Ayaan Vira '25 Recruiting Profile

Hockey holds a special place in my heart. I laced up my skates for the first time at the age of 5, and from that moment on, there was no turning back - I fell in love with the sport. I was born in Coral Springs, Florida but moved to Canada to pursue my passion of playing Hockey at a high level. 

During the initial three years of my hockey journey, I skillfully balanced Tier 1 Soccer with the Calgary South West United Soccer Club. Juggling the demands of two Tier 1 teams, alongside my academic responsibilities, proved to be quite the challenge. Eventually, I made the decision to channel my focus into School and Hockey.

On the ice, I lead through action. I crave the puck, eager to make plays. I push myself to either get to the puck or get to the open areas of the ice where I can use my shot. The thrill of scoring goals and creating opportunities fuels my passion. In my second year of PeeWee AAA, I had the highest number of goals in the league, despite playing four fewer games than most players. I took charge both in the locker room and beyond the rink. Two seasons ago, I proudly represented the Okotoks Oilers U15AAA team, emerging as one of the leading scorers. Throughout the season, I notched 24 goals, 30 assists, 34 PIM's, and most significantly, boasted a +28 rating across league, tournament, and playoff games. Two seasons ago, I represented the International Hockey Academy as a Top-3 Forward. My offensive output was 20 goals, 20 assists in 34 games. Where I take immense pride is in my defensive awareness and my effectiveness along the boards. The coach relied on me as one of his top two Penalty Killers. My ambition is to continue refining my skills in both offensive and defensive zones.

This season, I played for Boston Hockey Academy where I led my team in scoring with 78 pts. I also led the team in plus/minus, shots blocked and game winning goals.  When the game is on the line, the coach trusts me to go out there and win the game or tie it up.  I take pride in that.   

A renowned scout made this statement publicly about my game: "Ayaan is a dynamic two way forward with offensive upside. He sees the ice well and is positionally sound defensively whether he is positioned at Centre, Left Wing or Right Wing. Offensively he is effective off the rush and using his size and speed to take pucks to the net. He plays a physical and hard-working game down low utilizing his size and puck protection skills. On the power play and 5 on 5 he is a big body that spends time in front of the net and has the soft skills to score on rebounds. His skating is excellent for a big body and has a deceptive and powerful release on his shot." - Mackenzie Stewart (NHL - Vancouver Canucks). 

In the classroom, I am equally dedicated, maintaining a minimum 90-92%% average across all subjects. My aspiration is to pursue hockey at a high level while also achieving a top-notch education.