Curren Stukey is playing his rookie season of junior hockey with the USPHL’s Hampton Roads Whalers, an organization located in Virginia.

So far, the Golden native is enjoying the 2024-25 season, on and off the ice. 

“I got the opportunity to sign with Hampton basically just by advocating for myself and reaching out to my now coaches,” Stukey said. “People spoke highly of the culture here and the good core group at the whale and along with all the other positives such as great billets, it was an easy choice.”

Being away from home has been an obstacle that Stukey has been able to overcome.

“At times it gets kind of lonely, but I’ve started to take pride in doing the little things in my life like laundry and things like that,” said Stukey. “I often find myself in a good mood and proving I’m a step closer to living on my own eventually.”

Back home, Stukey first got the itch for the game innocently enough. 

“One day, probably when I was around three or four years old, my dad put me in a learn-to-play-hockey class to see if it would stick,” Stukey said. “And it just kind of did.”

Once he delved into competitive hockey, Stukey joined the Arvada Hockey Association, playing there through his 14U season under coach John McKibbon. 

“Then me and a handful of teammates left for the Littleton Hawks and played 15s and 16s, winning a 16U AA national championship in my final year there,” Stukey said. “I then went to the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders to play my 18U year coached by Doug Smail.”

Stukey is now coached by Colten Teubert, a corner first-round NHL draft pick (13th overall) of the Los Angeles Kings in 2008. He later played 24 games in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in 2011-12.

Looking ahead, Stukey has attainable goals.

“I hope to play in college, whether it be at the ACHA or NCAA D-III level after I finish my junior hockey career,” said Stukey. 

Photo/@allysonrmmedia

— Matt Mackinder

(December 12, 2024)