Alumnus
"Everything builds character"
By Nick Steyn
Before Jordan Hendry was a Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawk, he played defense for the Alaska Nanooks. Before the fame and riches, he did manual labor around the Fairbanks campus. He'd be the first to tell you that it's all a natural progression.
"I used to shovel snow and cut grass and all that other stuff they do that I really didn't like doing," Hendry says. "Everything builds character. You work hard when you're younger to make you the man you want to be."
That man is now a professional defender who signed a $600,000 contract extension in September to play his fourth season with the Blackhawks. He earned the payday after moving from the team's seventh defender to a role in its starting line last season.
The Blackhawks went on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, and Hendry got the chance to hoist the coveted cup high above his head.
"When you're growing up, you always want to win the Stanley Cup," Hendry says. "Nothing changes this year. We don't want to disappoint anyone. We want to repeat and win the cup every year."
Hendry appeared in a career-high 43 games and contributed eight points (two goals, six assists) on offense.
Hendry skated for the Nanooks from 2002 - 2006 and finished his collegiate career with 11 goals and 25 assists in 112 total games, including a 14-point season as a senior.
"It's a great hockey program to be a part of, and it's where you learn to play like a professional hockey player," Hendry says. "College hockey is a fast-paced game, and it made me ready to make the jump to pro."
After UAF, he signed undrafted with the Norfolk Admirals, the Blackhawks' farm team, in March 2006, and made his professional debut at the end of the 2005 - 2006 season.
The summer that followed proved a busy but fruitful one for Hendry. In July 2006, he signed a two-year contract with the parent club; a month later he finished his bachelor's degree in business administration.
He made his NHL debut in January 2008, the sixth former UAF player to make it to North America's premier hockey league. After appearing in 40 games, Hendry signed another two-year contract.
Hendry has remained a presence at UAF and in the Fairbanks community throughout the past four years. He appears regularly on campus, at the rink and in the varsity weight room, and he recently bought a house in town.
"I think it's great doing events at UAF. I get to see all these kids come out here. I sign the autographs and they get big smiles on their faces. It means a lot. I think it's important for guys that used to play here to stay in touch with the team and the school they used to play at," Hendry says.
Still a Nanook fan
Hendry remains a fan of Nanook hockey.
"I like following these guys because they really are an exciting team," Hendry says. "I listen to the games on the Internet. When there's arguments between the former college hockey players and the junior hockey players in our locker room, I brag about UAF."
UAF and the Alaska hockey program have good reason to brag about Hendry, too. He's a prime example for current and future Nanooks of what hard work and dedication on and off the ice can lead to.
Beyond the glitz and glory of being a professional athlete and a newly crowned Stanley Cup champion, Hendry is an educated, humble and well-rounded person. In addition to earning his BBA, he participated in the Student Investment Fund.
"Jordan is a role model for all student-athletes," says Alaska's head coach Dallas Ferguson. "He has always conducted himself with such class and professionalism."
"His success comes as no surprise to me or anyone who knows him. Whether it is in the classroom, on the ice or in the game of life, Jordan always did things the proper way. We are proud to call him a Nanook and wish him continued success in his career."
Nick Steyn, a student intern with the Athletics Department, grew up in New Jersey, where he developed his sense of style and dance. He has a tattoo of himself punching a grizzly bear in the face based on actual events. On quieter days, he drinks cheap beer and writes love poetry.