Jeff Heerema facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeff Heerema |
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Heerema with the Binghamton Senators during the 2006-07 season
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| Born | January 17, 1980 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Carolina Hurricanes St. Louis Blues Frankfurt Lions KHL Medveščak Nottingham Panthers |
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| NHL Draft | 11th overall, 1998 Carolina Hurricanes |
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| Playing career | 2000–2012 | ||
Jeffrey Heerema (born January 17, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a winger, which is a forward position in hockey. Jeffrey was chosen early in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. He played for several teams during his career, including the Hurricanes and the St. Louis Blues in North America, and later teams in Germany, Croatia, and the United Kingdom.
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Jeffrey Heerema's Hockey Journey
Jeffrey Heerema started his hockey career playing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Sarnia Sting. After three full seasons there, he began his professional journey. His first professional team was the Cincinnati Cyclones in the International Hockey League during the 2000–01 season.
Playing in the NHL
Jeffrey made his big debut in the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2002–03 season. He played for the Carolina Hurricanes, scoring three goals in ten games. For the 2003–04 season, he moved to the St. Louis Blues. He played 22 games with them, scoring one goal.
Time in the AHL
Heerema spent a lot of time in the American Hockey League (AHL), which is a league below the NHL. He played for the Binghamton Senators for two full seasons, 2005–06 and 2006–07. During this time, he was a strong player, scoring 141 points in 155 games.
Playing in Europe
In 2007, Jeffrey moved to Germany to play for the Frankfurt Lions in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He scored 20 goals in his first season there. He played for the Lions for two seasons.
Later, in November 2009, he signed with KHL Medveščak Zagreb, a team from Croatia that played in the Austrian Hockey League. He played well there, scoring 24 points in 28 games.
Finishing His Career in the UK
In November 2010, Jeffrey Heerema joined the Nottingham Panthers in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He had a great first season, scoring 18 goals and 34 points in 28 games.
He returned for a second season with the Panthers. During this time, he faced some injuries. He suffered a concussion and a broken nose after a collision with a teammate in October 2011. He also had another broken nose and concussion in February 2012. Due to these injuries, he returned to Canada to recover. He finished his playing career in 2012.
Family Connections
Jeffrey Heerema comes from a family of hockey players. He is the cousin of Eric Staal, Marc Staal, Jordan Staal, and Jared Staal. All of his cousins have also played professional hockey. Their family has Dutch roots.
