In the 1983–1984 season, the Varsity Blues hockey team won the provincial and national championships. It was “the best year of hockey I’ve ever had,” according to Andre Hidi, forward for the team. Those memories left a mark with Hidi — he still remembers them clearly to this day.

Hidi is a Toronto native and a graduate of the University of Toronto. Before attending U of T, Hidi attended the University of Toronto Schools. As a high school student, he always wanted to be part of the Varsity Blues program.

Hidi began his university career at the age of 17 and played hockey for various teams outside of U of T, including the Peterborough Petes. That was when he got to play for a tough but fair coach, Mike Keenan, who would eventually coach the Blues to the 1983–1984 championships.

As a 19-year-old, Hidi recalls playing in front of 18,000 fans at the World Junior Championships in Finland. The team did not medal but gained valuable international experience.

Following that season, Hidi was drafted as a forward to the Colorado Rockies in the NHL, now known as the New Jersey Devils. The team sent Hidi down to their minor league team. “I kind of thought that was it for pro hockey,” says Hidi. His next hockey move brought him back to U of T in 1980.

A core group of 7 or 8 players lead the team throughout his four years. There were some changes each year, such as dressing two rookie goalies in his final year, but the team stayed consistent.

The team also had a new coach each season. In Hidi’s opinion, this was a good learning experience. Hidi and the other captains were leaders on and off the ice. “We tried to lead the Blues by example — working hard, playing smart hockey and being good teammates,” he says. 

His teams won the Ontario University Athletics championships in two seasons and a national championship in his final season. Hidi, as well as his 1983–1984 team, have been inducted into the U of T Sports Hall of Fame. The final game score of 9–1 sums up the domination of that team’s season.

After concluding his final season on the Varsity Blues, Hidi signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals in the NHL while continuing in a master’s program at U of T.

“It was a very dramatic shift. I was a TA for a political science course and I had a bunch of papers to mark with me. So I’m in my hotel room marking first-year poli-sci papers in between practices and games,” says Hidi.

Hidi’s “cup of coffee” in the NHL lasted seven games. He experienced the playoffs and played against the day’s top players. He was sent down to the minor league affiliate team and played another two seasons, but he chose school over hockey.

Hidi attended Stanford University to complete an MBA program. He then transitioned to a role as a banker on Wall Street. He has continued this career for the Bank of Montreal as the head of Global Mergers & Acquisition.

His seasons at U of T are a distant past, but Hidi remarks he still uses the skills and attributes he developed as a varsity athlete. The leadership and teamwork skills from the hockey team are attributes he still uses in his career.

“Working on a team is not all that different from being on the ice with five guys and a goalie trying to figure out how to score. And how to keep the other team from scoring on you,” says Hidi.

Friendships from his time at U of T remain strong, and memories remain vivid. “We had a great group of people, guys and coaches,” says Hidi. “We’ll always be brothers.”

As for his hockey career today, Hidi enjoys watching his son play in the NCAA and playing hockey for fun with family and friends.