The story behind how two siblings reunited on the ice with men’s hockey team

It is a cold winter night in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but the brothers are still playing hockey in the backyard rink that Dad set up. A fight breaks out, and suddenly the floodlights illuminating the makeshift rink go out. 

This became a common occurrence when Cole and Brett Gammer played each other in one-on-one hockey together growing up. But today, the Gammer brothers take the ice every week at Liberty for the first time ever
as teammates.  

“It has been a really cool experience, getting ready, practicing and playing with your brother which is a new thing for both of us,” freshman Brett Gammer said. “Cole is one of my best friends, so it’s been great to have him out there and just have fun with him.”

This is Cole Gammer’s third season with the team, and his accomplishments are well known among the team and the students at Liberty. For Brett Gammer, this is only the beginning. He has been a part of the team since January.

Brett Gammer’s first real experience with the team was on the missions trip the team took to Finland, a trip that he had to go on without his big brother.

“It was a huge opportunity to get him to come on the missions trip,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “Cole had just gotten married, so he was not able to come. It was really good for (Brett) to be there in front of people and building relationships.”

Brett Gammer said he was able to bond with the team on his own and help push the team to a victory, scoring two goals in their scrimmage.

“It was nice because school had not started yet – we got to be together spreading our faith as a team,” Brett Gammer said. “It is really easy to bond with a team when you are praying together constantly, going to worship services, praying with kids and going to different events in a different country.” 

Cole Gammer is still getting used to having his brother on the team. It is something that he has started to enjoy as they spend more time together on the ice.

“It’s been really fun. It has definitely been weird at times looking across and he’s there,” Cole Gammer said. “Liberty has kind of been my thing for the last two and a half years so to have him here is different, but it is so cool, and it will be a memory that I will have forever.”

Handy has noticed quite a few similarities between the two, especially in their playstyle. Both play forward positions and play aggressively for
the puck.

This is not the first set of brothers on the team, with Josh and Jacob Fricks on the roster along with Andy and Cody Clarke. 

“Both guys play similar styles – energetic power forwards with the ability to make plays,” Handy said. “When the second brother comes, it is easier for them to acclimate to the school and the environment because they know what to expect with their older brother being here.”

The two joked about their similar styles with older brother Cole Gammer calling his younger brother a “greasier version” of himself (“greasy” in hockey means a more aggressive and hardnosed playstyle).

Brett Gammer credits some of this to his experience in a more aggressive and “chippy” junior league and his times playing with his brother.

“Since we were never on the same team, I was constantly at the rink watching Cole when I did not have my own games,” Brett Gammer said. “Since I was watching Cole more than any other player, that is how I learned when he had success … and I thought about how I could have that in my game.”

Cole Gammer joked about their time growing up as he remembered their very competitive and sometimes heated games of one-on-one.

“It was a lot of one-way domination I’d have to say,” Cole Gammer said. “A lot of the scores were about 10 or 15 to nothing. (Brett) has taken some hard losses over his career, but I think it has made him better.”

Brett thinks Cole might not have remembered those times accurately.

“I did get beat pretty handily growing up, but as we got older the games got closer and closer and it definitely helped me always having to go against a tougher opponent,” Brett Gammer said.

Having a brother on the team helps bring comfort to the two, now playing in the league with the hardest skill level they have ever experienced, and Handy is aware of ways to keep them both successful in their roles.

“We do not want to force him (Brett) in, we want to bring him in so that he can achieve success not only on day one but long term,” Handy said. 

With the two having a full course load this semester they use the time at the rink as a time to hang out and grow closer. 

“It was strange the other day – Brett took a big hit and I got kind of angry,” Cole Gammer said. “Since he’s been here, I have only felt that a couple times, but he’s a big guy and he can handle himself, and me trying to protect him won’t help him.”

As the Gammer brothers’ story begins at Liberty, expectations are high, but with Cole Gammer’s point-scoring success and Brett Gammer’s strong start, the sky is the limit.

Brett Gammer acknowledges that there is an adjustment period in coming to Liberty with the school work, a social life and hockey. It has been something that he has enjoyed getting used to and is looking forward to what lies ahead.

“I think it feels good to be productive throughout the day and knowing that you are growing yourself in many ways like with your faith, academically and obviously in hockey,” Brett Gammer said.  

Dean is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter.