Jordan Maher

Player Profile
 
Jordan Maher
Position: Center
Team: Central Ice Pak, NL
Favourite Team:  Toronto Maple Leafs
Favourite Player:  Jonathan Toews
Role Model:  Jonathan Toews
 
 
Hockey fans at the 2014 Chronicle Herald East Coast IceJam tournament will be treated with the skill of many highly talented players hoping to lead their teams and impress the scouts in attendance.  Jordan Maher, from Gander Newfoundland is one such player.
 
Tall and thin, Jordan Maher burst onto the Newfoundland Major Midget hockey scene last season as an underage 14 year old center with the Central Ice Pak.  A native of Gander, Jordan joined a roster of mostly 16 and 17 year old players from Grand-Falls, Lewisporte and Gander.  “There were no issues as a younger player, the older players made me feel welcome and helped me adjust to the faster pace of play” Jordan reports.  Jordan adjusted really well and tied for the team lead in goals and points in the regular season and then led the team in the playoffs against the eventual league Champion Western Kings, with 11 goals in just 7 games.  With contributions like that, it’s no wonder his team mates welcomed him. 
 
This season, Jordan is a draft-eligible 15 year old.  Despite the importance of his own stats this season, Jordan say, “I am motivated by winning, and will do everything I can to help the team win”.  So far his commitment to team success is paying off.  A fourth place team last year, Jordan and his team mates have led the Central Ice Pak to first place in the Newfoundland Major Midget League standings.  Jordan is also having a strong season and leads the league with 21 goals and 41 points in just 20 games.  Asked about his style of play and Jordan responds, “I try to model my game after Jonathan Toews because he is a strong two-way player who can play in any situation.  I also admire his leadership and strong work ethic”.
 
Just like Toews, nicknamed Captain Serious by his team mates, Jordan avoids off-ice distractions and concentrates solely on hockey and doing well in school.  “I am not one for the school parties” says Jordan “I just focus on hockey and work as hard as I can to go as far as I can with hockey.  Over the summer, I worked out 3-4 times a week at the local gym and am now up to 160 lbs”.   Jordan is a grade 10 student in Gander and says, “My favorite subjects in school are math and science, but I don’t really know what kind of degree I want”
 
As a hockey player from Newfoundland, Jordan follows the career success of fellow Islanders such as NHL players Teddy Purcell, Michael Ryder, and Colin Greening.  Jordan says, “The travel in Newfoundland is hard, and getting to tournaments off the island is difficult.”  Jordan, an only child, is grateful to his parents and credits their support for his opportunity to play hockey.   Jordan says he has had good coaching throughout minor hockey and has learned something from each of his former coaches.  He credits current coach, Robert Canning, with “Teaching me the defensive aspects of the game and other things I need to know to improve my overall play”.  Jordan and his team mates are coming to the IceJam Tournament determined to have better results than they had in the Monctonian.  “We were surprised we didn’t do better in Moncton.  We really want to have a better tournament in the IceJam and are looking forward to playing Cole Harbour”.  The Central Ice Pak went without a win and scored only a single goal in three games in Moncton, so team leaders like Jordan will have to step up their game to beat their Round Robin opponents from NS; Cole Harbour Wolfpack, Valley Wildcats, and the Pictou Weeks Major Midgets.