BYU Hockey says goodbye to senior Chris Tuttle

As the BYU Hockey season comes to a close the BYU Cougars will be holding their senior festivities on Saturday at 7 pm at the Peaks Ice Arena. For some members of the team this will be the last time they put on a BYU Hockey uniform in front of their home fans, and so in the process of honoring their contributions to BYU Hockey it is important to learn a bit about each of them. In this edition we get to know senior Chris Tuttle.

Chris gained a love of hockey through his dad and grew up with the game. His dad started playing hockey at 23 and signed up Chris for skating lessons at the same time. Even though the love of the game didn't start right away he grew to love the game as his dad continued the lessons despite the times he protested to the contrary. Chris later played in high school which led to the decision to play at the college level. Chris had found out about BYU Hockey while searching online and was trying to decide if he should play in college. A year earlier he had witnessed the death of his best friend, Adam Littenken, during hockey practice. Chris went back to the rink where the incident happened and prayed about his decision to play college hockey, and based on the answer he received he made his way onto the Cougars hockey team.

As a BYU player he had a number of experiences, both good and bad. One came from his most memorable game as he played on BYUtv during his freshman year. The game was on the anniversary of Adam's death and his family was watching Chris play. In what Chris believes to be a tender mercy from the Lord to Adam's family, Chris scored the sixth goal of the night, matching the jersey number of Adam in high school and leaving a lasting impression on him.

Not all memories are quite as fond as this, and Chris experienced this first hand when playing in Butte, Montana. While playing against Montana Tech University tragedy hit and he ruptured his right testicle, requiring emergency surgery while still in Butte. This turned into one of his worst experiences while at BYU, and for good reason. However, his fondest moment was also an honor as he received the Jaxon Logan Award. Jaxon Logan was a player for BYU that made a lasting impression on his community and passed away during a game. The award was named in honor of Jaxon and Chris felt honored to win this award and to learn more about Jaxon, as well as being compared to such a great person and player.

After graduation Chris plans to attend medical school in Erie, Pennsylvania in order to become a pediatrician. Not only will he enjoy the extra schooling but he looks forward to coaching his son, Adam Magrath Tuttle, as he learns to skate on Lake Erie and suites up for his first Mini Mite team. As a parent he will continue to relive his dreams through Adam and make more of his own. Cougar Nation wishes Chris all the best as he continues his path through life, and leaves a little piece of himself with the BYU Hockey program. Good Luck Chris!