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Growing up in the prairies of Alberta, Carter Rowney never saw mountains. The landscape was flat and the view didn’t end, taking in miles and miles of grain fields. Rowney spent his childhood working on the family farm and the local grain elevator. It was his hockey career which took him away from the small town into vibrant, bustling cities across America.
Still, Rowney has a soft spot for the windy Alberta prairie and always cherishes the time he gets to spend back home.
Player: Carter Rowney
Hometown: Sexsmith, Alberta
Type: Rural
Population: 2,418 (2011)
Distance from Wilkes-Barre: 2,675 miles
What was life like in Sexsmith? “My family farmed when I was young. I was raised on the farm until I was 10. Then, the oil and gas industry was really booming and my family got into that. My uncles and aunts still farm and those are the main industries up there, farming and oil and gas.”
Did you like growing up on a farm? “It was cool. A lot of little things you got to do around the farm to keep you busy. I remember cleaning granary bins, that was rotten. That was one of the first things I had to do as a kid. It was rotten and the pay wasn’t the greatest from my parents. But it was good to grow up on a farm. I got to drive the combines a little, but I was young so I didn’t run them that much. I was more of the errand boy.”
Battle of Alberta – Oilers or Flames? “I was actually a Detroit fan. Then the Oilers. I didn’t cheer much for the Flames.”
What were winters like on the Alberta prairie? “It’s cold. Really cold and windy. When you come here and hear people complain about about the cold, it’s funny. I’ll text my brother and it will be minus-40 Celsius and they’re still working outside. I don’t know how they do it.”
Any similarities between Wilkes-Barre and Sexsmith? “Not really. Wilkes-Barre is way bigger, way different. I can’t compare it because you have the rolling hills and the mountains. Wilkes-Barre seems a lot older and more history, with is just how the east in the U.S. is. Out west in Canada it’s newer in general.”
What’s it like to go back home being a pro hockey player from Sexsmith? “Friends and family really support me and are really proud of it. It’s pretty cool to go back home. My little cousins look up to me, so it’s fun to go back home and see friends and family. Some of my friends, their favorite team is Pittsburgh so they really think it’s cool I’m in the organization.”
Would you like to move back to Sexsmith one day? “Home is home. I have a big family and I love going back to see them. I could see moving back there, but I have an American girlfriend that I’ve been with since college. So I don’t know. It’s definitely a place I want to go back to one day.”