MEET THE CHIEFS 2015-16: #19 JACOB CARDIFF
(by Joe Everson / Spokane Chiefs Education Advisor)
Jacob Cardiff, in his third full season with the Spokane Chiefs, isn’t a player whose goal is to make a big splash. He’s more intent on always working hard, getting better and doing the little things right.
“My biggest thing has always been to get faster and quicker with my feet,” he said. “Coaches have liked the physical part of my game, but there’s still room for improvement in the other areas. That’s something I work on both during and after practices.”
Almost every minute of Cardiff’s Spokane career has been up front, but this season he had one full game as a defenseman and is always ready for the occasional shift on the back end.
“I really enjoy playing defense,” he said. “It’s a lot easier for me to hit guys coming to me instead of chasing them. I’m pretty confident back there. But wherever I’m playing, my biggest contributions are when I bring physical play and energy. And it always makes me better when I make a hit.”
That flexibility is representative of Cardiff’s overall mindset to do anything that is best for the team. He isn’t naturally an extrovert, but he realizes that as a veteran, he needs to provide an example to younger players, both on and off the ice.
“(Being a vocal leader) is hard for me,” he said, “but I guess it’s become easier over time to talk with people.”
His experience in the Western Hockey League has taught Cardiff many lessons. The most important ones, he says, are to work hard in everything you do, be true to yourself, and to never take anything for granted. That will pay off wherever he goes. Much of that mature mindset comes from necessity, he notes.
“That’s something you have to learn when you’re away from home, how to take care of yourself when your mom’s not around to do it.”
“I think we’re different from the average guys our age. Just things like getting to know your billets, shopping, and paying bills make you more responsible.”
Cardiff hasn’t thought a lot about his life beyond hockey, he says. Like most of the Chiefs, he hopes to play professionally or at the collegiate level in Canada. After all that, though, he has an enduring interest in repairing cars, something he learned from his father, Joe, who is the co-owner of an automobile body shop in Regina.
Whether it’s laying hits or turning a wrench, Cardiff knows that as long he keeps working, he’ll be just fine.
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Spokane Chiefs Education Advisor Joe Everson works with all Chiefs players, from those still in high school to those pursuing a post-secondary education or preparing to do so following their WHL career. Throughout this season, Everson will profile individual Chiefs to provide insight into their lives, their preparation and their goals for the future.
