SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Have you ever heard about a hard-nosed hockey defender?

That’s one way to describe 19-year-old Aidan De La Gorgendiere.

Not everyone can go through what Gorgendiere went through and come out strong. Losing his mom in November 2019 to lung cancer was a big blow to him, but what was even more difficult was being thousands of kilometers away and trying to concentrate on each game, wondering what the situation at home was. 

In his own words, he said, “You’re trying to follow your dream, but your mom’s at home sick.” 

Through it all, Gorgendiere has come out a fine, hard-nosed defender. His past hard days didn’t break him but refined him into the man he is today. 

Weighing 83 kilogram and standing at 6-foot-1, Gorgendiere was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia on Feb. 22, 2002. He is currently 19 years old, a lefty shooter, and one of the best defenders in the WHL, where he plays for the Saskatoon Blades.

In the 2015-16 season, he came to the limelight while playing for the Delta Hockey Academy U15 Varsity in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. He played 24 games, scored six goals, and provided 18 assists. Could this be the reason why he is called “master assist” in some quarters? No defender had more assists than him in the season. The only records he didn’t beat are Justin Sourdif and Hollander Thompson, who had more assists than him in that season. 

After one successful season with Delta Hockey Academy U15 Varsity, Gorgendiere moved to Yale Hockey Academy Elite 15s in the 2016-17 season. Again, he played just four games, and again he was on goal two times and provided two assists. At the Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep, Gorgendiere played 30 games, scored five goals, and provided 21 assists, as per the “master assist” that he is. No defender made that number of assists in the season, and only four players had more assists than him. 

In his second season with the Yales, he played 19 games in the 2017-18 season and scored three goals. As expected, Gorgendiere provided 13 assists. Also, in the playoffs with the Yales, he played a total of 10 games, scored two goals, and provided 10 assists before moving to Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League. 

The 2017-18 season was his first full season with the Saskatoon Blades. He played 47 games without goals but made sure his name was on the record for assists. He provided five assists that season and was on record for one assist during the playoffs. 

That same year, he joined the Canada Black U17 team and represented Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He played five games, and although he did not see the net, he didn’t disappoint when it came to assists. He provided two assists in five games played. 

Although Gorgendiere didn’t provide many assists in his first season with the Saskatoon Blades as expected, he came out with his A-game in the following season. In the 2019-20 season, he played 63 games, scored four goals, and provided 24 assists. This was his career-best in terms of assists. Only five players in the entire league had more assists than him, even though he is a defender.

The 2020-21 season was also good for him. Unfortunately, it was cut short because of Covid-19, but not without Gorgendiere providing 10 assists and scoring two goals in just 18 games. That same season, he was named as the assistant captain of the club. This didn’t come as a surprise to many because Gorgendiere had been a hard worker in and outside the pitch.

Now the captain of the Saskatoon Blades, Gorgendiere is not someone that looks back or allows a situation to tie him down. His ultimate goal is to play professionally.

“Being drafted into the NHL has always been a dream of mine,” said Gorgendiere.

There’s no doubt whatsoever about the Master Assist making it to the National Hockey league because he has what it takes to make it there and even beyond.

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