When Cote talks about his role with the Flyers, he doesn't pull any punches.
"I would say I'm an energy player, enforcer. If it is a fight or a body check, I'm just getting the team fired up," said Cote.
He is second in the league in total fights. If he didn't mix it up, he wouldn't have a job. Just like goal scorers practice at the net, he too needed to find a way to improve his craft.
Cote has been taking classes since the summer. Instructor Marco Perazzo tailoring the workouts to skills he'll need on the ice.
"I bring some big guys in to work on punching and balance. It's the same sort of things that have made him a better fighter this year," said Perazzo.
Marco will also look at video of Riley's fights, find weaknesses to try to help him improve.
"We'll look at his video and upcoming opponents, guys that he'll be seeing down the road," said Perazzo "My goal is to be number one. I take my job seriously and do it the best that I can," said Cote.
Here's hoping it gives the Flyers a fighting chance at getting deep into the playoffs.
