Alumni Spotlight: Eberle Reflects On Time With Pats
Regina, Sask. — Regina Pats alumnus Jordan Eberle has carved out an impressive National Hockey League career over 12 seasons, split between the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders and now the Seattle Kraken, after he was selected by the newest expansion franchise in last summer’s expansion draft.
Eberle, now 31, began his journey to the NHL here in Regina, where he played for his hometown Pats from 2006-2010. The forward amassed 310 points (155G-155A) in 254 games across four seasons, ranking 9th in franchise history in goals and 15th in points.
“Honestly it meant everything for me,” Eberle said. “I grew up in Regina and we had season tickets to the Pats since the time I was probably eight [years old]. I watched Dale Derkatch’s jersey get retired, and I was one of the Canadian Tire kids back when the kids got to go skate with the guys and I got to pick Derek Morris as my favourite player. I grew up a Pats fan. They were my NHL team.”
The now 5-foot-11, 187 lb. winger was selected by the Pats in the seventh round (126 overall) of the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft. His decision to play for the Pats became quite easy given his love for the team, but if he had not been selected by his hometown club, he had thoughts of going the NCAA route instead.
“I honestly couldn’t say if I would have gone the WHL route if the Pats had not drafted me: I might have gone college,” Eberle recalled. “It being my hometown and me being a huge Pats fan kind of took over. The rest is history as I made the team as a 16-year-old and that gave me my start.”
When reflecting back on his time with the Pats, Eberle pointed to all of the former Pats he had the opportunity to get to know over the years, like Dale Derkatch, Mike Sillinger and Clark Gillies, adding that it’s special to be an alumni of a franchise that is the oldest in junior hockey, now in it’s 104th season.
“The coolest part for me was the amount of guys who would come back,” Eberle said. “Everyone who had become a Pat became part of a tight brotherhood, as we got to know each other and we all share those memories. For me to be from there and play in my hometown meant a lot for me.”
Eberle played for coaches Curtis Hunt (2006-08, 2009-10) and Dale Derkatch (2008-09) during his time with the Pats, who he said had a great impact on his career, helping him make the jump to the Edmonton Oilers in 2010-11 for his rookie season.
“Curtis [Hunt] gave me an opportunity at a young age to develop,” Eberle said. “Junior hockey I think is the first time when you’re first getting into systems, and working on power plays. To have teachers like that mentor me was huge. Dale [Derkatch] was a little bit of a different coach as he was someone I related to: a smaller player who had success and was skilled. I tried to soak in as much knowledge as I could from him. Both have had a huge impact in helping me get to where I am.”
Eberle attended the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2007-08, won the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year and was the WHL and CHL Player of the Year in 2009-10 after scoring 50 goals, 56 assists for 106 points in 57 games, ranking second in points and goals among WHL skaters that season. On October 9, 2012, just two years removed from the Pats, he had his #7 retired at the Brandt Centre at just 22-year-old.
“It was extremely special.” Eberle said. “It was very unexpected as I really didn’t expect it at such a young age. My family had actually moved to Calgary prior to my junior career and I billeted with my grandparents and my grandfather who was one of my biggest fans and came to every game and sat in the same corner. He had been battling lung cancer and he was in a wheelchair at the time, and when they retired my number he was on the ice with me and actually stood up. For him to get to see that still gives me goosebumps. That was such a special moment as I’m happy they did that at such a young age just so he could see that because he passed away shortly after, so that meant a lot.”
Eberle also represented Canada several times while a member of the Pats organization, winning gold at the IIHF World U-18 Championships in 2008, before winning a gold and silver medal at the 2009 and 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships.
Most Canadians probably know Eberle best for scoring the tying goal for Canada in the semi-finals of the 2009 World Juniors with just 5.4 seconds left in regulation to force extra time against Russia. He also scored in the shootout, as Canada defeated Russia 6-5. They would go onto win the tournament with a 5-1 win over Sweden in the finals.
“You know what’s funny, that’s a long time ago,” he laughed. “I was very fortunate to make the team as an 18-year-old with Pat Quinn as the coach. For me that catapulted me to understand that when you play in big tournaments like that, with the best of the best at your age, you gain confidence. That’s exactly what it did for me. That catapulted me to want to be the best I can and make the NHL.
“Being a Canadian kid and like a lot of Canadian families, it’s our tradition to watch the World Juniors. I always dreamed of playing in those tournaments and I was lucky enough to play both in Canada, which was special for me. My first one was in Ottawa, the Capital of Canada, as we were going for our fifth straight Gold Medal, which was special. Then my next year, I got to do it in my own province which was even cooler.”
Now a member of the Kraken, Eberle was named an NHL All-Star for the third time in his career last month, and the first ever Kraken player to appear in an all-star game.
“To be the first Kraken player was really nice,” Eberle said. “I hadn’t been since 2012 and man I was a young kid. Now I have a family and a little girl so it was nice to be able to spend it with her. She probably won’t remember it, but we got some pictures so one day we will be able to show her she was there.”
Looking back on the expansion draft, Eberle admitted it was disappointing being left ‘exposed’ after coming off back-to-back Conference Finals appearances on Long Island.
“We felt like we really had unfinished business,” he said. “I really didn’t see myself being in that situation and once it came, you change gears a little bit. In the summer I went down to Seattle and got to see how beautiful of a city it was, the facility they built and the money they put into this team. That really got me excited for it so now that I’m here, we obviously haven’t had the success we’ve wanted on the ice, but we have a ton of cap space, and I think there will be a lot of buzz and it’s going to be a big offseason for this team.
“We’re definitely on the back nine of my career and at this point my main goal is just to win. I think once we add some pieces and start coming together as a team, the sky is the limit.”
