RoughRider organization has produced. There are four former RoughRiders in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

“I think it’s a huge shoutout to this organization and all the coaches,” Flinton said.

Flinton has been committed to working on his speed and agility in order to improve to levels needed in the NHL.

“Just being here, with the higher speeds, I need to improve just to handle my own here,” Flinton said. “It was an adjustment getting used to the speed because everything happens so much faster.”

RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson also noted Flinton’s improvement in agility. “When his feet are moving, he’s really effective,” Carlson said.

“I know I have to keep working on those things to separate myself,” Flinton said. “I can’t step off the gas at all.”

Flinton aims to land a pro contract by the end of his college career. His preparations for the future date back to the age of 2, when he first started to skate.

Flinton is following in his dad’s footsteps. Eric Flinton also played hockey in college and in the minor leagues.

“He’s the one who started me young, and I just fell in love with it,” Cooper said.

Originally from Auburn, New Hampshire, Flinton has traveled across the country to make his dreams a reality.

“It’s a new adventure for me,” Flinton said about moving to Cedar Rapids to play hockey. Like most players on his team, Flinton lives with teammates with a local family.

“We spend every second of every day together, so it translates on the ice, too,” he said. “We all know what we’re going to do because we know each other so well.”

Flinton admits his favorite part of the sport is the team aspect.

Flinton remains a highly capable athlete in the RoughRider program and is likely to affect the teams he plans to join in the coming years.

“He’s just going to keep getting better,” Carlson said. “His best days are ahead, for sure, which is a compliment to him.”