Interview with SHS Hockey Senior Jake Hutchinson

This past weekend was a tough one for the Panthers. The Panthers were on home ice, but faced two tough opponents, New Albany on Friday and Olentangy Liberty, currently ranked ninth in the state coaches' polls, on Sunday. The team is working hard despite the fact that the bench is even shorter now due to injuries. They look to bounce back this weekend with three games. On Friday, the Panthers will take on DeSales at home. On Saturday and Sunday, the Panthers are on the road to face off against Bishop Watterson and Dublin Jerome, respectively. This weekend, I sat down with first-year player and senior Jake Hutchinson to hear his behind the scenes scoop on being a Panther. 

Meet #9 Jake Hutchinson… 

Hockey story:

Jake has always loved the game of hockey, but this was his first year actually playing it. I asked him about the inspiration behind the decision to start playing hockey in his senior year. He traced it back to a conversation at Taco Bell with a fellow teammate, Braden Houser. Braden encouraged Jake to tryout this season, and Jake was immediately on board. He said his parents were willing to support him as long as he “put in the work and wasn’t just a blob on the ice.”

Challenges this season:

There are always obstacles to overcome when starting a new sport. Starting hockey his senior year was no different for Jake. He said, “Everything was a challenge to me. It’s completely different than watching it on TV.” The pros pass the puck and traverse the ice with ease, but it’s definitely not as easy as it looks. Jake noted that learning where to stand and how to play different positions were some of the biggest challenges along with just skating and keeping up with the speed of the game. To sum it up, Jake said of hockey, “The entire game in general was very hard to learn.”

Something about hockey Jake learned from being on the team:

Building off of discussing the challenges Jake faced in his first hockey season, I asked him if being on the team taught him something about hockey that he did not previously know. In response, Jake told me that he was surprised at how difficult passing was. He noted that the pros seamlessly flick the puck off their sticks and catch it, but in reality, it takes a lot of practice.

Other sports: 

Jake’s favorite sport is baseball, and he has played it his entire life. For the past three seasons, he has also thrown discus and shot put. After hockey season wraps up, Jake plans to continue playing baseball as well as partaking in discus and shot put.

What goes through Jake’s head when he’s out on the ice:

As soon as Jake is told that he is playing the next shift, he is hit by an adrenaline rush, but by the time he is out on the ice, he is focused and in the zone. Jake said, “I try to think about not messing up and just focusing on where the next play is gonna be and anticipating it so I can make a good decision.”

Jake’s favorite game:

Jake’s favorite game so far this season is either the game where they tied St. Xavier or his Senior Night game against Sycamore. He told me that the St. X game was his favorite game to watch, but Senior Night was his favorite game to play in. To describe Senior Night, Jake said, “It was just very fun playing with the boys.”

Jake’s favorite NHL team:

The Detroit Red Wings.

Jake’s favorite hockey player & who he looks up to:

Jake’s favorite pro hockey player is Dylan Larkin of the Red Wings, but he looks up to his family more than he does professional players. Jake’s hockey inspiration and passion for the game is derived from his uncles. “They’re my inspiration to play since [I was] a child and they’re the reason I love hockey.”

Jake’s favorite thing about being on the team:

In my interviews with the other seniors throughout the past month, a common theme that comes up is the “Boro Brotherhood.” All the boys have told me that one of their favorite things about being on the team is the relationships between them and their teammates and the time they spend together off the ice. Jake’s answer held true to the idea that Boro Hockey is about more than just being on the ice: “I love the team and all the guys....It’s a very fun environment to be around and I couldn’t ask for a better team to be around for my first year.”

Jake’s advice for young hockey players:

Jake’s advice for young hockey players is simple yet powerful because he speaks from experience. He said, “It’s never too late to start playing, and you should never give up.” In just the past few months, he has seen vast improvements in his hockey skills. Despite the challenges, Jake has not stopped working to get better and wants to encourage others to do the same.