Facing Off With First Ever Seattle Kraken All-Star Jordan Eberle
W: How strong are your ties back home to Regina (Saskatchewan)?
E: Oh, very strong. Yeah, I still have family living there and go back once in a while. My grandparents have a cottage close. But I have a lot of friends who still live there. I consider it my home. So I try to get back as much as I can.
W: Any inside info on how you got to pick by the hometown (Regina) Pats? I know it was in seventh round…
E: Yeah- it’s a great question. I know the scouts. But it was it was kind of a love/hate thing for me. I thought I was gonna go earlier than that in the bantam draft and almost was kind of pissed off that I went so late.
W: Haha well yeah, when you’re 14-years-old you expect certain things.
E: Exactly. But that being said, I honestly would have probably gone the college route if I didn’t get picked by the Pats. I’d grown up watching the Pats, had season tickets, went to many games. The fact that I got picked by them was the reason I probably went to the NHL. I was so excited to go play for that organization and to really play in my hometown was kind of a dream come true.
W: Now a tougher question. Any connection with the Humboldt (Broncos) community, especially after what happened a few years ago?
E: I met a couple of the guys that survived. I didn’t really know anyone personally, but obviously, it’s a deep connection. I grew up riding the bus and my brother played junior hockey in the SJHL. It hits home when something like that happens. You realize how amazing life is and how quick can be taken away. So that really, really hit home for me.
A hockey community is a small world. So when something like that happens, you feel like you’re connected in some sort where you know someone who knows somebody. So that was really tough. I think the amount of charities and the amount of money they’ve raised towards it- you try to find the positive. But it is hard for sure. And it’s something that really hurt Saskatchewan hockey.
? Jonathan West