Jordan Thompson- Rookie Chronicles Part 1 

(Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

Alright friends, gather around the fire, grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa, curl up under a blanket and buckle in for the story that is about to ensue. As we start this journey through the life of Jordan Thompson, current SMJHL draft prospect, and future unanimous first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Throughout this article, we are going to get into the nitty gritty of Thompson’s life,  learn where he came from, what made him the player he is today, and get to know his personality that his current and future teammates love. This may be the only piece you ever read regarding where Thompson came from, so please buckle in for what is bound to be a wild ride. 

Early Years

Thompson was born on a balmy February day in the heart of Louisiana, New Orleans. He was the youngest of three siblings, his older brother Drew and his older sister Jennie would prove to be some of his best friends as they progressed through life, but let’s not jump ahead in the story here, let’s stay focused on the chronological progression of Jordan’s life. 

Jordan’s parents were ecstatic when they heard they were having a 2nd boy in the family. Jordan’s parents (Jordan Sr. and Shannon) were both college athletes, one playing football, and the other playing basketball. Jordan’s siblings, who were a few years older, were electively in love with their respective sports (football and basketball funnily enough). Jordan’s parents were hoping that bringing a third child into the family, maybe this one would branch off of their love of sports, but into their own direction to create their own footprint in the athletics realm. Luckily for them, from a very young age, Jordan was enamored with the sport of Hockey.

Growing up in Louisiana, playing Hockey presented more of an issue than anyone previously expected. With the state being so hot year round (and not to mention the never wavering humidity), it was overly difficult for hockey rinks to stay in business due to the high utility bills to keep the ice and rink at a reasonable temperature to create a inhabitable environment for all to play. Because of this, in order to pursue the sport that he loved, Jordan’s parents needed to go to extreme lengths, long travel, hotel bills and the like in order for Jordan to pursue his passion. 

From a very young age, Jordan was a 3 sport athlete. Football in the fall (as the majority of Louisiana played year round), hockey in the winter months, and baseball in the spring/summer, there was never a dull moment in the Thompson household. One of the reasons that Jordan works so hard in the current day is because his  parents gave him everything during his childhood. They were willing to sacrifice their weekends, early mornings, holidays, anything that has the potential of coming between Jordan and his love of hockey.

As a young boy, due to the struggles of the climate posed by living in Louisiana, unfortunately, Jordan spent a lot of his time playing roller hockey, which was readily available, especially in the streets of his home town. Although it's not exactly identical, it brings a lot of the same stickhandling concepts into play, as well as giving you the ability to read defenses, form offenses, and strategize the same way you would while on the ice. As a way to continually train, Jordan’s family all picked up roller hockey at a very young age. Some even said that Jordan was better when he was on skates or on ice than he was when he was walking on his own 2 feet. As we previously mentioned, living in Louisiana, created a climate differential that unfortunately poses risks to playing hockey as a whole. His parents were willing to do anything in order to get him to succeed in the sport that he loved. 

One summer, Jordan’s dad committed to driving three days a week into Mississippi to give Jordan the opportunity to play on a competitive team. This took a lot of wear and tear on the family, but thankful for their devoted and loving bonds, they were willing to do this. Luckily, just over the border into Mississippi was not a long drive, but as you can imagine, it definitely was not easy on the family, or the miles on his dad’s truck. By committing to this team, Jordan was able to begin refining his skills that he learned while playing on a few of the rare teams he found in Louisiana, but learning from coaches, who are much higher up and their skill sets. Jordan was able to create many bonds that would prove to be lifelong friendships for him while playing within the hockey community. Jordan would continue to foster these relationships over the years, especially as he was working through high school hockey, and into the collegiate level.

Jordan would remain an avid hockey fan throughout his life, dedicating his free time to practicing and growing his skillset to succeed at the highest possible level. Although he was still young, his parents knew that whatever he set his mind to, he would achieve, so they strongly believed he would work his tail off until he made his way to the professional ranks. Over the length of this story, you will truly understand the dedication and passion Jordan applied to everything he did, and you will leave this article behind knowing that Jordan left it all on the ice every night, and would be willing to do whatever it took to succeed on the highest of stages.

Whether it was an early morning run before the sun came up, or late night stickhandling practice in his parents basement, he would put his everything into his craft and would leave no stone unturned when trying to learn his sport. Although hockey was not always readily available, and there was a lot of travel involved for his family, he would work on intangible skills at his house in Louisiana with his siblings, trying to perfect every ounce of his game. Jordan’s parents purchased him main training aids, roller hockey skates, nets and sticks for the driveway, whatever they could so he could continue to perfect his skill off the ice, but there was nothing that would substitute for the real experience. Jordans passion always shined and although hockey was a tough commitment to make due to the lack of opportunities around him, his parents supported his decision and would always arrange their mornings, nights and weekends accordingly to help Jordan chase his dreams of playing on the professional stage. 


Zamboni Dreaming

Growing up, Jordan always had a wild imagination. He was often creating scenarios in his head, playing games with imaginary friends, anything he could do to pass the time. His parents always loved the liveliness of his imagination and it was great to watch Jordan independently play throughout his childhood if his siblings were not around to spend time with him. Jordan could also spend hours as a kid practicing stick handling drills in the driveway, accuracy drills on the net that his parents allowed in their basement during the very frequent Louisiana rainstorms. Overall, Jordan was a lively kid, never getting into trouble, but always being able to entertain himself in any situation. 

