So many youngsters dream about playing big league hockey when they grow up but few realize their dreams.
Jordan Inglis, from 100 Mile House, was one of those children, and now the 25-year-old is a forward with the UBC Thunderbirds men's ice hockey team.
Inglis says he's satisfied with the reward that hard work and a little bit of fate has brought him.
Fresh out of secondary school, he was fortunate to play one season with the Cowichan Valley Capitals Junior A hockey team. Then in 2005/06, he joined the OCN Blizzard Tier 2 Junior A team in The Pas, Manitoba, where he notched 29 goals and 29 assists in 62 games.
Back to British Columbia in 2006/07 with the Prince George Spruce Kings Junior A squad, Inglis contributed 21 goals and 26 assists and helped the team to the finals of the RBC Royal Bank Cup Junior A hockey championships of Canada.
They lost 3-1 to the Aurora Tigers but it was somewhat of a win for Inglis as he tied for Spruce Kings lead in playoff scoring with eight points in seven games. The good exposure was a direct benefit, and shortly afterwards, he had an invitation to join the forward line with the Wayne State Warriors, playing on scholarship.
"It had been my dream to play college hockey in the [United] States, so when I had an opportunity, I jumped on it. It's a bit more competitive down there and the scholarships are better," he says.
The team folded after his first season with them and Inglis was back in B.C. again. This time it was with the University of B.C. Thunderbirds, and once again, on scholarship.
This will be his fourth and final season with the T-birds, as he graduates with a kinesiology degree at the end of the term. However, it has been a good run.
In December, Inglis had a career high in a 7-3 victory against the Lethbridge Pronghorns during which he scored a hat trick, including the game-winner. He also notched an assist.
"I've had some good years here, and at the end of the day, I'm happier at UBC in terms of what I got out of my education."
It hasn't been easy, though, with every second weekend spent on the road. They usually leave on Thursday afternoon and Inglis says it's meant a lot of hard work to keep his grades up.
Last year, there were more challenges as he was sidelined from the ice and from final exams for six weeks due to a concussion suffered while playing hockey.
"It's tough when you get a concussion because you're not allowed to focus, so you can't write exams. I had to rewrite, but it's one of the risks of playing hockey while you're going to school. I was fortunate because the teachers in my program were pretty good about. They understand the circumstances of a concussion."
Inglis will soon be applying for medical school, and as he nears what he's sure will be the end of his hockey career, he can't believe how quickly it went by.
"You don't realize early in your career how fast it goes, and at the end, it feels like it's flown by. It's all been a good experience and different things came out of each situation. Playing with each of the teams all had their highlights and all had their lessons."
Inglis will go out on a high note, as UBC currently holds fourth position in the Canada West conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league and has clinched a spot in the playoffs.