Lindo Excited to Make an Impact in New Role

A few years after being selected by Pittsburgh in the 2014 NHL Draft, Jaden Lindo is making an impact with the Penguins - just maybe not in the way he initially anticipated.

The Penguins Foundation recently named Lindo manager of its Community Hockey Programs, with duties including oversight of the Willie O'Ree Academy, the proposed hockey diversity programming at Hunt Armory, and hockey programs for Pittsburgh youth at city community centers.
"A position like this is something I could have only dreamed of," Lindo said. "I didn't even know something like this existed. The fact that I can stay within hockey and contribute to the game in a way that means so much, and is something I'm so passionate about and is deeply rooted with me - I'm just really excited. I can't wait to get started."
The 2015 documentary "Soul on Ice," which tells the history and future of Black hockey players, followed Lindo during his draft year. And early in the film, Lindo's mother Heather made a comment that would turn out to be quite poignant.
"I say well Jaden, you've got to remember, very few people actually make it (to the NHL)," she said. "You've got to have a backup plan. But I'm not saying not to work towards it, because anything is possible."
That's what Lindo did after the Penguins made him their sixth-round pick (173rd overall) the following June. Even though his second season with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League had been cut short that February due to a knee injury, Pittsburgh felt he had plenty of potential. Randy Sexton, Pittsburgh's co-director of amateur scouting at the time, described Lindo as a big and strong forward who could chip in with some offense while being reliable defensively.
While Lindo was forced to miss his first rookie tournament and training camp after undergoing knee surgery, he still came and took part as a spectator. The following spring, Lindo signed an amateur tryout contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was a full participant in everything that took place leading into the 2015-16 season.
"It was just an even better experience to be able to participate in all the events - the games, the practices, the workouts," Lindo said. "Getting a little taste of what professional hockey was like at the highest level is definitely something I'll cherish forever."
Ultimately, it didn't end up working out with the Penguins organization from a player perspective. But fortunately, Lindo had kept his mother's advice in the back of his mind the entire time.
"I always told myself, even throughout juniors and whatever I did, that I really wanted to have a contribution to the game," he said. "Whether that's helping inspire minorities or youth players and kind of leading the game and having an impact on the game in a positive way - I feel like this will give me the opportunity to do so."
The opportunity came about while Lindo was finishing his graduate diploma in Business from Queens University in his native Ontario, where he eventually decided to play college hockey from 2017-20. It started with a phone call from Jim Britt, the Executive Director of the Penguins Foundation, who reached out after "Soul on Ice" filmmaker Damon Kwame Mason recommended Lindo for the role.
"I learned about all the great initiatives that Pittsburgh has going on down there," said Lindo, who has his bachelor's degree in Health Studies. "I spoke with (president and CEO) David Morehouse; I spoke to (director of youth hockey) Shannon Webster, who I'll be working with; I continued to speak with Jim. Everything seemed pretty great. They offered me the position, and my schooling actually finished up at the end of August. So the timing worked out pretty well."
Lindo's work will include providing on-ice instruction and administrative support for Pittsburgh I.C.E. (Inclusion Creates Equality) program; providing year-round introductory programming for Pittsburgh city residents, in partnership with Citiparks; and leading the Willie O'Ree Academy, a first-of-its-kind program providing unique training, social and mentorship opportunities for Black youth hockey players and their families in the Pittsburgh region.
Lindo knows firsthand just how valuable those opportunities like those can be. When he was growing up, Lindo took part in a Toronto-based program called Skillz Black Aces, which brought together Black youth players to take part in summer hockey tournaments.
"Being in the dressing room with people who have similar experiences to you in terms of race, and having a coaching staff who looks like you and people who understand the challenges that you face - I know how valuable that experience was for my hockey career, so I know how valuable this one is going to be for those kids," said Lindo, who idolized Jarome Iginla as a kid, and later Wayne Simmonds and Joel Ward.
While Lindo was fortunate to have a lot of support from family, friends, coaches and teammates, he still dealt with challenges and barriers that were isolating and tough. And while he feels like a lot of progress has been made, there's still a long way to go when it comes to diversifying the sport.
"I think it's only going to continue growing, but I don't think that we should be comfortable where we are, because there's still so much that needs to be done," Lindo said.
He wants to provide kids with mentorship, support, and anything else they might need to help them feel more comfortable playing the game. And while Lindo wants to encourage them to dream big, he also wants to pass along his own version of Heather's advice.
"I think if you look at my story now, playing hockey at a high level and then going to school and playing hockey there - taking a different route to the NHL that one wouldn't expect - it just kind of shows the opportunities that are out there," Lindo said. "Obviously not many people make it in hockey, so just kind of showing them the different opportunities, whether it's junior hockey, college hockey… there are a bunch of different ways to get where I am now. So hopefully provide some inspiration and education of what's available to them out there."