For Jordan’s 9th birthday, his parents got him tickets to a semi-professional hockey game in Little Rock, Arkansas, which was about 7 hours from his house. This long trip meant one thing… Jordan and his siblings were going on vacation with the family, and were going to get to stay in a hotel, one of the most exciting times for them growing up (we have no idea why to this very day). Jordan didn't have a favorite hockey team at this point in his life, he was more enamored with the sport itself and was willing to watch whoever was on the ice, whenever he had the opportunity to. This trip was an exciting time for the family as they did not often take vacations due to the kids busy sports schedules, school, and their parents work. While taking vacations was a rarity in the Thompson household, the parents often planned weekend day trips, visits to family members around the state, and their usually Friday game nights, whatever they could do to foster their relationship with their kids and continue to grow lifelong family memories. 

As the day neared for their family to head on their mini Arkansas vacation, Jordan was growing more and more excited as he loved to not only watch hockey, but visit and explore hockey rinks whenever he had the opportunity to. He thought that the technology behind making and temperature controlling ice so players were able to continually skate on it without melting was mesmerizing. One thing that always impressed Jordan was the pervious natures of the lines that appeared on the ice, and while they were solid, they were still resistant to the wet nature of the fresh and freezing ice. He was hoping to have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the area to learn more about the operational side, see the team locker room, and maybe, just maybe, get an autograph on his new team hat (also received for his birthday) from some of the top players on the team. While this would be a tall task, Jordan had his sights set on the possibilities, and his parents feared him being crushed if he were not able to check these items off his vacation bucket list. 

Upon arriving in Arkansas, the family settled into their hotel room and planned the course of action for the day. Jordan was eager to get to the hockey game, but unfortunately it was not until the next day, creating a definite increased level of anticipation for the next evening. THe family had planned to go out for a late lunch, visit the zoo, and then have a nice sit-down dinner before heading back to the hotel to head to the swimming pool (after digesting their meals because you're not allowed to swim on a full stomach obviously). Jordan was overly excited to see the city with his family, and especially head into the pool, but the next night's hockey game was ingrained in his mind as the primary focus of their trip! 

While Jordan was hopeful that the day would fly by, unfortunately, it seemed to drag. Jordan truly wanted to enjoy his time with his family, but unfortunately his heart and his mind were both set on the hockey game that was set to take place the next night. After going through an eventful day with his family, they got ice cream on the way back to the hotel, and when they got back to the hotel, rather than swimming with his siblings, Jordan went right to bed in hopes that the faster he fell asleep the sooner the next day would be there. This proved to work, as Jordan was so tired from the drive into the city and walking around seeing the various monuments and animals at the zoo that it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, and stay asleep throughout the entirety of the night.

The next morning had come, and Jordan was ecstatic that the day of the game had finally gotten there. Although the game wasn’t until a 3 PM start, Jordan and his family decided to go down to the arena to partake in the local festivities that happened around the stadium on gameday. There were street vendors, merchandising companies, games for the kids, live music, barbecues around every corner, and everything else that you could imagine having at a block party in downtown Arkansas. These people were all lined up for the game, tailgating prior to the first puck drop in hopes to see their favorite player driving into the arena that day. Jordan and his family spent a few hours prior to game time tailgating with random fans from all around the area, eating great food, and having good conversation with local fans of the minor league team.

While Jordan was quite anxious for the game to start, he was able to enjoy himself just a bit and meet some new friends who are also hockey players in the area. Unfortunately, for Jordan, living in New Orleans meant he didn’t have all too many friends that played hockey, but as he continued to travel more and more, he continued to add friends to his circle. These friends that Jordan made over his youth hockey career and even outside this arena were ones he could always count on. They kept in contact into their collegiate careers and even a handful of them into his professional career. Generally speaking, the doors to the arena opened about 2.5 hours prior to first puck drop, this gave the fans time to get in the arena, and watch the warm-ups that took place on the ice. You already know that the second the line started to form for people to file into the arena, Jordan and his family were forced by the youngest son to sprint over to the line to try to be one of the first people into the building.

Upon entering, the ushers checked their tickets, had them walk through the metal detector (as this was normal protocol at this time) and they were able to make their way into the arena. With this being a minor league hockey arena, it was a small and more intimate setting where fans were able to get close to the action to be able to watch their favorite up-and-coming players on the ice. Luckily for Jordan, on his way into the arena one of the staff members that was standing by a restricted access entrance saw the Jordan shirt which said he was part of a hockey club in the local Louisiana area. That sparked some conversation as no one really understood the fact that Louisiana had some hockey, but not much and it just so happened that this usher was born and raised in Louisiana, and unfortunately was not able to play hockey due to the lack of programs in that general area. Thisusher, who was watching the restricted access area, asked Jordan many questions trying to understand who he was as a person, and what brought him all the way to Little Rock Arkansas for a hockey game.

Through this conversation the usher watching the restricted access area, who we later find out is named Robert, asked Jordan and his family if they wanted a quick tour of the tunnels underneath the stadium. Jordan felt as if he could have cried in this instance. This is something he had been talking to his parents about for months, and just the thought of being able to walk in the same corridor that the juniors players did was extremely special to him. When walking through the tunnels, unfortunately with it being so close to game time, there were not a lot of players buzzing around the area, but you can see the staff flying from place to place, coaches drawing on clipboards, concession workers refilling the backstock making sure they’re ready for the influx of people, and numerous other people who make the wheel turn on game day to ensure that fans have the best possible experience.

