Jenna Hendrikx Takes Time from NCAA Season to Attend Do It for Daron Event

During the 2012-13 NCAA holiday break, Mercyhurst Lakers forward and Ottawa area resident Jenna Hendrikx went home for a great cause. With the Provincial Women’s Hockey League holding its first annual contest in honor of Do It for Daron (a foundation that recognizes the life of the late Daron Richardson, an Ottawa resident who was daughter of former NHLer Luke Richardson, and sister of Cornell star Morgan Richardson), Hendrikx was in attendance: “DIFD is a great thing and being here tonight is a great time.”

Luke Richardson, a 21-year NHL veteran (and the father of Daron Richardson) served as the head coach of the PWHL Ottawa Senators. “Luke was my coach. I was happy we could do it for him,” Hendrikx said.

While Luke could not attend the contest (due to his obligations as head coach of the American Hockey League’s Binghamton Senators), his wife Stephanie and daughter Morgan (a freshman with the Cornell Big Red) attended.

With the match being held between the Ottawa-based franchises in the PWHL (the Nepean Wildcats and the Ottawa Senators), Hendrikx was one of many former Senators players that attended the match as a show of support. “It is always fun to see old teammates.”

Having graduated from the Senators, her first stop in the College Hockey America circuit was with the Niagara Purple Eagles. For Hendrikx, the folding of the Purple Eagles program came as a great shock: “Yes, I was shocked when it folded. I really enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun there and I loved the campus.” In her first three seasons with Niagara (from 2009 to 2012), Hendrikx logged 34 goals and 23 assists in 93 career games.

The Mercyhurst Lakers represents Hendrikx’s second CHA franchise. “It is completely different than Niagara. It is fun winning, and winning is always fun.” Hendrikx added, “You can see from the rec room that they know how to win games.” Through her first 17 games with the Lakers, she has accumulated eight points on four goals and four assists, respectively. 

Getting the opportunity to play for Michael Sisti and former Canadian national team member Delaney Collins has been of great benefit to her.  “You learn a lot every day there. It is perfect. You learn quickly that the little things make a big difference. It is a great opportunity.”

“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”