In any sport there are those who become larger than the game itself, the ones who seemingly control their chaotic surroundings with ease. They demand the respect of others and they thrive in the high-intensity atmosphere that is the life they love. In most cases these individuals become leaders, role models and ambassadors for their sport. They give far more than what they take and neither expect nor need a pat on the back for doing so. These players are remembered long after they are gone and their names become synonymous with victory.
On some teams, these players are scarce, and that can be the difference between winning and losing down the stretch. In the case of the 2004-05 Colgate hockey team, the opposite was true: leaders were in such abundance that for the first time in nearly a decade, the Raiders named a tri-captaincy. Adam Mitchell, Darryl McKinnon, and David Thomas were selected as captains of the 2004-05 Raiders, and were asked to do what they did best: win.
These three teammates were part of a class that had improved their winning percentage in four consecutive seasons. Combined, these three skated in a total of 424 games and accumulated 89 goals and 129 assists. The impressive careers of these athletes was highlighted by an NCAA tournament appearance in their senior year where they turned the heads of many across the nation with a close loss to top-ranked Colorado College.
So where have these Colgate ambassadors disappeared to in the years since graduation? Some rumors place Darryl McKinnon in a monastery in southern Nepal, practicing Buddhism to find inner peace. I have heard stories of Adam Mitchell disappearing in the Australian outback after some geological fieldwork. And the last I was told, Dave Thomas opened a sports bar somewhere in Alaska. To set the record straight, I got ahold of the captains of yesteryear to put these rumors to rest once and for all.
As a senior at Colgate, Dave Thomas received the 1918 Award, Colgate’s highest honor. (And to think, he never publicly thanked me for doing his homework!) Since that time, however, Dave has faced a struggle that many before him have had to deal with upon graduation: to chase the love of a game that has followed him throughout his youth, or to give it up and join a place that all hockey players secretly fear - the real world.
After graduation, Dave was presented with two of what he calls “very attractive options”: one leading toward hockey and one away. He was offered a Fulbright teaching fellowship in France that would involve teaching English to middle-school aged children. However, this option gave way to the chance to fulfill a childhood dream of playing professional hockey. Coincidentally, the pursuit of hockey also lead Dave to France where he played one season for the Dijon Ducs.
When asked why he chose to continue playing, his answer is simple: “In my heart, the passion to play was still there. I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
After a year of playing in France, Dave announced his retirement this summer to the horror of hockey fans around the world, making sure not to discredit the experience he had in Europe, saying it was something he will never forget. However, he knew that there were other passions that he must pursue in his search for a fulfilling life.
Despite his preparation for such a drastic change, Dave admits that giving up hockey is one of the hardest things he has ever done. He says that the relationships formed within a hockey team are some of the strongest bonds that he has ever experienced and it is that camaraderie that he will miss the most.
Dave is currently working in Philadelphia for the law firm of Pepper Hamilton as a paralegal in the health affects practice, doing fact finding research for major pharmaceutical litigation. He intends to pursue a career in law and is currently applying to several law schools, a prospect that he is very excited about.
After getting in touch with Darryl McKinnon, I was surprised to hear that a monk’s lifestyle in Nepal was not in his plans, but rather he also chose to pursue a career in Europe. Darryl played in Peiting, Germany, in the heart of Europe for a year after graduation with other recent Colgate graduates Kyle Doyle and Rob Brown.
Darryl echoes Dave’s sentiments, saying that the experience was something he will never forget. “I got to see a lot of Europe (visited Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland) while doing something I love as a profession.”
He admits, however, that there are huge differences between the European and North American styles of playing. The large ice surfaces and lack of physical contact in the European game are far removed from ECACHL-style hockey. He also remarked with a smile that some of the rinks still used chicken wire instead of glass, a remnant of the olden days of small-town hockey in North America.
It was some of these differences that prompted Darryl’s return to North America to play this season. But perhaps the most prominent reason for his departure from Europe was the lack of team chemistry that Darryl felt was such a large part of his success at Colgate.
“Over there, not speaking the language very well, I missed the things that go on in a lockerroom and the bond you build with your teammates here. For me, one of the best part of hockey - or sport for that matter - is the camaraderie you have with your teammates, and I wanted to be a part of that again. Also, I came back because the hockey over there is not serious enough for me personally.”
For Darryl to return to an intense, hockey-driven environment is a decision that is easily understood by anyone who knows him. He has always been a passionate individual, someone who plays for the love of the sport and will do anything for a teammate. Darryl hopes to once again capture the passion for winning that he felt was lacking in his European experience. He is currently pursuing a career in the Central Hockey League and is taking things one season at a time. For Darryl, life without hockey is somewhat more difficult than life without breathing.
Finally, I caught up with Adam Mitchell. Besides being named a senior captain at Colgate, Adam was an assistant captain during his junior campaign and was second on the team in scoring with 33 points in 39 games. Adam is currently playing in Landsberg, Germany, where last season he posted a 3-1 record against Darryl McKinnon.
In Germany, Adam has enjoyed a unprecedented amount of success: he lead his team and was third in his league in points on his way to being named the league MVP. He also helped his team jump divisions from three (Obligera) to two (Bundesliga) after Landsberg won its league title last season.
Adam feels that his success is a result of a combination of things. First, the large ice surface lends to his abilities as a excellent skater and puck handler. Second, he felt that the relaxed atmosphere allowed him to just play the game. In the upcoming season, Adam can look forward to playing again with former Colgate teammate Rob Brown, who signed with Landsberg during the off-season.
Adam says that playing in Europe is for him. His experience has been nothing but positive and he has no plans to return to North America to play. “I love it here. I am playing my best hockey and I love the atmosphere. This is where I want to be right now.”
When I asked about their time at Colgate, I got similar answers from all three. What I was expecting was their memories to be based around Spring Party Weekend and Saturday nights after big games. Instead, they spoke from a position of maturity that I never thought I would see from these three simply because I know them from when they were out during Spring Party Weekend and Saturday nights after big games.
Looking back on their time here, the three all make a point to credit the Colgate system as a whole for their success, not only while they were here but also in the time since they left. Perhaps this quote from Dave Thomas does a better job than I could at wrapping up the sentiments of the trio (as it should, because he is way smarter than me): “I genuinely felt that the people in the program cared about me and my experience. That was amazing and I think unique with regard to some of the programs that we compete against on the national level. It all comes from the mentality of a small community. Colgate creates an incredible learning environment. I think people at Colgate in general really care about the students (medical staff, Jean at the dining hall, and especially the professors). The relationships that I developed with those people played a major role in my success. The time that I spent with professors outside of class was some of the most rewarding and valuable time that I spent academically. In general, Colgate is a place that tries to allow people to excel as student-athletes and in that respect I think they are very successful.”
