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OHL Guelph Storm

Developing Tomorrow's Leaders Presented by Under Armour: Jack Hanley

January 30, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release


When Jack Hanley first stepped on the ice as a member of the Belleville Bulls in 2014, the future was wide open. At the same time, it fulfilled a long standing dream for former OHL blueliner.

"I grew up in Whitby, so our closest team was Oshawa," Hanley recalls. "Through my parents work, we (regularly received) tickets to go see the likes of John Tavares and some great Generals teams. As I got older, (playing in the CHL) really became something I wanted to pursue. It was definitely in the back of my mind at some point that I wanted to get there."

Not only did the 26-year-old make it, by the time he graduated from the league, he was a five-year veteran and back-to-back J. Ross Robertson Cup Champion with the Hamilton Bulldogs (2018) and Guelph Storm (2019). Besides skating off with those historical trophies, not to mention a reputation as a winner on the ice, Hanley took with him any number of off-ice lessons that has brought him success in his post-junior days, many of which were gained away from the arena.

"Looking back, leaving home at a young age made me mature quickly," he explains. "All of my billets provided a lot of help as well. You need to learn how to live in other people's homes and to be respectful of that. You also need to be honest with them. They become your new family, basically. I still stay in contact with many of them."

"You also learn to build relationships," Hanley goes on to say. "You never know when you're going to need something or when someone needs you for something."

These days, people rely on Hanley to provide critical thought and perspective in the world of funding as a Surety Underwriter with Travelers Canada. His analysis is a part of the process by which bonding is acquired by construction companies in their pursuit of new projects.

Reaching this point in his profession life involved earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, where Hanley currently resides. It's a life achievement made entirely possible through educational funding accessible to him through the OHL and its member teams. Why did the Ontario born and bred blueliner, who also spent three years as a rearguard for the AUS Tigers, opt for life on the East Coast?

"I kind of always had an idea about going out east somewhere, as much for a change as anything," Hanley says. "I also know a number of guys who went out east and they loved it. I came out for a recruitment trip, met many of those guys and it checked off all the boxes."

Making the trek to Halifax for the 2019 Memorial Cup as a member of the Storm certainly didn't hurt, either.

"It definitely played a factor," Hanley mentions, also citing meetings between his family and Dalhousie Head Coach Chris Donnelly as critical to the decision making process. "(Halifax) did it up right. You see how they host events down here and how people really rally around them. It was a fantastic atmosphere."

As for his current career, Hanley is satisfied with both the difference and the assistance he's providing on a daily basis, not to mention the opportunity to see how business flows behind the scenes. And while he's not as active on the hockey front as he once was - he still plays pickup every Tuesday night, however - how the CHL helped him attain the goals he's reached today is a fact he won't soon forget.

"The CHL was a really great experience for me," he recalls with fondness. "If I could do it again tomorrow, I would."

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