Amongst razor sharp skates, freezing ice, flying bodies, and whistling pucks, Andrew Cratin can be found with a big smile on his face. There’s just something about him that stands out. His dad says it’s his Hockey IQ and positioning, coaches say it’s his remarkable speed and passion to hit, as Cratin puts it, “I’m just out there to have fun.”
Cratin started playing hockey when he was four years old and never stopped. Shortly after moving to Utah from Chicago, his dad started playing and decided to have Cratin play too. Cratin played on various competitive teams while growing up. His first team was the Salt Lake Lighting, then he moved around quite a bit, traveling to various tournaments until he worked his way up to triple A, the highest division of youth hockey.
“He just kept pushing himself and practicing hard,” Robert Cratin, Cratin’s dad said. “Then he tried out for the triple A team and pushed himself to be the best he could be.”
Throughout various practices, workouts, film study, and games, Cratin always had a smile on his face. Nothing could get in the way of him going out on the ice and having a good time. From a young age he just loved to play.
“I love just getting to hit people,” Cratin said.
In hockey, checking is a very important component of the game. Checking is a defensive tactic in which players “hit” someone on the opposing team in order to disrupt their possession of the puck or to move them away from the puck entirely. Because checking involves serious physical contact, it is not allowed until the players are 12. As soon as checking became part of the game for Cratin, his smile only got bigger.
“One off my favorite memories was when he just started playing peewee for a new U12 team,” Robert said. “So, he’s kind of new to the team, we go out to a tournament in San Diego, first game, first time he goes out there. They were just allowed to start checking, and there’s this kid on the opposing team trying to get the puck, so he was looking down at it. Andrew just came and blew this kid up. And he immediately gained the respect of his entire team, right then and there. It was awesome.”
Cratin has always seemed to have sort of a feel for when to be where, and how to best position himself to space out the ice. Spacing is a key element in hockey, which allows the players to have better scoring opportunities. Correct spacing can open passing lanes, support the puck carrier, and provide more options for passes. Cratin’s spacing abilities have been attributed to his advanced hockey IQ.
“His hockey IQ is very advanced. Just where he’s positioning himself, whether its offense or defense, he’s thinking about you know where his teammates are, and where he should be,” Robert said. “He sees the whole package out on the ice, rather than trying to do one certain thing, or just focusing on the puck. he’s more of a team player, trying to get his teammates involved and make the team better.”
Cratin seems to always be looking for ways to make his teammates better, and he does this with a positive attitude. Cratin’s positivity seems to have an effect on everyone around him and it makes the entire team better.
“He’s always positive, no matter what happens.” Stars team manager and Highland welding teacher Denise Hevner said. “Even when things are going really bad, he still keeps that positive attitude.”
“He builds everybody up and keeps the positivity up. Being as skilled as he is, he helps some of the other players on his team that maybe aren’t as skilled rise up to his level as well, which is really fun to watch,” Hevner said.
Cratin’s ability to take time from his own practice to help others on his team is very selfless and shows the kind of leader he has become. The Stars have a unique high school hockey team. Rather than being from the same school, the Stars have kids from Judge, West, Hillcrest, and Highland. Because they don’t have the opportunity to build relationships with each other at school every day, their team chemistry during practice is very important. The Stars are just reaching the midpoint in their season, with a 3-4-3 record.
They are right in the middle of the pack, so a leader like Cratin is essential to turn their season around so that they can eventually earn a playoff spot.
“He is a natural leader,” Hevner said. “A lot of the other players really look up to him. They know his skill level is up there and they strive to follow in his footsteps, which makes a big difference.”
Despite his skill level, Cratin doesn’t have plans to play after high school.
“I’m just focused on going deep into the playoffs and getting the chance to win a state championship,” Cratin said.
As Cratin is focused on the season, his parents have thought about what the future might look like with his hockey career.
“I mean, if he wants to pursue that dream, then we will support him 100%,” Robert said. “Every level just keeps getting harder and harder. You really have to be at the top of your game and stay dedicated.”