After a lot of hard work, the next step on the path to Jacob Tudan’s dream is so close he can taste it; he just needs a little help.
Seventeen-year-old Tudan, originally from Salmon Arm, has been offered a contract with the Philadelphia Junior Flyers, a major junior hockey team that plays in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). Tudan earned his place on the team after challenging tryouts where he was up against junior players two years older than him.
The one hurdle that remains is covering fees associated with accepting the spot on the team which total approximately $9,000.
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In the years leading up to his selection to the Junior Flyers, Tudan has overcome a number of personal hurdles including a move from B.C. to live with his father in Denver, Colorado in order to attend a large high school with a varsity hockey program.
Tudan made the varsity squad but found new challenges both athletically and academically. He has found the school more challenging, but is steadfast in his goal of going to university to become an engineer. The possibility of an NCAA hockey scholarship paying for engineering school is one of the things driving Tudan to push himself as hard as he does on the ice.
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In the fall of 2017, Tudan’s development as a hockey player hit a snag when he learned he would have to undergo knee surgery. At first he thought his dream of an NCAA scholarship was over, but after lots of hard work with a sports trainer and physical therapist, he was back on the ice by the first week of January. He says his legs ended up even stronger than they were before the surgery as a result of the work he did to recover from the injury.
In order to help pay for expenses related to accepting the spot on the roster of the major junior team, Tudan has started a GoFundMe page where he promises to keep those who donate updated on his progress. It can be found at: https://www.gofundme.com/college-hockey-dream.
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