Player Spotlight - Torrin White
Growing up in small-town Saskatchewan, Torrin White gained an interest in hockey early in life. “I started playing organized hockey for the Eastend Jets when I was 3 years old. We lived about 100 feet from the front door of the rink in Eastend, and some of my favourite memories involve just walking over to the rink with my older sister and younger brother and spending hours at the rink since it was essentially open 24/7”. In the southwest Saskatchewan town of Eastend, hockey is more a way of life than a hobby, something that suited Torrin and his family just fine. “I spent an unfathomable amount of time playing hockey with my younger brother Jaeger growing up. Whether it was mini-sticks or garage hockey, Jaeger and I grew up living and breathing hockey”.
A move further west saw Torrin’s bantam years played out in Alberta, but the Western Hockey League bantam draft brought him back to Saskatchewan soil. Drafted 21st overall in the 2010 bantam draft by the Moose Jaw Warriors, Torrin played with the team for the majority of his junior career. In 2016, he made the move to Lethbridge, signing with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. Lethbridge was an easy choice Torrin says, allowing him to stay close to home and his family and play alongside close friends Bryson Gore, Jay Merkley, and Ryan Aasman. After calling Lethbridge home for four years, Torrin has made a lot of memories in the city. When asked about the most memorable moment of his University career thus far, Torrin looked back at his rookie season with the Horns in 2016: “my personal favourite memory is for sure Tim Campbell’s double-overtime game-winning goal against the University of Alberta my first year with the Horns.” Off the ice, he says he will miss spending summer and fall days with teammates and other Horns athletes on the golf course. “I can’t count how many rounds of golf I have played with Russell, Mitch, and Brooks Maxwell over the years, and it is stuff like that that I will miss the most.” Playing in the University Cup was another memorable experience from his years with the Horns, hosted by the University of Lethbridge in 2019. “It was a learning experience for our players competing against the top teams in the country,” Torrin noted, “I think we were all proud of how the community came together to support USports and Pronghorns Hockey.”
The importance of community and having an impact outside the rink came up frequently when discussing Torrin’s hockey career. He recalled former coaches Pat Elynuik and Dennis Polonich as important role models, guiding him to become a mature and professional player at a young age. “Pat and Polo (Dennis) were my spring hockey coaches in Calgary for a number of years. This is where I began learning that there is more to hockey than what you do on the ice.” The Horns are well known for giving back to the community, with endeavours to promote academics and athletics, such as the “Read With Us” campaign and Horns Junior Hockey Camps. “It’s a two-way street,” Torrin said, in regards to supporting the community as athletes, “the more support you give to the community, the more support the community will give you.” He speaks highly of the supportive environment created by fans in Lethbridge, noting the consistently strong attendance to Horns hockey games, some of the best numbers in Canada West division.
“When I was playing in Moose Jaw, we were a big part of the community and got involved in several initiatives,” Torrin noted, speaking to his passion for giving back to the community. “It was interesting to see the impact you could have on students just because you’re a hockey player.” Torrin carried his desire to make a difference with him to the Horns and has been involved in countless initiatives in the community over his four years with the team. This year, he was recognized for his commitment to being a positive ambassador for the Horns, winning the Community Service and Citizenship award from Pronghorns Athletics, as well as the George Vaselenak Award for Sportsmanship and Ability from Pronghorns hockey. Standing out amongst a long list of philanthropic achievements is his “Pronghorns Against Bullying” program. Inspired by the success of the Horns reading program, Torrin spent the summer of 2019 creating a series of anti-bullying presentations to be delivered by himself and his teammates to students. With the help of Verna Mabin from St. Martha’s school, his work came to fruition, and the programming was presented in the elementary school. The success of the program inspired more school visits and by February nearly ten student-athletes were volunteering their time at St. Martha’s every Tuesday and Thursday to promote fitness and education through math games, reading and floor hockey, among other activities. “I think with the platform hockey players and athletes are given, it’s beneficial to use the platform to do good and give back to young students. It will be one of my favourite memories of my time in Lethbridge, and I hope we were able to inspire some students who may not have had dreams of being an athlete or going to University”.
After dedicating four years of his career to the University of Lethbridge, hearing about the cancellation of the Horns hockey programs was naturally a tough pill to swallow. “I have had some time to digest the recent decision made by the University of Lethbridge to discontinue the Men’s and Women’s hockey programs. It is heartbreaking for my teammates and the women’s hockey players and well as staff and supporters within the community. There is a passionate group of players that will refuse to go down without a fight, and I hope for all of those involved that something positive resonates sooner than later.” The Horns taking to the ice at Nicholas Sheran Arena will be greatly missed, but the hole left by the programs’ absence is much larger than just cancelled hockey games. “The impact on the community and the University is something that has been overlooked. The Horns hockey teams have been commonplace in the community, whether it be within schools or minor hockey programs. It is something that is difficult to replace, and I don’t think the University realizes how big of a loss this is for themselves and for the community”.
Torrin completed his General Management degree at the University of Lethbridge this spring and is using his remaining year of USports eligibility playing with the Raven’s at Carleton University while pursuing a Master’s in Philanthropy and Non-profit Leadership.
