There are few hockey players with as much experience and knowledge as Jared Eng. And after a remarkable playing career that spanned across the BCHL, Div 1 NCAA, and professional hockey, he’s sharing everything he’s learnt with the next generation of NVMHA players.

Jared’s Playing Career

Born and raised in Victoria, Jared moved to North Vancouver and actually grew up playing for the North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association. In fact, it’s one of the reasons why he wanted to give back and join the association as a coach.

“I played with NVMHA from U11 to U15. The landscape was a little bit different at the time. We had a very good core group of kids and it was the first time we had non-parent coaches, which was unbelievable for our development and for other players on our team,” he tells NVMHA in an interview.

He credits his parents for helping support his development, as well as having the opportunity to play spring hockey with other high end players.

“I owe a lot to my dad for building a shooting area in the backyard. I shot pucks basically every day for two to three hours after school, trying to get better every day. I was lucky enough to play spring hockey and other programs with some other high end players, that really helped me develop and see what the best players in my age group were doing, what I was doing well, and what I needed to improve on.”

And while he didn’t have any specific memories of tournaments or games during his time with NVMHA, he credits the association for creating an environment where he and his teammates could have fun and enjoy the game without pressure.

“We were able play at a high level and have big roles, while still having fun with little pressure. It really just allowed us to have fun and enjoy the game. I know that might not seem like much but just learning to love the game was so important,” Eng explained.

After U15, Eng would spend two years playing in the now BCEHL for the Vancouver North West Giants, where he played amongst the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Weal. He added that while practicing with those two players was never fun, being around them every day was huge for his development.

His playing career continued with two years in the BCHL, before being offered a full ride scholarship for Sacred Heart University’s NCAA Division 1 Hockey Team. He shares that one of the biggest highlights of his time playing college hockey was the schedule and growing a “pro” mindset.

“The first couple of weeks it’s a real grind,” Eng explains. “You’re up at 5:30 am, working out at 6:00 pm, you’re on the ice, you go to class, and it’s a tough schedule. Learning how to be a pro was a lot and I think NCAA is a lot different than Major Junior. You only play during the weekend so you’ve got some pretty tough practices. I dislocated my shoulder in practice just from how had you had to compete and earn your ice time.”

Eng also adds that there are plenty of opportunities to keep playing hockey past minor, which he hopes NVMHA players will keep an eye out for as they grow older.

“I think for a lot of NVMHA kids, we want them to have big hopes and dreams. And there’s lots of NCAA schools, Jr. Leagues, and Pro Leagues that not a lot of people know about. I was fortunate to be offered a full ride scholarship and that was what I waned to do to thank my parents for everything. Plus you learn so much playing teams like Quinnipiac, Minnesota, Duluth, those were some fun experiences for sure.”

Finding a Passion for Coaching

After several years of playing for Sacred Heart University, Simon Fraser University, and overseas in professional leagues, Jared eventually stopped playing in 2019. At the time, he worked as an educational assistant, as well as a volunteer with the Canucks Autism Network.

But it wasn’t long before he got the itch to get back into the game; he kicked off his coaching career in 2020. Starting with development and skills programs, he found a passion to dive into coaching and give back to the North Shore.

Fast forward to the 2024-25 season and Jared Eng is currently the head coach of NVMHA’s U11 A2 team, where he’s helping share his wide knowledge of the game and develop the next generation of players.

“I love being a part of North Vancouver Minor and really just helping kids on the North Shore. It’s about helping kids at all levels. It’s a great group of kids, the parents are awesome so far. We definitely have our work cut out for us but the team has a lot of potential.”

So what’s one of the biggest points of focus he has with his U11 A2 team? It all comes down to “habits, details, and accountability.”

“That, along with being a good teammate,” Eng explains. “What I learned from my time and experience coaching are that habits and accountability are really important. An example is having one puck in practice. You might overskate a puck and want to grab a new puck from the side of the ice, but there’s only one puck in a game. Another is to never go offside in practice, that’s something I see all the time. It’s more work for coaches and it’s a little cliche, but I do think that if you practice that way and have those details and that accountability in games, it makes a huge difference.”

When asked about another way that other NVMHA players can improve, regardless of age or level, he suggested watching NHL games.

“I think a big one is watching games, watching NHL games. Not the highlights, not the exciting stuff. Watch the boring parts of the games, the meat and potatoes, that’s a really great way to learn.”

Rapid Fire

Want to learn more about Coach Jared Eng? Here’s some rapid fire:

Who’s your favourite current NHL player? 

Cale Makar

What about your favourite of all time? 

Scott Niedermayer

Do you have a favourite NHL team? 

Don’t have one, actually.

What is your favourite hockey stick that you ever used? 

The Orange Easton Synergy, Heatley Curve.

How about a favourite pregame song? 

Probably something by Avicii.

What’s one other piece of advice you’d give to NVMHA players? 

Get one percent better every day.

What’s the best advice you received from a coach growing up? 

The best advice was probably from a Harvard coach. There’s always doing just as much as you are So what are you dong to separate yourself?

When it comes to NVMHA jerseys, which is your favourite: Blue or white? 

Blue.

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