Captain Colten: How a LA Kid Became Motor City’s Most Constant Presence

Captain Colten: How a LA Kid Became Motor City’s Most Constant Presence

 By Brady Beedon

Fraser Mich. - Turnover is common in just about every industry. Turnover is extremely common in minor pro sports.

Yet despite this fact of life, Josh Colten has become a pillar of the Motor City Rockers.

A Los Angeles native, Colten spent the early part of his hockey career for three different junior teams between two leagues, the British Columbia Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Colten eventually found himself nearly 3,000 miles away from the hustle and bustle of LA, at Westfield State University, a Division III school in Westfield, Massachusetts with an undergrad population of under 5,000. 

It was a stop that would eventually lead to him donning a Rockers uniform.

After his college career was over, Colten found himself vying for a roster spot in the professional ranks with the Danbury Titans of the then named Federal Hockey League.

“We had our first preseason game versus [The Berlin River Drivers],” Colten said. “I separated my shoulder on my first shift. So I was out for probably a couple weeks.”

But the injury persisted, and after the shoulder didn’t heal as quickly as the Titans would’ve liked, Colten was released.

Nobody picked up the rookie defenseman. With nowhere else to go, Colten returned to Westfield State to sleep on a friend's couch.

At an open skate with his teammates, he was able to make an unlikely connection that would help get him back into the league.

“We were skating and we met a guy from Jersey,” Colten said. “He knew [Brandon] Contratto who was in St Clair Shores. I was telling my situation and he said he knows a guy, he calls Contratto, and they grabbed me.”

The St Clair Shores Fighting Saints were an expansion franchise in the FHL during the 2016-17 season. 

“I started playing,” Colten said. “I did a weekend with them and they said ‘We’re going to sign you’”. 

While Colten had found his first pro team, the ill-fated franchise’s problems soon piled up.

“Checks definitely became smaller cash payments,” Colten said. “There was a point in time where, after about 12 games with them, they were like ‘hey look, if you're going to basically you’re not going to be getting paid.’ So they traded me over to Port Huron.”

Now in a new locker room, and playing for a team where he knew his check wouldn’t bounce, Colten flourished.

In his first full season with the Port Huron Prowlers, he was a point-per-game player en route to a Commissioner Cup Finals appearance. However, Colten and the Prowlers would be upset by the Watertown Wolves, dropping the series 3-1.

However during the 2018-19 season, Colten would step away from the Prowlers and the game of hockey, unsure if he would return.

“The organization was going through a lot of changes,” Colten said. “It seemed like it was going downhill. A lot of guys started to quit.”

Colten wanted to focus on his life off the ice as he walked away from the game.

“I’m like ‘Okay let me go get my life started,’” Colten said “I can come back and be in this league.”

Initially after leaving, he stayed with a former teammate in Flint, but eventually returned to California.

In 2020, it was announced that the FPHL awarded an expansion team in Fraser, Michigan, the Motor City Rockers.

However due to several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rockers never took the ice. But the announcement of a new team in Michigan piqued the interest of Colten.

“I took notice when Motor City was announced in 2020,” Colten said. “I thought maybe there was an opportunity to come back and play for a new team with a fresh start.”

Two years later, Colten would have his opportunity with the re-announcement of the Motor City Rockers for the 2022-23 season.

“I called up [Rockers General Manager Nick Field], and asked if I could come to camp,” Colten said. “Here we are three years later.”

Field wasn’t completely sure with what he had with Colten during the initial roster construction.

“He had reached out to me, and I didn’t know anything about him,” Field said. “So I reached out to a couple of other guys that had been around, just to get an idea of who he was and what kind of player he was. Once we felt comfortable, we thought it was a good idea to bring him into camp.”

Colten would make the inaugural roster, dressing for Motor City’s first ever game as a franchise.

Only three players currently rostered were on the team opening night, Brad Reitter, Ryan Rotondi, and Colten. Of those three Colten is the only one to be continuously rostered.

So with so much change, what has kept Colten in the same spot for the past three seasons?

“I think a number of factors,” Colten said. “The fact that this is a metropolitan city. There’s every type of resource. You can imagine it is a little bit easier to live because you have everything at your fingertips. Nothing ever gets old and boring here, and for me, that’s kind of the goal. Keep it fresh.”

Colten also settled into a relationship since coming back to Michigan.

“I met my girlfriend in year one [in Fraser], from basically day one of the season,” Colten said. “She’s from Detroit, so that’s also a factor.”

While off the ice interests have kept Colten’s attention, his play on the ice has warranted his spot on the team.

“He has a good brain for the game,” head coach Jameson Milam said about his defenseman. “He knows when to use as little energy as possible. He can make the game come to him, allowing him to play his own speed and style. He’s one of those players that with their skill can change the pace of a game and take things over and slow it down or speed it up if you need him to.”

You don’t stay in one spot as long as Colten has without racking up the accolades and milestones.

The first came earlier this season. When Milam was promoted to player-head coach a couple weeks into this campaign, Motor City needed a new captain, and Milam turned to Colten.

“He has more to bring to the game than just what he brings to the ice,” Milam said. “There’s plenty of time where I’ve needed a second opinion, and he’s been there to help.”

Alongside earning the “C” across his chest, Colten is littered across the Rocker record book. 

As of April 3 Colten is the all-time leader in assists with 92, 32 more than the next closest. He also is the franchise leader in  games played with 165. Motor City has played 166 games in its history.

Colten is also chasing another mark. The Rockers all-time total points record. Currently the record holder is Scott Coash with 128. Colten sits at 126.

So what do all these records mean for Colten?

“It means I’ve been here a long time,” Colten chuckled. “It’s nice to hear. But you know at the end of the day, I still want to win a championship here with the guys because that’s going to last forever, and that’s something I’ve never done in this league. And that’s something this team can get to.”

His drive to improve the team not just on the ice but in all facets shows to those around him.

“He’s talking a lot about the things outside of the game of hockey,” Milam said. “Improving the brand, and, you know, trying to make things run smoother for us. He is just one of those guys that’s good to have around in pretty much every situation.”

Colten believes he and Motor City can build a sustained winner in Fraser.

“I think building something from the ground up to me is exciting,” Colten said. “This is a good market. The [Detroit Vipers] did well here, I don't see why we can’t succeed here. I think it’s just getting to that point and those standards that’s going to make this an entertaining and a fun atmosphere and a fun team to watch. All those elements together are going to bring in a lot more fans and this team can last a whole lot longer.”