Across the Pacific: Jordan Spence’s journey to the NHL
This article was written by Giselle Velazquez, who is part of the Professional Hockey Writers Association x To Hockey With Love Mentorship Program. This program pairs aspiring writers with established members of the association across North America to create opportunities for marginalized people that do not traditionally get published on larger platforms covering hockey.
To Hockey With Love is a weekly newsletter covering a range of topics in hockey – from the scandals of the week to providing a critical analysis of the sport.
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A packed arena of hockey fans erupted in cheers as one of their own took the ice.
It’s a common scene in arenas across North America – and many other parts of the world. But for the fans in Melbourne, it was the first time they could see an Australian play in an NHL game on home ice.
There was Jordan Spence, 22, the Los Angeles Kings defenseman, who was born nine hours from this sold-out crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
A stick wave and a smile to the crowd of adoring fans is what Spence gave in return.
That, and some inspiration.
Australia isn’t known as a hockey hotbed. But the NHL, in hopes of growing the sport, chose it for a two-game preseason series as part of the 2023 NHL Global Series.
Though Spence was born nine hours away in Manly, New South Wales, the first-time visitor still enjoyed the moment.
“Obviously getting the first star and with all the fans cheering it was a cool moment for me.” Spence said. “My parents also came down too. So that was pretty cool. They haven’t been there since I was born, so it was awesome for them to come down too.”
It was the first time Down Under for the Los Angeles Kings organization. And, just like his teammates, it was the first time Spence could enjoy the city of Melbourne. Though he was born in Australia, he lived there for only a year and a half so there were no memories for him to look back on. But there were plenty to create for the young defenseman.
“It sucked a little bit just because I was only there for a year and a half,” Spence said. “So I don’t really remember anything at all. Going with the team and, obviously, we were there for training camp. But when we had our days off like just going around, just going to see the kangaroos, like just seeing the football game, it was pretty cool.”
The trip meant a lot to Spence, who in 2022 was the first Australian-born player to play in the NHL when he made his debut. Being named first star of the game and having his parents in attendance in Australia wasn’t the only unique aspect of his hockey journey. The 5-foot-10 right-shot defenseman has made various stops around the world to get to this full circle moment in Melbourne.
His family left Australia for Japan when he was one. Born to a Canadian father and a Japanese mother, Spence and his family settled down in Osaka. He began playing hockey at age five. His dad, Adam, passed on the passion to him after playing the sport himself. Spence played hockey throughout his childhood and took up baseball as well. He played both sports until he was 13, when he made the choice to pursue hockey full time.
That decision would change his life. The Spence family packed up and moved about 6,700 miles to Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, Canada to help a 13-year-old Jordan chase his hockey dreams. This new transitional point in his life provided him with more hockey experience but also a chance to grow as an individual too. He picked up English in a nontraditional way: through hockey.
Spence credited his interactions with new teammates and coaches in helping him communicate in the new language. He adapted to the changes quickly by talking with family, watching movies, and reading books.
Along with the cultural changes, Spence also dealt with the differences between hockey in Japan and in Canada. Spence, a smaller defenseman, had to adjust to a new form of playing.
“The biggest thing that I found moving to Canada was just the physicality,” he said. “I don’t think there was a lot of physical contact in Japan. And when you go to Canada, it’s the total opposite. Physical contact, or like checking and everything, is a big part of hockey here. So that’s one of the biggest things that I learned when I moved here.”
Hockey came naturally for Spence in Canada. In his first season in Junior A, he had 51 points in 50 games with the Summerside Western Capitals in the Maritime Hockey League. He tacked on 17 points in 12 playoff games as well. Though Spence wasn’t drafted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League until his second year of eligibility, he adjusted to the new league well.
“I think it really helped me,” he said. “I played in Junior A to kind of adapt to the league… Obviously for me, I think personally it was just the speed, the strength. And after you kind of get adapted and get more comfortable. I think that’s when I started playing well.”
That extra time in Junior A helped set Spence up for a successful career in the QMJHL, which is now called the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. In his first year with the Moncton Wildcats, Spence put together a nice campaign both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Spence collected numerous QMJHL awards including Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and had the most points by a rookie defenseman. He caught the attention of the Canadian national team and was invited to join Canada at the 2019 U-18 World Championship, where he played in seven games but lost to eventual champion Sweden in the semifinals.
By the end of his first season in the QMJHL, Spence was noticed by NHL scouts and was picked by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round, 95th overall, at the 2019 NHL Draft. It meant a lot for Spence and his family to be at the draft in Vancouver for this milestone moment.
“Obviously [to] hear my name called, it was a pretty surreal moment,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t know what I was thinking. I was pretty blank. I don’t really remember much, like walking down, meeting (general manager) Rob Blake, all the staff, and them just welcoming me to the Kings and the organization. It was an awesome experience and it was a pretty cool moment.”
Spence returned to the Wildcats for the following season where another strong year earned him the Defenseman of the Year award in the league. He followed it up by signing a three-year entry level contract with the Kings later that summer. And he got another important opportunity in his career joining Canada’s national team once again. In his second stint, he won silver at the 2021 IIHF World Junior championship.
He turned pro for the 2021-2022 season and played a majority of the season with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate. Another strong season by Spence saw him notch 42 points in 46 games. When the Kings needed reinforcements due to injuries that season, he got the call and experienced his NHL debut on March 10, 2022 against the San Jose Sharks, making him the first skater in the league to hold Japanese citizenship. He was a reliable player, even being called upon to play in three games for the Kings in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Spence ended his first pro season on a high note; collecting two awards from the AHL after being named to the AHL All-Rookie Team and AHL First All-Star Team. But there was still work to be done as he spent most of the 2022-23 season with the Reign (four goals, 41 assists in 56 games).
For this season, Spence’s focus was on making the Kings out of training camp and he achieved that.
In the first two months of the season, Spence has played entirely in the NHL, posting 12 points in 34 games while averaging 15:09 of time on ice. He has also quarterbacked the second power play unit for the Kings. The growth he’s achieved in the past two years is not surprising for former Kings forward and current television color analyst, Jim Fox.
“I think he’s been good right from the get go,” Fox said. “There’s a safe part of his game. There’s a comfort part of his game. Even though he would be known as a mobile, offensive defenseman, he doesn’t put himself or his team in any situations where it becomes too risky. There’s certainly a lot of players that when offense is their game, they play with an element of risk. Knowing Jordan from day one, he has not had that. He has more of a stable feel than a risk.”
Kings coach Todd McLellan, who has been Spence’s only NHL coach, has all the confidence in his defenseman.
“We’re getting quality minutes out of him,” McLellan said. “He’s a heady player, he sees the ice well and has a booming shot. ‘Spenny’ has improved, I think, nightly, and he looks more confident.”
(credit: Los Angeles Kings)
For a player who grew up in Japan and only dreamed of reaching the NHL, the future is bright for Spence. But his origin isn’t lost on him. He would love to return to Japan and Australia and host hockey camps in the future. But, for now, he’s just focused on the present.
“If there are kids in Japan that want to play in the NHL and maybe if they look up to me, it’s an honor for me,” Spence said. “I want to represent well when I’m on the ice and even off the ice as well. So it’s pretty cool.”
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