While they were walking through this area, Jordan met the zamboni driver, someone who Jordan would come to idolize as he had seen zamboni drivers on TV, but never realized how big the machine really was. In conversation with the zamboni driver, they somewhat walked Jordan through the methodology of how they go about cleaning and resurfacing the ice between periods. This is something that was very exciting to Jordan as not only had he never really watched a zamboni work up close and personal before, as we previously mentioned he was very interested in the inner-workings of how the arena keeps the ice clean and cold enough to play on. Through this conversation, the zamboni driver realized Jordans true passion for the sport and asked him and his two siblings if they were interested in riding the zamboni between the first and second periods when they went out to clean the ice during intermission. This didn’t take much pleading as Jordan’s parents thought this was one of the coolest ideas they had ever heard, so they happily obliged with the worker, and planned to bring them down to the tunnel shortly before the start of intermission. The zamboni was equipped with three seats that the game day staff often used as promotional opportunities, but the zamboni driver put their foot down stating that the three Thompson siblings had earned it during the first intermission.

On Jordan's way out of the tunnel, while heading back into the arena to watch the end of warm-ups, Jordan walked by the athletic training facility and from a distance, Jordan spotted what looked like a hockey player who was doing some rehab work. Jordan, having a little to no fear, ran right into the athletic training area, and right up to the player, asking if he would be able to autograph his ball cap. Without Jordan even knowing the player's name, or the player knowing why Jordan was in a restricted access area, the player immediately agreed and thought it was one of the coolest things that Jordan took the initiative to go and meet him. To this day Jordan has no idea who this player was, in all honesty we’re still not even sure if it was really a player, but at the end of the day, this put a smile on Jordan’s face as large as anyone had ever seen, so it’s the thought that counts for both Jordan and the whoever this individual was who signed his hat.

After this interaction with the “player,” Jordan and his family made their way over to their seats so they could watch the end of the warm-ups. During the completion of warm-ups, Jordan took mental notes on what the players were doing to warm their bodies properly, what each player was doing to stretch, and how they interacted with one another on the ice. At this point in Jordan‘s life he was in a very formidable stage and was still learning how to properly handle himself and handle working with teammates in the rink. Being in front of these semi professional players was beneficial to Jordan as seeing a player, although not your idol, but someone in a position that you hope to be in someday, doing things the correct way was very beneficial to his development as a player and a person.

As warm ups wound down, and the final 15 minute warning buzzer sounded, the players left the ice and headed back to the locker room for their final pre game preparation. At this time, Jordan watched the zamboni head out onto the ice, and prepare to resurface for the start of the game. Both Jordan and his siblings were buzzing with a simple thought of soon they would be on that zamboni riding around the rink, waving to fans, and hopefully may be getting a little bit of television airtime on the local broadcast. As the players took the ice, ready for the first puck to drop, Jordan had been so excited leading up to this day but now all he could think about was riding the zamboni during the first intermission. As the teams progressed through the first period, Jordan and his siblings asked their parents what felt like every three minutes when it was time to head down to the zamboni, and much to the parents' annoyance the question had been asked maybe 150 times in the span of 15 minutes.

With roughly 5 minutes left in the period, an usher came up to the Thompson family's seats and brought the three kids down to ice level, where they were to get up on the zamboni’s bench seat in preparation for the period to end. Jordan and his siblings were counting down the seconds on the clock hoping the time would pass faster than anything they had ever seen before. As the final buzzer of the first period sounded, both teams made their way off the ice and back into the locker room, and it was finally showtime for Jordan and his siblings.

When the massive doors to the rink opened up, and the Zamboni first pulled onto the ice, Jordan and his siblings were all very nervous with all the fans watching them. Little did they know as they progressed later in their lives playing collegiate sports, as well as at the professional level that they would always have hundreds and thousands of people watching them at all given times, but at this stage in their life an arena with 4,500 people was a lot to them. As they rode around the ice on this massive machine, the zamboni driver kept telling them to wave at the people and at the cameras so their friends and family could see them back home, which was a cool thought to the Tompson siblings, feeling like local  celebrities in their own rights. Looking out into the arena, seeing the waiving fans, and the sea of porphyrous colored jerseys (they were technically purple, but the team official color was listed as such) they were truly grateful to have an opportunity like this on the ice. Although it was a very short-lived ride, only lasting about 2 minutes, these were memories that Jordan and his siblings would cherish forever. Leaving the ice and heading back to their seats, all they could talk about was the ride around the rink on the zamboni, which was well worth the price of tickets to their parents.

For a few years after this, Jordan continually dreamed about riding the zamboni again, and as a kid often thought that if he wasn’t able to make it as a professional hockey player, maybe he would consider driving a Zamboni as a career (not very lucrative, but who’s to tell a nine-year-old what they can do). Jordan often would ride his bicycle around the family's driveway, making pretend passes as if he were a zamboni driver, something his mom caught on family home movies more than once. Memories like these were ones that the family loved to form, as to this very day they sit around the kitchen table at the holidays, all the family flying in from different locations, to reminisce about the time the three siblings got to ride on a zamboni during a semi professional hockey game. Something in the big scheme of things that is so inconsequential, but something that will always be ingrained in their brain for the remainder of their lives. They were all about forming these bonds and memories, and we’re grateful to have this opportunity when they were all so young.


