Jordan Pietrus ’10 Wins Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award

The Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) today announced that Brown senior forward Jordan Pietrus (Winnipeg, MAN) is the winner of the fourth annual Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. The award was established by the HCA in honor of former Army player Derek Hines, who was a “consummate team player and team builder.” Hines played at Army from 1999-2003 and was a four-year letterwinner as well as a co-captain his senior season. He was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan in September 2006.

“I am extremely honored to earn recognition in remembrance of Derek Hines,” said Pietrus. “The character, sacrifice, and leadership he possessed are traits I admire and attempt to emulate in not only athletics, but also in my every day life as well. I am deeply humbled to be chosen for this prestigious award by both the Hines Family and the entire selection committee. I would like to personally thank the Hines Family for the courage they have shown in continuing Derek’s legacy through this award. I would also like to thank Brown University, my teammates, and the Brown coaching staff for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such a special group for the past four years.”

The senior forward was named team captain this season after serving as an assistant captain during the 2008-09 campaign. Pietrus led the Bears in scoring through the first 21 games of the season with seven goals and ten assists, but was injured during a Jan. 30 contest with Union. Although the injury was expected to be season-ending, he was able to return to the ice three weeks ahead of schedule and helped Brown capture a third-place game victory in the ECAC Championship after finishing the regular season in 11th place. Pietrus, described as the “heart-and-soul” of the team, tallied an assist in his final collegiate game, a 3-0 win over St. Lawrence. During his rehab time he served as a video coordinator and student assistant coach.

“I am extremely grateful to have had Jordan in place as the captain of the current team, he represents all that is right about collegiate athletics,” said Brown first-year head coach Bren- dan Whittet. “At his core, Jordan embodies integrity, strength in community, responsibility, competitive spirit and pride. His values are unwavering and correlate completely with the founding principles upon which Brown Bear Hockey is based.”

Pietrus, a 24-year old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, owns a 3.50 overall GPA and is expected to be named to the ECAC All-Academic Team for the fourth-consecutive year. The Commerce, Organizations and En- trepreneurship major was a nominee for the ECAC Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Pietrus has also been heavily involved in the Providence, R.I., community and around the Brown campus. He has volunteered at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School since the fall of his freshman year and organized a toy drive for the Hasbro Children’s Hopital, which took place during three Bears’ games this season. In addition, Pietrus is currenly co-president of BrowNation, a student group aimed at increasing school spirit. During his time with BrowNation he has helped raise the group’s membership numbers from 20 to more than 800.

In the Spring of 2009, Pietrus served as “Team Captain” for a squad of 15 student-athletes during Brown’s Relay for Life, which is an effort to raise money for the American Cancer Society. During his career he has spent his summers as a personal trainer at Focus Fitness in Winnipeg and as a coach at the Greg Carters European Hockey School in Concord, Mass.

Each of the six NCAA Division I hockey conferences submitted a nominee for the award that goes to the student-athlete who personifies Hines’ spirit and relentless commitment. The winner was chosen by sports information directors from the six conferences.

Honorable Mention
Matt Fairchild, Senior, Forward, Air Force (AHA)
Luke Glendening, Sophomore, Forward, Michigan (CCHA)
Davide Nicoletti, Senior, Defense, Alabama-Huntsville (CHA)
Darcy Zajac, Senior, Forward, North Dakota (WCHA)
Brett Watson, Senior, Forward, UMass (HEA)

Pictured: Jordan Pietrus ’10. Photo by DSPics.net.