From a near career-ending injury on the ice to being the top goal scorer in the Kentucky High School Hockey Association, Andrew Larkin has made history in the sport of hockey. Scoring 127 goals in his career as a Tiger, Larkin is the all-time leader in points in Kentucky.
The Tigers have played the best they have in years. Going to the state championship for the first time in 20 years, this team hasn’t had this much success or talent in years.
After a devastating fall during a regular season match last year, Larkin was seriously concussed and went under the knife for a serious shoulder surgery to repair his collarbone. He missed the remainder of his season and spent a large amount of time in physical therapy.
“This was a journey that required lots of hard work to make it back before the season was over,” Larkin said about his injury.
Although scoring goals is almost every hockey player’s motivation, Larkin’s drive on the ice was out of a desire for pure teamwork and competitiveness.
“What motivated me to get this accomplishment was wanting to win,” Larkin said. “I did whatever I could to help the team win and this led to scoring the goals. I didn’t set any specific goals because I just wanted to go out and score as much as I could and not let a number affect the way I play.”
He knows that there is no ‘I’ in TEAM. Despite having the most goals in Tiger history, he knows that the accomplishment was achieved with opportunity given to him by his teammates and coaches.
“My coaches helped me by trusting me to make the right decisions with the puck,” he added. “They put me on the ice when we needed to score or a shift in momentum. Teamwork is so important in the sport of hockey because you’re constantly passing the puck and it’s rare to score a goal by doing something by yourself.”