High School Years

I’m guessing when you started reading this article, you didn’t anticipate hearing anything about high school hockey. Fortunately for Jordan, his high school did not have a hockey program, but they did agree to provide transportation for him to play at the other local high school that did have a team that played predominantly out of state. This is a great opportunity for him to not only grow relationships within a sport, but also get the high-level coaching that he needs to continue to succeed at every level. One of his best friends, Michael, happened to play on this team as well. They grew up together in similar neighborhoods, and he was one of the players that Jordan used to play with when driving over the border into Mississippi; they both were all offensive players and complemented each other’s games greatly. Luckily, for Jordan, this relationship proved to be strong, and this would help Jordan as he continued to grow throughout his high school years and into the collegiate level.

Through high school, Jordan was always one of the best on his teams. Although his team headed up and down seasons, Jordan’s level of play was always consistent and never wavered to the opponent. He had many Allstate accolades, as well as being named player of the year for his conference, and national Gatorade player of the year for the southern states. When thinking about Louisiana, nobody would ever imagine that one of the most prolific high school athletes was a hockey player. With basketball and football being so predominant within the state, it was not often to see someone as good as Jordan at hockey.

There was a short while that Jordan seriously considered stopping playing the sport that he loved. He was picking up football heavily, and was excelling during the fall season, and was poised for a breakout year. He had many conversations with his family about what was next, and the thought of stopping hockey altogether was most definitely on the table. There were many nights that Jordan laid awake debating what the correct call was, and even had a very helpful conversation with his grandfather, someone who always was an influence to Jordan through his life. 

During this conversation with his grandfather, Jordan was told to follow his heart, see where his passion lies, and focus on that for the remainder of time. His grandfather growing up was not much of an athlete, but having a son (Jordan’s Dad) who was very involved in sports, he was for sure a fan throughout his children's development. Jordan’s Grandfather was able to provide an unbiased discussion from an outsider's perspective to help Jordan determine which sport had his heart and which he would consider to pursue. One thing that resonated with Jordan greatly from this conversation, and has since had it tattooed on his forearm, was a quote his Grandfather said when they were talking about his decisions. “Don’t be afraid to stand out.” While it may not be much, it was a motivational aspect that Jordan hangs onto near and dear to his heart, and would forever live by that motto to this day. 

With his Grandfather urging him to make a decision that was best for him, and telling him “Don't be afraid to stand out,” Jordan decided to do what many Louisiana natives thought was not possible… put down the sport of football to focus solely on hockey, his true love. Unfortunately, Jordan’s Grandfather has since passed, but in memory of his Grandfather, Jordan has never waivered since on his dedication and commitment to the sport he loves. This was by far a turning point in his young life, and would give everything he had on the ice to continue to make himself, his family, and most importantly, his Grandfather proud. 

After making this decision, Jordan would never look back on it, and would give his all to hockey. Early morning practices or training, late night puck work in his bedroom, long weekend drives to practices or tournaments, it would all be worth it in the end. Jordan’s ultimate goal is to make the professional league, and would grind as hard as he could to make it there. As for the professional level, after your first year in the juniors, you are entered into the pro draft, so Jordan would strive and continue to train for that. Jordan’s parents scheduled him training sessions in the offseason with an ex professional hockey player, as well as workouts 4-5 times a week with a strength and conditioning coach. The strength sessions were Jordan’s favorite as he was able to work out with his siblings, something they still bond over to date. 

Through his training and dedication, Jordan continued to excel at the sport that he loved. Playing with his neighboring high school had its ups and downs as he was away from his friends, but still able to play hockey. Meeting new people was never an issue for him, but being away from his friends definitely took a toll on his social life. Through this opportunity to play at a neighboring school, Jordan was able to work day in and day out to fine tune his skills, learn more about the game, and continue to compete on the highest level. 

During the summers, Jordan still struggled to find ice time due to the climate in Southeastern Louisiana, but that never stopped him from trying his best to work his skills with his teammates. In the summer between Jordan’s Sophomore and Junior years in high school, a new travel hockey team was formed in a nearby town, the Covington Coyotes. This team was based in Covington, LA which was only a quick 50 minute drive across Lake Pontchartrain, and this would prove to be a great opportunity for Jordan in his skill development. He was able to play with a few of his high school teammates, but also some other new friends that came in from Mississippi, which was only about 40 minutes away from their home rink. This team was coached by three ex professional players, who were all outstanding in their positions. These coaches were able to hone each player's skills, as well as find what position was best fit for the intangibles that they were able to bring to the table. 

Coming into these training sessions, Jordan was always a defensive minded player. Having worked with these coaches, Jordan found out that his skillset were more aligned to play on the offensive side of the puck. Considering he was a left handed player, he was able to play well from the right wing position, and this position switch would propel his career to new heights. Having been a defensive minded player prior to this summer, this switch to the offensive side of the puck would make Jordan a more well rounded player as he was able to contribute to the team on both sides of the ice. 

As Jordan continued through high school, he was highly regarded as the best prospect ever to come out of Louisiana, and arguably, the best prospect to ever have been based out of the southern portion of the US. Jordan was receiving lots of interest from local and national colleges, as well as semi-pro teams that were looking to sign Jordan to play for their team. This was a tough decision, but one that Jordan was looking to face head on. 

