In December 2014, freshman forward Jordan Masters committed to ASU hockey. He enjoyed a celebratory phone call with his older brother Vincent, receiving well-deserved praise.
Vincent never saw Jordan play in college. He died a month after the phone call.
This tragedy would motivate Masters' historic collegiate career.
In the Masters’ family, hockey runs deep. When they were young, Vincent taught ASU hockey’s leader in points how to properly shoot. This led to teaching him in the ins and outs of the sport, including a phone call after each of Masters’ games with compliments and constructive criticism.
“He always pushed me to be the best I could,” Masters said. “In the summertime, he would always tell me what I needed to do to be successful and that I needed to be working out and skating every day, the things that no one else was doing.”
With a desire to see his brother play in the NCAA, plans of relocating to Arizona were in the works. However, last January, Masters had to reimagine his new life at ASU solo after losing his motivator.
As a young hockey player in Rochester, New York, Masters played on several teams throughout his amateur career, most recently for the British Columbia Hockey League. Recruiters took note of his offensive talent when he ranked second in points for Team USA at the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Switzerland, earning the team a gold medal. Masters would later go on to lead the USA in scoring at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Slovakia.
With the idea of ASU’s first NCAA season on his mind, ASU head coach Greg Powers sought out to set a strong foundation for the team. This led to the recruitment of Masters.
“I think he has exceeded expectations by putting up a lot of points and the success that he has had as a freshman on a hybrid team has been really impressive,” Powers said. “He plays really hard and he’s got good finishing around the net, so we’re really proud of him.”
By trusting his brother’s advice, Masters has quickly become a vital player for ASU.
Thus far in its first NCAA season, ASU’s hard work fell short; it will end the season on a 14 game losing streak to Division I programs. Its record is 5-22. While the score may not show it, Masters' offensive play stood out while challenging several top 20 teams this season, making his eight goals and 14 assists all the more impressive.
Masters is the first Sun Devil to break the 20-point mark. Additionally, during an exhibition game against Ohio State University, he became the first Sun Devil in history to complete a hat trick.
Masters attributed his success this season to his brother.
“Everything I do now, whether it is working out or skating, I try to think about what he would be telling me,” Masters said. “If he wasn't watching over me, I don't know if I would be where I am today.”
Masters received a nomination for the 2016 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Named after hockey icon and World War I veteran, Hobey Baker, the honor recognizes the best player in collegiate hockey. As this is ASU’s first NCAA season, Powers was surprised and excited about Masters being the first Sun Devil to receive the nomination, especially during a hybrid year.
“It was always one of my dreams to be nominated,” Masters said. “I remember being a little kid and having a family friend from Rochester nominated and seeing him around the rink and what he did on and off the ice to get where he was. He was always a role model for me.”
Each of the 66 players nominated “are chosen not for raw skill or stats or character alone, though those are important; they are selected for everything they do,” according to award requirements. The winner of this honor will be announced in April.
“The first thing I thought (when I was nominated) was that my brother was looking over me and he made it happen for me,” Masters said. “Every day I try to do anything I can to try and make him proud.”
Reach the reporter at ncorr@asu.edu or follow @natalieorr19 on Twitter.
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