Kraken Captain Dishes Big Assist To Hometown Province

As much as Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle loves his team and adopted city, he’s never forgotten his Western Canadian roots.

Earlier this summer, the foundation he co-chairs with wife Lauren donated $700,000 for an outdoor early learning center connected to a new Calgary library. “Reading opens the door to everything in life,” Lauren Rodych-Eberle explained in a CTV interview.

Why Calgary? “We come back every summer,” says Jordan. “We live in the south of Calgary. This is where our family and friends are. To give back to this community for me is important.”

Kraken Forward Donates To Canadian Charities

Kraken, Eberle

The Eberles created the Sticks & Strings Foundation in 2022. From its website: “Helping children and parents has been our charitable focus. If you’ve been blessed, you should ‘build a longer table, rather than a taller fence.’

“We support charities in Canada that align with our five pillars – sports, music, reading, the outdoors, and supporting new parents or parents in need.”

As to the name of the foundation, the “sticks” part is easy. Lauren is responsible for the “strings” part; she owns a Calgary-based music studio which offers online courses in voice, piano, and more. (The mother of five has also written four cookbooks and is certified in “Conscious Parenting Coaching.”)

Kraken Captain’s Regina Roots

Jordan Eberle was born in Regina, Sask., almost due north of the Montana-North Dakota border.

His love for hockey was fueled from almost the time he could walk. “I was about 2 years old, we had a linoleum floor in our house and I used to wear socks and pretend like I was skating around,” Eberle said to ThePinkPuck.com. “I showed an interest in hockey at that age and my parents decided to put me in.

“My dad had a lot to do with where I’ve gotten. He coached me all the way up until about peewee. He was always there to motivate me. Obviously it was both my parents, my mom drove me to the rink all the time – that’s probably like most hockey players.”

Later he would play four seasons in the WHL with the hometown Regina Pats.

Eberle’s Alberta Ties

Head west from Regina on the Trans-Canada Highway and in about eight hours, you’ll reach Calgary. Eberle went to high school there, met his wife Lauren there, got married there, and for many years that’s been the Eberles’ offseason home.

On her own website, Lauren tells the story of how they met.

“Grade 10 in 2006 in our math class. He sat in front of me and kept bugging me by turning around and asking me questions, when I was just trying to focus. I eventually gave in. I guess I couldn’t resist his box-coloured blonde hair. We eventually had our first date seeing Ice Age 2 in theatres, followed by his sister picking us up (neither of us were old enough to drive yet).

“So, we have been together since April 2006, with a couple University break-ups mixed in there! Fun fact…we’ve never gone more than 3 days without talking to each other in all those years!”

In the process, the Eberles in a way have bridged the “Battle of Alberta,” the hockey rivalry between the province’s two largest cities. Because what’s funny about Jordan Eberle’s Calgary connection is that he was an Edmonton Oilers fan growing up, was drafted by the Oilers with their 1st pick in 2008, and played the first seven years of his NHL career in Edmonton.

Eberle’s Improved ‘Perspective’

Parenthood has been the catalyst for Jordan and Lauren to make sure other families have the advantages they can share with their own children. And just maybe, it’s also made Dad a better hockey player.

“You live and die by hockey, and I still do,” the captain said in a Kraken Audio Network interview. “You’re taking losses home and wins home, the highs and the lows. (Kids) don’t really care how the game went, so they give you perspective. You’re able to get away from the rink a little bit, which I think honestly helps your game just that much more.”