Hockey Dads

The old saying goes “like father, like son.”

In the case of a quintet of current Minnesota State men’s hockey players this certainly is the case.

Connor Mackey, Dryden McKay, Riese Zmolek, Jaxson Stauber and Ryan Sandelin are unique in the fact that they all have had fathers who played in the National Hockey League.

Connor Mackey, a junior defenseman for the Mavericks, is the son of Dave Mackey. The elder Mackey played in 126 National Hockey League games as a forward with Chicago, Minnesota and St. Louis.

Dave coached Connor from a young age up until he was about 14 years old.

“He has helped me a lot,” said Connor, noting his father’s impact on his game. “We talk through things still today after games and what he saw and his take on the game. He knows so much about the game with how he played at the highest level so it’s great to hear what he has to say.

“What I have learned most from him, is playing the game the right way. Both ends of the ice and just to always work hard, even if you’re not having the best game you can always control how hard you work. Just staying with it.”  Connor said.

Dryden McKay is a sophomore netminder who enjoyed a stellar first year of college hockey and was named 2018-19 CHN National Rookie of the Year last year after logging a 24-7-2 record in 32 starts in 2018-19.  He is the son of former Hartford Whalers goaltender Ross McKay.

Dryden’s father was his goalie coach he had until he was 16 years old and today Ross helps Dryden with the mental side of his game more than the physical. The mental side of the game is a major part when being a goaltender.

“My dad is very humble and quiet about the fact that he played in the NHL. Growing up he was a goalie coach at the junior level so the reason I became a goalie was to hang out with him. I saw playing goalie as a way to spend time with my dad and I think that’s ultimately what drew me to the position. As I got older I began to understand just how good my dad was when he played and that he knew so much about hockey and goaltending.” Said Dryden.

 “He basically shaped me into the goalie I am today. He always had a huge focus on skating and positioning and I believe those two aspects of my game are the biggest reason I am where I am today. Now that I am older I still call him after every game and it’s always nice to talk to someone who understands everything I am going through, both good and bad.”

Riese Zmolek, a junior defenseman whose father Doug was a rugged defenseman with San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago, had an opportunity to go the rink when his dad was still playing. Doug would take Riese to the ice when he was little and that is how he got introduced to hockey.

“Just being around hockey and seeing it at such a young age impacted me a lot. I think it started growing my love for it right away” Riese said. Riese had his father as a coach every year growing up during youth hockey.When Riese went to high school Doug helped coach his hockey team as well.

“I think he’s had a huge impact on me and my game. For the most part, once I got old enough he let me be and let me try to learn on my own unless I reached out to him for help on something with my game. He has taught me many things and without him helping and teaching me things there’s no way I’d be where I am today. He taught me how to play the game, and what he thought I needed to work on to keep playing past high school.”

Jaxon Stauber is a freshman goaltender for the Mavericks and his father, Robb, had a lengthy professional career that saw him tend nets in the NHL with Los Angeles and Buffalo.  Another freshman, forward Ryan Sandelin, is the son of Scott Sandelin, who saw action in the NHL with Philadelphia, Montreal and the Minnesota North Stars.

Along with Connor Mackey, Dryden McKay and Riese Zmolek, three Maverick veterans, the two newcomers to the squad in Stauber and Sandelin, another adage comes to mind in that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

          - contributed by Morgan Keim-Wolfe, Minnesota State Athletic Communications intern.