Posted by Sudbury Northern Life
Sudbury Jr. Wolves captain Jordan Cheechoo has likely ended his NOJHL career after sustaining an injury a few weeks ago during a match up with the North Bay Skyhawks.
The captain separated his shoulder after colliding with one his opponents during the game.
"I knew it wasn't going to be good," said Cheechoo. He said he knew the feeling right away after having the same injury twice before.
The injury has benched Cheechoo for the rest of the season, cutting his NOJHL career short. This was Cheechoo's last year with the Jr. Wolves, and he said he was very disappointed with the circumstances.
"Definitely not the way I wanted to finish it," he said.
Cheechoo, who has been with the team for five years now and captain for the past two, said he had high hopes of leading his team to the championships.
"Hopefully they can still try and pull it out," he said. If the team makes it to the finals there may be a chance that he can still play with them, but it depends on whether or not he needs surgery for his injury.
Jr. Wolves head coach Dave Clancy said the team will certainly feel the loss of their captain.
"I think it hurts us a lot," said the head coach. "He was our only 20-year-old player in the line up, but like anything else you have to move on."
Cheechoo has had a very successful career with the Jr. Wolves in his five seasons. He has played 127 games and earned 141 points, and lead his team to two NOJHL championships.
"I think he's had a very successful NOJHL career," said Clancy. "Probably one of the best careers people can have in it."
"He's been a great leader for the club and a great ambassador off ice also."
Clancy said Cheechoo's character is what made him such a good captain.
"He's a happy-go-lucky kid, very easygoing. The players love him. I think he's one of the favourite guys in the dressing room. That's why we named him team captain," he said.
Clancy said when Cheechoo is on the ice, he's a very large part of their hockey club, running the power plays.
"He's a gritty guy, he doesn't mind going out and getting his nose dirty. He brings a lot of character on the ice. He's a very good leader on the ice, people tend to follow him."
Cheechoo joked that the physical element was one of the things that he really enjoyed about the game.
"I did like the rough aspect of it," he said, laughing. "Doesn't seem to like me too much though."
Cheechoo grew up in Moose Factory and was on the ice as a very young child. He said his father was always a hockey fanatic and bought him his first pair of skates.
He started playing hockey in Sudbury when he was 13 years old.
"Sudbury's just a great hockey town," Cheechoo said.
The captain said he has really enjoyed the past five years with the team and made some great friends along the way.
He is currently a second year business administration student at Cambrian College and has been concentrating on his studies since his injury.
Cheechoo is taking things one day at a time and isn't sure where his hockey career will lead him.
Clancy said that his young captain will have a lot of opportunities in hockey, no matter which hockey clubs he chooses to pursue.
Right now the Jr. Wolves had not replaced Cheechoo with a different captain.
"I think we're still holding out hope that Jordan's going to make it back," said the head coach.
The Jr. Wolves are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings and will open the play-offs against the Abitibi Eskimos on Saturday, Mar. 7 in Iroquois Falls.
