Clint Jordan Award nominees, from left: Adrian Creighton of the U15 Mavericks, Hayden Archibald of the U18 Mavericks, and Jasper Sharratt of the U13 Mavericks. Hayden Archibald was chosen as the 2022-’23 recipient.
The captain of the U18 Fort Macleod Mavericks received Minor Hockey’s most prestigious award last week.
Hayden Archibald was honoured April 4 during Fort Macleod Minor Hockey’s annual awards night at the community hall.
The other nominees were Jasper Sharrat of the U13 Mavericks and Adrian Creighton of the U15 Mavericks.
The Clint Jordan Award is presented in memory of a Fort Macleod Minor Hockey player who died suddenly in 1990.
The award recognizes commitment, hard work, sportsmanship and team play.
“The U18 team this year has a wonderful structure of players that do fit perfectly into this category,” U18 Mavericks manager Natasha Haluck said. “However there is one player that stands above the rest.”
“This young man worked to his maximum capability consistently inside and outside of the game,” Haluck said of Archibald.
Archibald demonstrated an ability to plan and execute creative plays, learning from mistakes and striving to improve.
“He has continued to grow, finding the most efficient system that works for himself and his team,” Haluck said. “You’ll see him on the bench, when not on the ice, pushing his teammates to the potential he knows they have.”
Archibald demonstrated dedication to his team, often rushing into the dressing room right from work.
Archibald’s dedication extended to dryland training, practices and games.
“He was the first to show up, the first to get his team moving and he was one of the boys you could just count on, no matter what the circumstances,” Haluck said.
Archibald also demonstrated sportsmanship through respect for himself, his teammates, team officials, opposing players and referees.
“He is very much a leader of this team, on and off the ice,” Haluck said. “He consistently watched over his teammates while offering constructive criticism.”
The Mavericks had 10 wins, five losses and one tie to place third in their Tier 3 division.
Archibald had three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 16 regular season games, along with 49 penalty minutes.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way,” Haluck said of Archibald.
Jasper Sharratt had 28 goals and 22 assists in 50 games for the U13 Mavericks while picking up just 14 penalty minutes.
“This player worked hard to keep the team in check when things got heated, kept his own cool when things were tough, and put his entire heart out there each and every game, practice or team-building event,” the Mavericks coaches wrote in their nomination of Sharratt.
“He was often giving words of encouragement, giving advice to his teammates, and trying to help them improve when he could, pushing them to be the best versions of themselves,” the coaches added.
The coaches noted that Sharratt went out of his way to pass to teammates to help them score, and commented on his strong two-way play.
“This player demonstrated incredible leadership both on and off the ice,” the coaches added. “He was easy to coach and respectful, and supportive to his teammates and coaches.”
The U15 Mavericks coaches had strong praise for Adrian Creighton.
“Our nominee is the kind of player every team needs on their roster,” head coach Turner Sharp said. “This player is dedicated, hard-working and coachable.”
“He has the attitude of a sportsman on the bench and on the ice. This shows with his determination to play his best, every shift. He flies into the corners without hesitation, even when up against bigger and stronger players.”
Creighton had five goals and three assists, along with 10 penalty minutes, in 12 regular season games for the Mavericks, who went 2-12-1 and placed sixth in their division.
Sharp noted the team struggled in many games but Creighton did not get discouraged.
“He continued to play like the next goal was a tie-breaker even though we were down by 10,” Sharp said.
Creighton accepted feedback from his coaches, demonstrating a desire to learn and improve.
“He is a good influence on his teammates, on and off the ice,” Sharp said.