Collegiate Scouting

Coming out of high school, Jordan was the top recruit in the country. He had many opportunities on the table, he could agree to play at the collegiate level for 4 years, or could sign to play semi-pro somewhere to prepare for the junior pro draft. Through this process, Jordan took everything in stride, like a true professional would. Though this did not seem to be a difficult decision to make, Jordan definitely took his time to determine the correct direction to go to better suit his long term career progression. 

Starting at the end of his Junior season, Jordan began going on college visits to really learn where his home would be. While looking at the potential of going semi-pro, it was appealing as he would have the opportunity to play on a higher stage and get paid to do so, but Jordan loved the thought process of having a fallback plan if hockey were to not work out, so obtaining his bachelor's degree at a minimum was a goal to say the least. While making that decision was an easy process, having 36 collegiate offers on the table definitely muddied the proverbial waters as well when making a decision. 

While looking at his potential decisions, one item that weighed heavily on his mind was the fact that both of his siblings were both playing at the collegiate level. His older brother Drew was going into his Junior season at Florida playing football, and his sister Jennie was entering her Sophomore season at Texas playing basketball. While this would not be a sole determining factor for Jordan, it definitely fell into his through process when weighing offers from those two programs. 

During his off-season from hockey, when he was able to put his training and practice on the back burner, Jordan was visiting colleges left and right trying to figure out where his next home may be. He enjoyed meeting with the coaching staff, the trainers, the nutritionist, and anyone that may be able to provide a little bit of insight on what the college would be able to offer him for his career goals. By meeting with these individuals, Jordan and his family were able to gauge the college's interest and how they would be able to be used as a puzzle piece in his larger career plans. While this may all sound like an easy process, it was definitely quite the contrary. These coaches had massive expectations for Jordan, and while he felt bad asking questions non stop, it was important for Jordan to do so to find the perfect fit for his collegiate career. While they were not disappointed that Jordan was asking these questions, they were trying to do everything they could to recruit Jordan to play at their collegiate institution.

Jordan was able to slowly but surely narrow down his decisions one by one as he was making pros and cons of each of the collegiate locations that he visited. He was definitely looking for something that offered him a strong strength and conditioning program as well as a nutritionist on site that would help Jordan prepare his body to refuel after competition and training. As well as the above, Jordan was looking at colleges that offered exceptional educational programs within the engineering field as that would be his back up plan if hockey were to not pan out. Surprisingly, finding a school that had both hockey and engineering programs were quite difficult, it shouldn’t have been so hard. Engineering is such a broad topic, and many colleges have it, it’s not like Jordan was trying to go to college to study Ctetology or biomechanics. Lastly, Jordan was looking for a coaching staff that cared more about him as a person and they did about him on the ice. While to many that may seem backwards, to Jordan it showed their level of commitment to him as a human being rather than him as a hockey player. With these coaches showing interest in who he is as a person, it showed that they would always have his best interest on and off the ice and he would be more than willing to trust them in any given situation.

Jordan was able to narrow down his collegiate selections relatively quickly throughout the summer going into his senior year of high school. Jordan had a timetable that he wanted to announce his decision before playoffs that coming winter. By narrowing these down, Jordan will be able to start talking with his future coaches and trainers to figure out the best plan of action to have him prepared for his first collegiate season. Jordan was able to cross a good bit of the schools office list due to their lack of engineering programs, or their lack of having a nutritionist on site to help the student athletes with their fueling. Jordan also was looking to find a program that would selfishly center him as the star on the team, as he knew he would be able to turn any program around, even if they were rebuilding.

Through all of these collegiate visits, one program stood out the most in comparison to every other school that Jordan and his family had visited. Louisiana State University was a newer program, one that had not been super successful prior, but provided him the opportunity to play in his home state as well, as represent the city that raised him as a person. Although it would’ve been great to play at the school that his siblings were at, that was just a drop in the larger bucket of wants that Jordan had when looking at his future plans. When he went to meet with the coaching staff at Louisiana State University, he immediately knew that he was home. The coaches didn’t ask as many questions regarding his playstyle, or what he would bring to the team on the ice, they were trying to learn about his likes and dislikes, his personality, and what he was looking for in a long-term career and how they could help him achieve that. 

Through their conversations and continued recruiting throughout the beginning of his senior year, every time they spoke the decision got easier and easier for Jordan. Prior to going into the playoffs that year Jordan had a press conference that was publicized on the local news channels, and during this interview, he announced his commitment to play hockey at Louisiana State University for the next four years. Many people questioned his decision as this was not a well decorated program, but they applauded his interest in staying in state to help work to bring a Championship to the city that he called home. 

As we continue to learn about Jordan’s life, you will see that this was one of the best decisions that he ever made. Louisiana State University provided him a sense of home, a sense of belonging, and a feeling of comfort that he did not know was possible. The coaching staff took his decisions into consideration, they were more than willing to help Jordan succeed on and off the ice, and wanted his input into how to stage the offense and defense to compete at the highest of levels. While this all sounds great, there was most definitely a learning curve that came with a program that was recently formed. While many would look at this from the outside and perceive it as a negative, Jordan looked at it as an opportunity to leave his footprint on something that would stand by him forever.

Collegiate Years 

The day had finally come, and Jordan was ready to move into his first ever collegiate dorm. As part of a team bonding initiative, the hockey coaches always placed freshmen together in the dorms so that way they can get to know their teammates and people they would call family for the next four seasons. Jordan moved into his first ever dorm with his soon to be best friend Steven, who is also an offensive player on the college's hockey team. Steven was from Wisconsin, where almost everybody played hockey, and you were born on skates. Steven was someone who was also challenged with the decision of possibly playing at the semi professional level, but decided that an education was more valuable as a back up plan to his future.

