Auburn, ME - The sun is just coming up and the Central Maine Community College hockey team sluggishly stumbles from the dorms to the back of an empty student parking lot on campus. Waiting for them with a stack of cones, a coffee, and a mischievous smile is new Mustangs assistant coach Jordy Knoren, who immediately commences the workout.
"They're going to hate me today," he jokes. "But it will be worth it."
Knoren knows exactly what hard work is worth. He joins the Mustangs coaching staff after a whirlwind playing career that saw him come across the Atlantic from his hometown of Heerlen, Netherlands, a town of 86,000 that was once a hub for a booming Dutch coal mining industry. After a fruitful junior career Knoren settled on Central Maine Community College where he did nothing but excel.
Knoren hung up his skates after a playing career at Central Maine that sees him retire as the program's leading scorer, posting 28 goals and 54 assists for a total of 82 points in his three years with the program. He was a three year captain of the team while earning his associates degree in physical fitness, as well as his ACSM certification to become a personal trainer. His career culminated with a Male Student Athlete of the Year Award at the college's annual dinner last spring.
Through the first few weeks of the season Knoren has put his physical fitness background to good use, leading team workouts and working with individuals one-on-one in the gym who are looking for an additional lift, stretch, or even just to roll out. He is employed at the Central Maine Conditioning Clinic, which has a strong presence on campus and works with the schools athletes.
"I understand how many aspects are involved off-ice," he said. "Research has gotten so advanced that it's not just about lifting weights anymore. A lot goes into getting the body ready for an intense season."
If there's anyone who understands what it takes to compete at a high level, it's Knoren. He had hopes of playing for an NCAA school when he began his junior career in the United States. Despite having a handful of opportunities to make the jump, he was afraid of being priced out of an education which was his ultimate motivation. That's when he was approached by Kevin Cady, the first head coach in Central Maine history, after an NAHL game in Biddeford, Maine to discuss the opportunity to join the upstart Mustangs program.
"I looked into some division three schools, but being foreign many of these schools had a heavy price tag," said Knoren. "I chose Central Maine as a student because it was an affordable education and they had just started a brand new ACHA program and I was excited to be part of something new."
He was immediately impressed by the plans for the program that Cady laid out.
"A lot of the ACHA programs do not have the things that CM provides," he continued. "Seeing how professionally they ran their athletic programs made it a pretty easy decision to come."
The decision to attend Central Maine and continue his hockey career there capped off an exciting career that even saw him compete on the world stage. In 2012 Knoren got his first crack at international play, competing for the Netherlands at the IIHF U18 Division 2A World Championships, scoring a goal and four assists in five games. Despite a strong personal performance his team would go winless, seeing themselves relegated to Division 2B for the following season.
It would prove to be a blessing in disguise. At the 2013 IIHF U18 Division 2B Championships the following year the Netherlands U18 team would tear through the field, topping pool play with a 5-0-0 record. Knoren contributed in a big way, with 4 goals and 2 assists in 5 games. The Dutch would dispatch Belgium 5-2 in the semifinals before setting up a match-up with host country Serbia in the final.
Knoren would open the scoring in the gold medal game with a shorthanded goal just over two minutes in and would assist on another later in the first period. Netherlands would go on to win the gold medal game by a final of 4-2 with Knoren finished in the top 10 in scoring for the tournament.
"Winning the gold medal in 2013 was by far the best memory, one I'll never forget," said Knoren of the championship. "Winning a championship with your teammates is a bond you will always share for the rest of your life. Being able to play U18 and U20 was an honor and something that will always stay with me."
Knoren would go on to play twice for his nations U20 team at the IIHF Division II World Junior Championships, accruing three points (2 G, A) in 10 games. He would score his first goal at the U20 international level on the power play in a 6-5 overtime defeat to Hungary.
"To have someone who played at that level is a great thing for our program," said Buotte. "It's a special thing. To be able to say you've played for your country and to have that gold medal, it's an amazing accomplishment. We're lucky to have someone with that kind of experience in our program."
As Knoren's career came to end with his 2019 graduation his passion for the game was still burning strong. After assisting at various youth levels in the Auburn area Knoren had realized a passion for coaching. That's when another Central Maine coach would approach him with yet another proposition—current head coach Matt Buotte wanted Knoren to join the coaching staff when his playing career wrapped up. It was a natural fit.
"We were at a McDonald's actually, so it was a pretty formal thing," joked Buotte. "We were on the road and had a tough road loss. Jordy and I were talking the game over and you could just see how much he cared. He wants the program to succeed so badly. I'm so happy he's choosing to work here because he has so much to offer and has so much passion for the sport and the program."
Former teammate and current Mustangs captain Shawn Sullivan echoed his coaches' sentiments.
"The transition from player to coach will be an easy one for Jordy," said Sullivan, who played with Knoren during the 2018-19 season. "I have so much respect for him on and off the ice. His knowledge of the game is second to none and I couldn't be more excited for him to be a part of the great coaching staff we have here at Central Maine."
Having been with the program since day one, Knoren has seen it all even in just three short years—a variety of teammates, coaches, and challenges. But Knoren has stayed positive through it all and is most excited about giving back to the program he so proudly played for.
"The coaching staff last year started to make a huge change to the culture," he said. "I want to be a part of that culture and help to improve it. Being on the ice early for players is that want to do extra work is something that I feel is important. I just want to give the players the best opportunity to improve."
Those players would be wise to watch Knoren closely. While the players may resent the early morning workouts he puts them through, they'll find it much more difficult to dislike the man behind them.
"Jordy is going to be monumental in getting this program to where we want it to be," said Buotte. "He lives and breathes hockey. He's a huge asset to our community. Nobody cares about this program more than Jordy and we are extremely fortunate to have him in our corner."
