Giancarlo Nadeau
Jayden Attwood began playing hockey at a later age, but the experiences and memories he has created over the past decade since he first started are enough to write a book.
He admits to trying out other sports like soccer, baseball, and even basketball but claims that once he tried out hockey, it was the one he stayed with. “I always really enjoyed playing hockey throughout my childhood, and it was just the one I stuck with,” he said.
Like so many families who have a child playing sports, the Attwood family sacrificed a lot for him to play hockey. “I’ll forever be grateful for the sacrifices my family made for me to be here, and I’ll just never be able to thank them enough for all they’ve done for me so I could play junior hockey for the last couple years. It’s been amazing,” he explained.
Attwood is the only 20-year-old player on his team to suit up in the KIJHL, VIJHL, and PJHL. “It’s been a blast in all three leagues,” he said. “The PJHL is a mix between the KIJHL and VIJHL. You get a bit of grittiness and skill to make a good league,” he added.
The product of Vernon, BC, committed to the Tsunami after spending parts of the past two seasons in the VIJHL with the Campbell River Storm. “The community and support we have on the Coast is unreal. It’s one of the things that drew me out here,” he said.
He was a perfect addition to the Coastal Tsunami and added veteran maturity to their lineup. “I think my leadership shines through a bit everywhere. I just want to be a player you can come up to on or off the ice. If you have issues, I’ll be there to listen to them or help you through them,” said Attwood.
He also admitted that asking for help as a younger player can be challenging. “They might be scared to do it, but I just want to be the guy you can approach and say, hey, this is what’s going on,” he added.
Playing close to 100 junior hockey games has taught him much about himself and allowed him to become more confident. “Confidence is a huge thing and something you can always control. It helps prevent simple things like holding your stick too tight and making hard plays. Confidence helps a lot,” said Attwood.
As for his advice to younger players, “take every moment with joy. I remember being an 18-year-old in my rookie year in the KIJHL, and it feels like yesterday I was telling myself I have so much time in this league, and now the next day, I’m sitting here, and it’s a wrap, just like that,” he reflected.
He wants fans to remember him as the guy he was. “I don’t want them to substitute words for me. I just want them to know me for who I am and what I brought,” he concluded. Attwood finished his time with the Coastal Tsunami, playing 39 games and recording two goals and four assists for six points.
