Officer Michael Jensen remembered by former Le Moyne hockey teammates

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The loss of Officer Michael Jensen is hitting hard with the Le Moyne Dolphins college hockey team. Jensen played with them for five years before graduating from the heights with his MBA.

When Tim Maalouf received the call from his college hockey coach, he couldn’t understand what happened to his former teammate.

“It took a bit, it took a bit, it took a bit, and it wasn’t until I hung up the phone, it was Jensen,” he said. “It was Jensen he was talking about.”

Maalouf and Officer Michael Jensen were teammates for three years at Le Moyne College.

The two right away became friends.

“If Mike knew I was going to be on TV, he’d be the first one to tell me my shirt is too small and I’m balding and I should have got a haircut,” Maalouf said. “He had a funny sense of humor that he’d really crush you with and really make you laugh.”

The two bonded on the ice as they transitioned from playing defense in high school to forwards at Le Moyne.

During his rookie season, Jensen would be named the Le Moyne hockey team’s rookie of the year.

Maalouf was at his side that season, playing on the same line.

“That was our learning how to play forwards year. There were some growing pains, but he had one move on the blue line,” Jensen said. “He would convert most of the time and score a lot of goals.”

Maalouf remembers his former winger as not only talented on the ice — but off it as well!

“Surprisingly, he was a good student. Which it’s like ‘really Mike a 4.0 student, very strange!’ super, super smart,” he said. “After hockey, he was at every team event with the younger kids, the older kids. He always showed up.”

The Le Moyne College hockey team is honoring Officer Jensen with a unique jersey that honors his time on the ice as a hockey player and off the ice as a member of law enforcement.

“I have his name nice and sown,” said Maalouf. “I hand cut that blue stripe so it’s a homage to his police background and I’m keeping the green and white alive too!”

And they are keeping the memory of a great teammate, police officer, son and friend alive as well.

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