Although Jordan and Steven, both came from very different walks of life, very different backgrounds, and definitely had different means of training throughout their childhood, slowly, but surely they both became best friends over time. They were able to bond about the sport, that they love, watch, film together to learn their opponents, as well as strategize and walk-through plays within their dorm that would make them both offensive juggernauts to the Louisiana State University hockey team. Although it seems inconsequential, at this point in time, Jordan will always look back at their relationship and be grateful to have Steven in his life. they would continue to be friends and are still friends to this day, and, although Steven is not playing professional hockey, him, and Jordan still talk daily, watch, film together, and scout opponents together, just like they did back in their first ever dorm.

Coming into college, Jordan was unsure what to expect, as it was rare for a freshman to start on the first line of the hockey team, but Jordan had the skill to do so if given the opportunity. Regardless of the thoughts that always sat in the back of his mind, and knowing that he was one of the best players on the ice at any given time, he would still do anything he could to out work any of his teammates, and prove that he deserve to be on the ice with the best of the best. This would not go unnoticed by the coaches as they were always applauding Jordan’s work ethic, as well as his willingness to help his teammates learn the plays, master new skills, and make sure that they were always in the best possible positioning at all given times whether on the offensive or defensive side of the puck. Jordan would always be known as a selfless player that would always put the team first, and focus less on his attributes, and more on making sure the team was able to succeed as a whole.

Prior to his first game as a freshman, Jordan‘s coach called him into his office after practice one day, but Jordan did not know what to expect. Walking into coaches office Jordan‘s knees were a little weak after practice, but also was anxious as if he did something wrong that was going to hurt his time on the team. These unplanned meetings were not something that has ever happened before, so he was unsure as to what was happening next. Upon arriving into his coaches office, and sitting down on the plush couch across from Coach’s desk, he slowly but surely learned the coach wanted him to start on the first line on opening night. This is something that no other freshman had done in program history, and Jordan will become a trendsetter for many years to come as everyone tried to emulate his ability and work ethic on the ice. Jordan was ecstatic to have the opportunity to start for the college that he loved and promised his coach that no matter what, he would do everything in his power to prove to his coach that he made the right decision on opening night. 

Throughout his freshman year there were most definitely ups and downs as there would be with any freshman, or with any team that may be new and struggling to succeed. But no matter the outcome of the games, Jordan was always more than willing to work with his teammates, to improve the likeliness of a positive outcome, as well as continuing to build for the future of the organization. Jordan was able to put up some relatively solid statistics during his freshman season, was voted for second team all conference, and was named collegiate hockey rookie of the year. Well, this may not sound like much, this put a chip on Jordan‘s shoulder to continue to succeed at the absolute highest level, and nothing that was put in front of him would be ever viewed as an obstacle, just an opportunity to get better day in and day out. All of the hard work that Jordan has been putting in was starting to pay off, and this was just the beginning of larger things to come. 

In all honesty, Jordan was a marvel on the ice. Professional scouts, fans, and people from all around the globe traveled to see Jordan at some of the various colleges he played at. There was lots of pressure trying to get Jordan to leave school early to enter the junior draft, but it was not something that he was super interested in. The media was posting content regarding Jordan's decision to stay in school, and their fear was that one injury, or one bad season could derail Jordans chances of playing at the professional level. Regardless of all of this talk surrounding the decision, Jordan was more interested in receiving his bachelor's degree as he wanted to set himself up nicely for the future if hockey was no longer an option for some reason.

Regardless of the rumors that were flying around, or the threat to his potential draft stock, Jordan kept his eyes focused on the ultimate goal, getting ready for the junior draft that was only a few weeks months. But first, Jordan needed to make it through one of the most grueling month-long spans of his entire life, collegiate hockey playoffs. Prior to his senior season, Jordan‘s team had never made it into the playoffs, let alone even scratched the potential of making it to the heralded postseason. But Jordan and his team were able to put together a successful campaign during his senior year, and made it as the six seed into the college playoffs. 


Collegiate Hockey Playoffs  

Throughout the playoffs, Jordan played some of the hardest competition of his life, but his teammates were willing to leave everything on the ice, and they were more than happy to do everything they could to succeed as a team, and not let one single person fail in their pursuit of the ultimate glory, being named National Champions within the collegiate hockey world. This was something that was never even considered from a Louisiana-based school, but Jordan vowed during his freshman year, that he would do everything in his power to get his team there, and he fell nothing short of that goal.

Jordan and his teammates made light work of the competition on the road to the national championships. They swept every team during the first few rounds of the tournament, and made it to the national championship best of three series with absolute ease. The difficulty being, as the six seed entering the tournament, they were set to face the number one seed in college hockey, the team that won the national championship, the prior to seasons, and one of Jordan‘s largest recruiting schools that he unfortunately had to turn down, Boston University. Fortunately for the team's motivation, coming in as the lowest seed in the tournament, they had played tougher teams along the entire road, so their motivation was high. Jordan was willing to do everything it took to win the series, as he did not want to let his hometown down.

