Jeremy Langlois an Arizona Hockey Role Model
Posted: 6/24/2009 12:00:00 AM
It was June 2002 and I walked into a rather typical youth hockey discussion that just happened to be occurring at Polar Ice Chandler.
A handful of passionate volunteers and coaches were discussing whether they should have two Polar Bear PW teams or just one “SUPER TEAM,” as this was the second season for the Chandler Jr. Polar Bears Travel Program. If they had two teams ,should they be drafted to be the same level or make one a “SUPER TEAM” and the other developmental?
It was a healthy discussion and one worthy of some thought and deliberation. I sat and listened for nearly thirty minutes and was about to get up and leave when finally Jarrod “Oly” Olson and Glenn Miller the two coaches in the discussion asked, “Hoody , what do you think?”
“Well it all centers itself around the question, what is the end game?” “Guys what is the end game for these young players and the program,” I asked somewhat rhetorically. Glenn Miller never hesitated, “to help make all these young players better citizens and help prepare them to play Juniors and college in the future.”
Oly then followed up with the easy answer, “we should definitely have two teams.” “Two solid development teams.” Just like that Chandler Jr. Polar Bears PW Fire and Chandler Jr. Polar Bears PW Ice were born.
I think back to that conversation and how it has helped Jeremy Langlois who is a testament to a sound hockey development path and a persistent personal work ethic. 2002 was Jeremy’s first year of competitive ice hockey and by forming two PW teams he was given the opportunity to develop and train with a phenomenal youth coach, Glenn Miller. Jeremy went on to play through the Polar Bears youth system at PW A, Bantam A, Bantam AA, U 16 AA and three years of Junior A, two with the Phoenix Polar Bears and has just accepted a 4 year scholarship to Quinnipiac NCAA Division 1 and is currently ranked 120th by NHL Central Scouting for the 2009 NHL draft. “It is a great honor to be on Central Scouting’s NHL draft list and it just shows that hockey is growing fast in Arizona and you can work your way up through the system with programs like the Polar Bears from a young age all the way to Juniors, NCAA and professional hockey,” commented Langlois.
One should never be surprised with the value of long term development and dedicated coaching because when it meets a player’s passion, it is nearly unstoppable!! Just like Langer!