Jr. Sharks’ Tydingco honored with Jordan Kocian Award W
By Larry O’Connor
hen citing his hockey heroes, Theo Tydingco immediately lists former NHL great Theo Fleu-
ry and Buffalo Sabres speedster Nathan Gerbe, both of whom are short in stature but stout in heart. Tydingco, at 5-foot-5, can relate on both fronts as
this year’s Jordan Kocian Award recipient. The annual accolade, which honors the memory of the Berkeley Bears and San Jose Jr. Sharks player who died in 1996 at age 21 of a rare heart ailment, goes to Nor Cal’s final-year Midget player who exem- plifies a myriad of outstanding qualities - not the least of which is inspiration. Tydingco, 19, a third-year Midget, captained the Jr. Sharks for three straight seasons and was a role model on and off the ice, said Jr. Sharks president and 18U AAA coach Tony Zasowski, who, along with Jr. Sharks 15U coach John Beaulieu, nominated the defenseman for the honor. “Theo is everything a coach can ask for out of a student-athlete,” Zasowski said. “He leads by exam- ple, always giving his best which instantly earns him respect from his teammates. The energy and enthu- siasm he brings to the rink is contagious and makes everyone better.”
Tydingco scored 10 goals for 26 points in 37 games this season while quarterbacking the power play. The Jr. Sharks play in the North American Prospects Hockey League, which involves traveling to weekend tournaments across the country. Despite the grueling schedule, Tydingco main- tained a superlative 4.2 GPA in the classroom and scored 1760 on his SATs, which he took at a Massa- chusetts school while on a Jr. Sharks’ road trip. Zasowski recalled how he once spotted Tydingco -
school.
It’s a matter of priorities, Tydingco said. “After a while, you get pretty used to it,” said Ty-
dingco. “You don’t have any off time, especially with the road trips and stuff. “When you’re on the road with your team, you al- ways want to hang out with your teammates but you have to sacrifice your time for your homework. I think it was all worth it.” His father, Norbert, a native of Guam, would con- cur. The elder Tydingco moved his family to the Bay Area in the early 1990s from the U.S. territorial Pa- cific island, which was the same time the NHL’s San Jose Sharks debuted.
Norbert fell in love with the ice sport and had Theo skating at age 3. Tydingco played with the San- ta Clara Blackhawks from Mites through Bantams, which included winning the Tier II Pee Wee national title in 2006. He migrated to the Jr. Sharks as a Midg- et.
In addition to being a top-notch student, San Jose Jr. Sharks 18U AAA defenseman Theo Tyd- ingco has proven himself as a valued leader, on
and off the ice. Photo/ HockeyShots Photography
with a school textbook in hand - at 7 a.m. in the rink during Christmas break. The coach was puzzled since practice didn’t start until 8.
The player explained his dad had to drop him off
en route to work at 5:45 a.m., so Tydingco used the two hours to study since the Jr. Sharks hit the road after the holidays and the player knew he’d miss some
Early this season, he played a handful of games
with the New Mexico Mustangs of the North Ameri- can Hockey League (Tier II Junior A) before returning to San Jose.
The Jr. Sharks welcomed him back, and he was glad to return.
“We had a great group of guys,” said Tydingco,
who eventually wants to play Division I or III college hockey. “I came back and was put in a lot of pressure situations, so I felt comfortable with that.” Fleury and Gerbe are on-ice inspirations, but Ty- dingco looks up to those he loves the most: his father and mother, Cristina.
“It all starts at home, really,” he said. “My parents do work a lot of hours and I really respect that, and I try to show my appreciation for that on the ice.”
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