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| photo by chlphotos.com |
Since I originally posted this story in November it is has been an up and down year for Mike. On the up side he has had three different call ups to the Houston Aeros. On the down side he suffered a concussion in a game against Ft. Worth on December 8th and was out of the lineup for over a month. He returned for one game after his injury and got the news his grandfather had unexpectedly passed away back in Minnesota. He returned from bereavement leave to the longest losing streak in the history of the team.
Mike has been playing well the last few weeks as evidenced by his +7 in plus minus which ranks him second among defensmen on the team. He also has great support at home from his girlfriend, Ashley. I had the chance to meet and talk to Ashley at the recent season ticket holder get together at Top Golf and what a lovely young lady she is.
Mike's story is one that has application to any endeavor one might undertake. Life's ups and downs, perseverance, willingness to change, never giving up, growing into becoming a leader are all life lessons one can take from Mike's story. I have told many Americans fans, other hockey players and the coaches about Mike's story and it always has people interested. Since this was originally posted when the blog was new and had few followers Mike's player profile was not seen by many Allen Americans fans so I thought I would repost it so more people would have a chance to read it. Mike is not a big social media guy so I need your help (Email, Facebook, Twitter) to get the word out about this story. Here it is. Mike Montgomery 2.0
MIKE MONTGOMERY #23
Birthdate: 10/10/1986
Birthplace: Lino Lakes, Minnesota
6' 3" 210 lbs.
Spend five minutes with Mike Montgomery and it is obvious he is cut from a different cloth than most professional hockey players. He didn't start skating until he was eight and played forward until he was a sophomore in college when he switched to defense. A very thoughtful, introspective guy who leads by example. It wasn't an easy road to become a professional hockey player but Mike paved it with fortitude, hard work & determination.
From Lino Lakes, Minnesota, hockey held no interest for Mike until age eight when his cousin started playing. He was close friends with his cousin so he asked his parents if he could sign up as well. One of his earliest hockey memories is warming up his feet by soaking them in warm water after skating outside in the cold Minnesota winters.
Success has followed Mike since he played on a Minnesota state championship peewee team. He scored the lone goal in the finals of the 2004 Minnesota State High School tournament as his team claimed the state title.
Mike's high school coach says this, "Mike had a NHL body, and could always skate like the wind. And he was one of the nicest kids you could meet."
After high school Mike didn't attract the attention of college recruiters so he joined the Southern Minnesota Express of the North American Hockey League for two years. After two good but not great years with the Express Mike was getting no interest from college teams so he decided to give up hockey and go to college. He applied to and was accepted at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) with no intent of playing hockey.
Things changed when Mike's coach from the Express called the UMD hockey coach and recommended him. Mike got a walk on offer with no promises. As a freshman forward he played in nine games with no goals and one assist. However, his future was starting to take hold as the team had a rash of injuries at defense so Mike started filling in on defense at practices. He focused on being a defenseman during the summer and when he came back for his sophomore year he asked the coaches to put him at defense.The rest is history.
By the time Mike was a senior he was selected as the captain of the team and led them to their first NCAA championship. Ironically, the finals of the NCAA tournament were at the same arena (XCel Energy Center) in St. Paul, MN where he scored the winning goal for his high school team in the state championship game.
Here are quotes from some of Mike's coaches that gives you insight into the type of player he is:
- The guys have a lot of respect for him in that room
- He's one of those guys who does everything well
- He does the smart things, the simple things
- He is an even keel guy who, when he talks people listen
- He is a big body who can get the puck up the rink
PeeWee Champion, High School Champion, College Champion, let's add CHL champion this year.
As interesting as his hockey story is we also wanted to get to know Mike off the ice so we asked him a few questions. He graduated from UMD with a Business Administration degree with a major in finance. He and Ashley (see below) met at UMD.
Family:
Girlfriend (Ashley) works at Lululemon - North Park
Dad (Bob) is a partner in a printing company
Mom (Brenda) works for the Minnesota Court of Appeals
Sister (Kelsey) is a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth
Brother (Derek) works with Bob at the printing company
Favorite Music: Classic Rock is usually on the radio and The Black Keys have been a favorite for a long time
Something people would be surprised to learn about you: I enjoy cooking and visiting Whole Foods to shop. I also enjoy tennis in the off season.
A chore you hate to do: Washing my car
Something you have that is great value to you but of no value to anyone else: My college & high school championship rings and memories
Who do you admire as a leader: Dalai Lama
If you could live in another country for two years where would it be: Australia or France
If you could do anything besides being a pro athlete what would it be: Business owner
Who is the funniest guy on the team: Bootland is the most talkative & funny but Lukin is funny in a more passive way.
When was the last time you were lost: Since the advent of GPS I don't get lost
What do you like to do to kill time on the bus: I have a kindle so I read a lot but I also play cards and watch movies
Favorite motto or saying: The harder you work the luckier you get.
Favorite TV shows: The Newsroom, Family Guy, Homeland, & Dexter
As with all of the Allen Americans players, as we get to know them we want them to stay all year but the real goal is to move up the the AHL and never see them in an Americans jersey again. Mike has had several call ups already to the Houston Aeros so while we would hate to see him go let's hope the next call up is for the rest of the year.
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