A man of many talents, former Walleye goaltender Jordan Pearce learned all about building trust and handling expectations as a young Toledo netminder.

Pearce, who earned the first win in the franchise's history in October, 2009, said he has applied those valuable lessons over the last five years while working his way through medical school.

Pearce played parts of four seasons for the Walleye before retiring from professional hockey in 2013. Since then he attended four years of medical school at Wake Forest University before graduating.

One of the most diverse characters in Walleye history, the native of Anchorage, Alaska, comes from a family of rugged outdoorsmen. Pearce also is a certified pilot and devoted family man.

At age 31, Pearce is now about to be in a residency to become an orthopedic surgeon.

“It's been good,” Pearce said. “The lessons I learned and the experience I gained playing pro hockey have definitely been helpful at medical school. I learned how to handle expectations and how to be a professional.”

Pearce said in Toledo he learned to build trust between himself and his teammates, coaches, and the team's fans.

“There are pretty close parallels between operating and playing hockey at a high level,” he said. “There are expectations that you will do well and you have to handle that pressure and develop trust.”

The father of two young children also said hockey instilled a work ethic and focus that has paid dividends during his studies.

“My background in athletics and academics helped me prepare. I was able to buckle down and study hard,” said Pearce, who put together a solid college career at Notre Dame before turning pro.

Pearce and fellow rookie netminder Alec Richards helped launch the Walleye franchise during its inaugural season. On Oct. 13, 2009, Pearce made 35 saves to lead Toledo to a 5-2 victory over the Florida Everblades before a sellout crowd of 7,467 at what was then known as the Lucas County Arena. It was the first win of Pearce's pro career and the first victory in the organization's history.

“I have a lot of good memories from Toledo,” said Pearce, who played in Toledo from 2009-13. “I enjoyed playing for the Walleye and the fans and the crowds there.”

Pearce's name is etched in the Walleye record book. He ranks fourth in all-time wins (34) and is third in career shutouts (five). He has played in the second most games in franchise history, appearing in 78 contests.

Pearce made more than 2,000 saves in his Walleye career, ranking third all time (2,004) in stops. He also recorded the first playoff win in franchise history.

“It was always exciting. It was a great environment to play in,” Pearce said. “I met a lot of great guys.”

Former Walleye coach Nick Vitucci, who guided the franchise through its first five seasons, said Pearce was very calm and poised in the net.

“He was great,” Vitucci said. “He was a pro's pro. He quietly went about his business. Like most young goalies he worked hard to find his way.”

Finding his way

Pearce was a 22-year-old coming off a terrific senior season at Notre Dame when he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. Pearce had led the Irish to a Central Collegiate Hockey Association title as a senior and was a finalist for the CCHA player of the year honor. He posted a 30-6-3 record with eight shutouts and had a 1.68 goals-against average. He also guided Notre Dame to the NCAA title game in 2008 as a junior.

As a rookie, Pearce found himself in a goaltender logjam and ended up in the ECHL, playing in 37 games for the Walleye. He came to Toledo when the Walleye were launching after the city had endured a two-year hiatus of pro hockey when the Storm franchise was mothballed.

“There was a lot of build-up,” Pearce said. “There was a lot of great support. It's always exciting to be a part of something new. I know a lot of people missed the Storm. It was great time to be a part of T-Town hockey.”

The 6-foot-1 and 201-pound goalie helped Toledo to a 35-30-7 record and a berth in the Kelly Cup playoffs in that inaugural season. Pearce made 38 saves to post the first playoff win in team history, a 7-2 triumph over Charlotte in Game 1 of an opening-round series.

“I remember some big games and some big saves. I tried to play at a high level,” he said. “But you also think back on the long bus trips. I remember busing all the way down to Florida.”

Pearce bounced back and forth between Toledo and the Walleye's American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids. He played in 73 career games for the Griffins. In March, 2012, Pearce became the second player in Walleye history to be promoted to the NHL. The Detroit Red Wings called up Pearce but he did not appear in a game.

“You always had to come prepared,” Pearce said. “You always had to be ready to go.”

Pearce said that daily preparation and focus has been invaluable in his post-hockey medical pursuits.

“You learn how to carry yourself at a high level,” Pearce said. “You have to be responsible. You're representing not only yourself, but your team, the community, and the city in all of your actions.”

Pearce said he thrived on the added pressure and responsibility of playing the game's most important position.

“That has carried over. [The medical field] is a performance-based specialty. It's very similar to goalie. You need a high level of performance,” Pearce said. “Things don't always go as planned. You have to prepare daily for a goal or to stay in the playoff hunt. You learn to react and respond.”

Moving to medicine

Going into the 2011-12 season, Pearce signed a two-year, $1,050,000 contract with the Red Wings. He spent most of that season in Grand Rapids and then played in 31 games for Toledo in 2012-13.

After his fourth year as a pro with his contract up, Pearce explored the opportunity of playing overseas.

“I looked at my options,” Pearce said. “My aspiration was to go to medical school. So I talked with my wife [Melissa] and we decided to move on to the next phase of our lives. It seemed like the right time to step away from hockey.”

The couple had their first child, a boy named James, in 2013.

Pearce, who was the CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2009 at Notre Dame when he was majoring in pre-med, first had to pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). After accomplishing that feat, he got accepted into medical school at Wake Forest.

The couple had their second child, a daughter named Ryann, in November, 2016.

“I was able to put away some money while I was playing, but going to medical school for four years was a pretty challenging time,” he said. “My wife stayed home with the kids and I was able to focus on school.”

Going back to his days at Notre Dame, Pearce dreamed of helping others in the medical field. He said he always wanted to get into orthopedics, which focuses on the musculoskeletal system and deals with injuries of the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

“With my background in sports and hockey, I was surrounded by injuries,” he said. “I had a passion for surgery. I want to work with my hands and tools. I want to help people with chronic or acute injuries. I want to help fix them and get them active and moving again.”

Pearce successfully completed medical school and will start a five-year residency with Spectrum Health, which is based in Grand Rapids, Mich., in July. He and his family recently moved from North Carolina and purchased a home in Michigan.

Pearce said he sees himself eventually returning to Alaska to build a practice, and he returns to the wilderness of his home state to visit his parents about twice a year.

“We go out salmon fishing and go on some hunting trips,” he said. “I try to jump in a plane when I get back to get a couple hours in behind the stick. I want to raise my kids in that lifestyle.”

Pearce said also hopes to pass his love for hockey on to his children. He has not played any organized hockey since his retirement but has done some youth coaching.

“I miss several things about hockey. I miss the camaraderie — the band of brothers. I miss the excitement of game nights — guys out there sweating and bleeding for each other,” he said. “I have a lot of fond memories.

“It's been a busy five years. It's interesting seeing the close parallels between operating and playing hockey. There are high expectations and it has to be done right.”

Contact Mark Monroe at mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354, or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.

First Published June 25, 2018, 10:15 a.m.