This series was by far the most hard hitting set of games that Jordan had ever played. The score continued to bounce back-and-forth throughout the series, and unfortunately, they suffered an overtime game one loss which put their backs against the wall moving forward in the best of three series. Jordan and his team knew that they could not lose or their dreams of being named National Champions were no longer alive and well. During the one day off they had for travel between competitions, Jordan and his teammates did nothing but scout the opponent, take notes on their shifts, learn their different offensive and defensive schemes, and work with one another, to figure out how they could stop their offense, as well as take advantages of holes in the defense. As previously noted, they were willing to do whatever it took in order to succeed in their goal of being named National Champions for the first time in Louisiana State University school history.

Going into the morning skate, there was a feeling in the air of success, and they knew that no matter what they did they would leave the ice that night, with a win. No matter what, they knew this game was going to be a tough battle throughout the day, and when gametime came, the jitters were still there, but the team knew what they had to do in order to succeed. They were able to use the film work that they put together in order to take advantage of the way their opponent matched up against them. Luckily, for Jordan and his teammates, they were able to come away with a dominant 4-1 victory over the first seeded Boston University, in the best of three series. This win meant that the score was tied up in the series, and they would go to the ever daunting game three finale.

As you can imagine, the nerves were flying rampant, but Jordan, as a good team captain that he was, was doing everything in his power, to calm his teammates nerves, and prepare them the best they could for the battle they were set to ensue two days later. They would use their time off ice to once again scout their opponents, to learn what changes they may have made in their offense or defense in order to create the best plan of attack to succeed on the ice on the night of the Championship. They were able to come away with many bullet points that they later used to create all offensive and defensive schemes in mismatches to do everything in their power to render their opponents' preparation useless. Leading into the day of the game, while the team was quite nervous, they had a strong sense of confidence around them during the team breakfast that morning. As the captain, Jordan was able to talk with his team and wanted to make one last speech to his “brothers in battle” as they like to call themselves, to try to rally their morale to prepare for the difficult battle ahead.

During team breakfast that morning, Jordan got up on one of the tables in the hotel continental breakfast area, cleared his throat, and poured some motivation into his teammates the best he could. With passion in his voice, and an unrelenting fire in his heart, Jordan gave a speech to his teammates that they would remember to this day. 


National Championship Finals

While there was never a transcript written from this specific speech, the below quote was pulled from many of his teammates, and will go down in infamy for Louisiana State University hockey. 

“Our last game doesn’t matter, this is for tonight, everything we have worked for, everything we have lost sleep over, it comes to an end tonight. While I know this is not the last collegiate game for many of you, for some of us, it will be our last, and tonight, we give our all. All the blood, sweat and tears, everything we have practiced and sacrificed, we leave on the ice tonight. Do it for yourself, do it for your teammate sitting across from you, for your family and loved ones, for all who have sacrificed to get you where you are today… TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT, AND NOBODY WILL STOP THAT! We have prepared long and hard to get to the big stage tonight, and I will be damned if I let my soreness, my fatigue, anything else hold me back from giving my all. I will leave every last ounce of myself tonight on that ice, and I expect you all to do the same for me.”

If that doesn’t make you want to run through a brick wall, I am not sure what may. The passion behind the words motivated everyone in the room that morning, and fortunately for Jordan, his team would bring more than passion to the game that night, they would bring heart, grit and fire. 

Pregame warmup that night felt great, players were gliding across the ice, their stick handling was tight and quick, perfect combination to deke the defense. Players were definitely in their groove, and were feeling strong going into the first face off of the night. Nothing better than a strong pregame skate, vibing to whatever music was blasting in the arena. Tonight was going to be a movie for Louisiana State and no doubt in anyone's mind, they would come out swinging. 

As the game began, both teams came out hot. They were trading the puck back and forth throughout the beginning of the first period. Looking back at the first period now, everyone would come to agree that it was an absolute defensive showing between both teams. The time of possession was roughly split, and both teams were taking shots, but both goalkeepers were knocking everything down in front of them. Without a doubt, it was one of the best defensive periods of hockey that the entire collegiate hockey association had seen that entire season to date. Going into the first intermission after period one had been completed, the scores still sat at 0-0, with neither team able to take the lead at that point in time.

Entering the ice at the start of the second period, both teams had a fire in their stomach and neither was going to leave the ice without a goal during that period. Once again, they traded the puck back-and-forth, but unfortunately Boston University was able to tally the first score of the night. Unfortunately, early in the second period, the right wing got called for an unfortunate, tripping penalty, leaving Boston University with a one player advantage for two minutes on the ice. During that time the team tried to kill the puck as much as possible, but unfortunately, the mismatch between the total number of players proved to be a weak point, and Boston University was able to score well playing with the additional skater. Throughout the remainder of the period, the two teams continued to trade offensive and defensive possessions, total shots on goal were roughly the same, but unfortunately Louisiana State University wasn’t able to put a tally on the board during the second period. Going into the locker room at the end of the second, they definitely had their work cut out for them, but they knew exactly what it would take to win.

During this final intermission, the coach and their staff did everything in their power to motivate the players as much as they could to work on bringing home the win. Unfortunately having a score deficit going into the final period of play is definitely an uphill battle when you’re playing the number one team in the country. Jordan got up in front of the team during the intermission, and pleaded for the team to leave their everything on the ice following back up on his speech from that morning, Jordan reminded his teammates to leave all the blood, sweat, tears, and work ethic out on that ice because it was the best thing to do for the people sitting around them. Leaving the locker room at the completion of the intermission, they were entering the ice with more fire than anyone had ever seen. They knew what they needed to do in order to complete their mission, win the National Championship. It would not be easy, but every player that touched that ice that night, was more than willing to do everything in their power to give their team the ultimate level of success.

