ASU hockey sports an 11-0-0 record after beating Eastern Michigan and Colorado State over Homecoming weekend. One of the stories this season is that Colin Hekle has scored at least one point in every game this season and now leads the team with 22 points.
It was not easy for ASU head coach Greg Powers to recruit such a high-caliber player to an undiscovered program at the time. But Powers worked his magic and landed the Manitoba native and now ASU is considered national championship contenders.
“When I was in my last season (with the MMJHL Charleston Hawks), I was contacted by a few different teams in NCAA and ACHA,” Hekle said. “Coach Powers contacted me and showed me the campus and everything to do with ASU hockey and I was sold. I haven’t regretted it for a second.”
People could assume that Hekle played on some prestigious junior league teams. What people may not know about the Sun Devil captain is that one of his biggest role models in hockey is his father.
“I would have to say that my game is shaped after my dad. I get a lot of input on my game from him. When I feel like something is off he’s the first to know how to fix it, if its pregame or on ice. He knows the game better then most so I know I can trust his opinion,” Hekle said.
His father helped shape Hekle into the player he is today and Hekle has his father to thank for reaching some milestones during his collegiate career. The junior scored his 50th career goal as a Sun Devil on October 20th against San Diego State University. Arizona State can thank Colin Hekle for his work in helping this program become the second-ranked team in the ACHA this year. After an 11-0-0 start to the season, the captain credits this year’s success to a full team effort.
“This team is so well rounded. You can’t even say we have seen our best hockey yet. We have offensive fire power this year that I don’t think I have seen on any team that I have ever played for. We get production from a list of guys on the team,” Hekle said.
This season, 20 players have scored a goal and ASU has scored ten or more goals in a game four times already this season. If the Sun Devils want to make a championship run this season, they will rely heavily on Hekle. He won a national junior championship in Canada and he would want nothing more than to repeat that accomplishment at Arizona State.
Will he play hockey after school? Hekle certainly hopes so. But for right now, he is focused on enjoying his time with his teammates in Tempe.
“I can say that if it was not for the hockey program, I would not be going to ASU. It allows you to have a group of friends and family from day one coming into a new place for school,” Hekle said.
Hekle and company take on Arizona in Tucson this weekend and are seeking their 28th straight win against their cross-state rival.
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