NEWS

Patriots’ Hayhurst succeeding with team-first mentality

By Jamie Neugebauer
Photo by Shawn Muir/OJHL Images 

 

It is three minutes into the first Royal Bank Cup tournament game in the history of the Toronto Patriots franchise.

 

Their opponents, the Dauphin Kings, the champions of Manitoba, are under siege; yet, the furious Toronto pressure is yielding nothing.

 

Finally, the puck squirms itself free from a scramble in front of the net. Jacob Hayhurst, only a few months after his 17th birthday, is supposed to be the high forward protecting from a Dauphin counter-attack, but still has the presence of mind to be aggressive in a high-pressure moment. He calmly finds the disc among the tangle of legs, quickly pulls it into a strong shooting position, and makes no mistake, whipping a perfectly aimed wrister past the beleaguered Kings goaltender.

 

Vintage Hayhurst.

 

From the outset of last year’s magical season, Jacob displayed maturity and class – both on and off the ice - beyond what even Toronto head coach Jason Fortier could have imagined. His skill, speed, and competitiveness thrust him on to the league’s radar from the very early days of the 2013-14 campaign.

 

This year, however, Hayhurst is not going to fool anyone.

 

“There is definitely a lot more pressure this year than last year,” Hayhurst says.

 

“Being one of the veterans on the team this year and the fact that we’ve lost the older guys from last year, there is definitely a bigger role for me. As far as how the season is going, I thought I got off to a great start. These last few games have been a little slower and I just need to get back on track. But as long as the team is doing well, everything is fine with me, and it looks like it’s going to be a great season.”

 

A Mississauga native, Jacob worked his way through minor hockey with his hometown Rebels. His solid performance at minor midget’s biggest stage, the OHL Cup, earned him a selection by the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs in the 2013 draft.

 

Nevertheless, his heart was always on playing college hockey in the NCAA, and that meant taking aim at a spot in the Tier II ranks. His excellent training camp helped him make the Patriots right out of minor midget, and he has not looked back since.

 

“Being a Patriot means everything to me,” says Hayhurst.

 

“I think the Patriots are starting to develop a brand for themselves. They are starting to become a top organization in the country. Being a Patriot is awesome. (Coach Fortier) runs a great program, the coaches do a great job, and they are all in. It’s just a fantastic place to play junior hockey.”

 

Being a productive 16 and 17 year old in the junior hockey ranks will always draw interest, and Jacob was no exception. A 44-point season in the OJHL last year earned him a commitment to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Division I Eastern College Athletic Conference.

 

It is a school that has at least one familiar face.

 

“I’m really excited to know that Jacob will be here at some point down the line,” said former Patriot Mike Prapavessis, a freshman defender this season for the Engineers.

 

“I got to know him really well last year. He’s one heck of a hockey player and he’s a really good kid too, so I was definitely in his ear a little about coming to RPI. To be honest, I was probably bothering him a little bit about it, asking him when he was making his decision and trying to give him a bit of a push every now and then. I was really pumped when I heard that he committed and definitely excited that I get to play with him again. Looking forward to it.”

 

With an RBC Cup run, a university commitment, and a crucial spot on a Junior ‘A’ team under his belt as a 1997 birth year – not to mention some subtle interest from the National Hockey League – one might expect a measure of boastfulness and bad attitude from one so young.

 

Jacob, however, has clearly been taught from his family, and from wearing the Patriots crest on his jersey, that nothing can be taken for granted, and that personal glory is secondary to team success.

 

“My job is simply that I just have to play to win every night,” Hayhurst says.

 

“I have to play to the best of my ability every night and put everything on the line for my team. That’s what it’s all about. As long as the team results are there, whatever happens in the end individually, happens. If that’s an opportunity to get drafted it would be wonderful, but I can’t afford to have that thought in the forefront right now.”