Early, in the beginning of the third frame, one of the Boston University skaters got called for a slashing penalty which left Jordan, his teammates with a one skater advantage, and a prime opportunity to tie the score. There was only 30 seconds left on the penalty clock, Jordas advanced the puck up the ice, into the crease area, and into the back of the net. They were waiting for that air horn to sound, and it was beyond sweet to hear that deafening pitch as they tied the game going into the final 10 minutes of regulation. With the score sitting at 1-1, the team had a little more comfort and a bit more wind in their sales as they tried to take the one goal advantage to avoid going into overtime. This was not going to be easy, but based on their practice and their film, they knew they had the tools in order to finish the job.

With the score tied, Louisiana State University had to play a very balanced game, because not only did they want to score, they also didn’t want to give up a goal. They were playing a strategic game, moving the puck around the ice flawlessly, and doing everything in their power trying to triangulate the best possible looks on goal with every shot that they took. As the clock continued the countdown, the fans moved closer and closer to the edge of the seat, hoping to see one team come away victorious without ending up in overtime. With one minute left on the clock, Jordan, his teammates were moving from center ice towards the opponents goal, Jordan crossed the puck across the ice to his friend Mike who had a relatively open shot towards the net. He kept skating to get a little closer in hope to take advantage of the mismatch, but unfortunately, a skater came out from behind the net and cut off his angle. At that time he moved the puck back across the ice to Jordan, who took a one time shot at  a very tough angle that happened to dribble through the goalie’s legs. Not the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen, but one that would go down in history as the game-winning goal during the national championship season.

When the net buzzer sounded, the team went absolutely berserk as they were only 30 seconds away from winning the programs first National Championship during Jordan's last season as a collegiate hockey player. It was all formalities at this point, the referee dropped the puck at center ice, Jordan won the face off and they continued to run down the clock until the final buzzer sounded. Louisiana State University had just won their first National Championship in program history, and would not prove to be their last. After the presentation of the championship trophy, Jordan was named MVP of not only the conference, but also the championship game, and all of collegiate hockey. This night would go down as one to remember, and the team definitely would always remember the post game celebrations that happened that night.

Moving from the ice back to the locker room, it was like a scene from any sports movie you’ve ever seen. The locker room had loud music, low lights, and (since this was collegiate level, no alcohol) but the players were throwing water and Gatorade around the locker room to celebrate their championship victory. There were lots of smiles, laughs, and the occasional tear as some players would never see the ice again in any capacity as they were not set to make the professional ranks. But for the very select few, this was just the start of a long road ahead of them as they prepared for the upcoming junior combine to prepare for that year‘s draft.

Coming off the National Championship, and after a stellar collegiate career, Jordan was touted as one of the highest prospects that the junior scouts have ever seen on the ice, and teams were fighting over the chance to interview him, and view him at the scouting combine. With the outstanding statistics that Jordan put up, it was overly evident that Jordan was a generational talent, and professional hockey may never see a prospect as talented for many many years to come.



Keys to the City

After winning the collegiate National Championship and bringing home the first ever finals victory trophy to Louisiana, Jordan and his teammates were relatively large celebrities within the community. Aside from the parade that lined the streets when the team returned back home, with people throwing confetti, drinking large amounts of beer (the fans obviously), and dancing and singing through the streets of New Orleans, you could say this was something that would go down in history as a pivotal beginning to the Louisiana State University hockey program.

Once the team arrived home, and made it through the parade thrown in the city, they were headed on somewhat of a media tour to represent the college and the hard work they put in to win the National Championship. Louisiana loves its sports teams, and without a doubt, they became idols and legends at the sound of the last air horn on game night. Different individuals on the team made their rounds to different media stations, speaking appearances at local sports bars or youth organizations, the team was even invited to the White House!

Aside from all of this, one of the largest forms of accomplishment had yet to come. As the media began to die down, and there was less fanfare after two or so weeks had passed, the Mayor of the city invited the team down to Town Hall to have a dedication of the trophy to the city, and to acknowledge them for their hard work and love of the city itself. During this ceremony, they were all honored by the town and acknowledged for playing their part in the championship victory. As the captain of the team, Jordan was brought up to center stage to say a few words about the team, and what this massive accomplishment meant to them. 

During Jordan’s brief speech, the Mayor came up to the microphone to briefly interrupt him, as there was a surprise that nobody was expecting at the time. The mayor reached into the speaking podium, grabbed out a box, roughly 16 inches long by 4 inches high, covered in gold foil paper. Nobody knew what this could be, but the Mayor called the head coach up to the front of the stage to open it in front of all the guests in attendance. Upon opening, the team found out the Mayor had given the hockey program the proverbial ‘Key to the City,’ something that rarely happened, but was extremely meaningful to the honorees and the citizens of New Orleans. This showed great pride in them as people, as well as honoring them for their responsibilities of giving back to the city they loved. This was a major award, and this key still hangs in coaches office to this day. 

Code:

As requested by @"TheGreatToeJam" this is broken down into 4 parts all qualifying for rookie double media.
Part 1 Total Words: 10,425
All 4 Parts Combined:35,785

Part 1 !?

Part 1 !?

Yup. All 4 were posted at once lol

The bomb drops. RIP Grading Team. Time for some reading.