October 29, 2009

Heidinger ready for the next challenge

Click here to read Matt Ondesko's story on the Metro WNY website.

Sometimes you have to leave to come home again, just ask Josh Heidinger.


Photo/Illustrations by Jeff Barnes/Metro Source.

Heidinger was your prototypical kid growing up in the First Ward.

He was a hockey player that played his games at Holiday Twin Rinks.

He was destined, as you can say, to attend Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School in South Buffalo.

That's because most young men you grow up in the First Ward or South Buffalo usually gravitate to the school on McKinley.

He was your normal teenager. He got into some trouble, hung out at times with the wrong people and really didn't figure out early on that you actually needed to have good grades so you could continue to play hockey.

"I was a little immature," stated Heidinger after a recent Canisius College practice. "I really looked forward to it (Timon). I thought it would be a good run and good four years. I got into the mix of high school life and I fell off the horse. It was tough."

Falling off the horse cost Heidinger a chance to play in the playoffs his junior and senior year. His junior year turned out to be Timon's most prolific year as they went 27-1 winning the Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation title and Catholic title.

That team was comprised off Heidinger and two young men who were drafted in the National Hockey League Tim Kennedy and Michael Ratchuk.

"We had some great talent on that team, Tim Kennedy, Mike Ratchuk, my brother," stated Heidinger. We had awesome players, awesome kids, awesome team, awesome coach."

His senior year was the toughest at the school, which has a reputation for having some of those "tough" South Buffalo kids.

That year he played maybe only six to eight games and at one point questioned his hockey career and if he was wasting all of this god given talent.

"There were some things off the ice that I wasn't really happy with," explained Heidinger. "When you are 16, 17 years old you don't really knows what going to happen. I didn't think academics was going to take me where I wanted to go. Not knowing that I needed academics to play hockey, I just thought I could play hockey, so yes it was tough my senior year."

But, while he was going through the struggles of being a teenager in the fish bowl that is called South Buffalo, Heidinger always knew he could count on his family."

"My parents were always there to support me through everything that I did," said Heidinger. "Sometimes it gets lost in the story."

But, Heidinger knew if he wanted to make it as a hockey player that he may have to leave South Buffalo - a place where the culture is a little different than most of Western New York.

"Thank god I was able to go out to Montana," said Heidinger. "That changed my life right there."
While in Bozeman, Heidinger excelled on and off the ice. And while he was always a good hockey player, the biggest adjustment for Heidinger was the culture.

Living in South Buffalo his entire life, Heidinger only knew of the culture that is South Buffalo. Being able to go somewhere else and learn different things helped Heidinger appreciate things a little more.

"We grow up in such a different culture (South Buffalo) and we think the world of ourselves. I definitely think going to Timon you learned a little bit different than other kids. There is great people in South Buffalo and there are great people in the Ward," explained Heidinger. "I didn't even know were Bozeman, Montana was on the map. I got out there and I lived with some awesome people and the entire experience was great. I realized that there was a lot more to life then South Buffalo and the Ward. Going out there was the best thing that ever happened to me. I grew up a lot. I matured a lot and it was only beneficial that I went out there."

If there wasn't enough twists and turns in the career of Josh Heidinger, this twist through him for a loop.

After three years in Bozeman, Heidinger was coming back to where it all started.

Heidinger was recruited by Canisius College coach Dave Smith and the young man jumped at the chance to comeback home and play in front of friends and family.

"It's weird how sometimes you have to go away to comeback home," stated Heidinger. "If I would have went right to school or right to Canisius it wouldn't have been the way it was. Leaving and being able to comeback made a huge difference in my life academically, on the ice - off the ice. Every possible way there could have been a better change there's been one."

The once young man who had all the talent in the world, but didn't care about grades, is now on the cusp of being one of the best players ever to wear the Blue & Gold at Canisius - and on the verge of graduating with a degree in communications.

But just don't ask him to talk to about his accomplishments - because, he isn't that type of person.
"I don't even think about," he said. "The records and everything just come along with good teammates and good work and good work effort and support."

Now that his journey is coming to end, he graduates from college this year, Heidinger is putting some focus on life after college.

Like maybe working a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job?

"I think you get a little bit of the senior bug, but don't get me wrong I don't want to go into the real world, I like it here - I wish I could stay," laughed Heidinger. "I have always wanted to play at the highest level and I am going to give it a shot and see what happens. And, if it doesn't work, then I have a four-year degree from a great school. From a great institution. I have met some great people along the way. I want to play as long as I can - as much as I can."

Buffalo has always been known as the city of good neighbors. It's a city that forgives and forgets.
For Josh it was a chance to come home again and prove to a lot of people that may have doubted him that good things do come to those who work hard.

He is a blue-collar kid from a blue-collar part of town.

And that's just fine.