The Ticking Clock…

-          By John Harrington

Aidan “Arms” Armaly fell in love with the game after his parents “stumbled into hockey” and brought him to see the LA Kings at the Staples Centers. Soon he was on the ice at the age of 4, but like most young dynamos, had a neophyte’s tough go of it, falling and flailing like any normal Californian kid with steel blades attached to his feet.  But that didn’t stop Aidan. By the age of 6 he was playing for the Pasadena Maple Leafs and soon landed at the California Bears. In time, Aidan proved to be an asset for the 2003 bantam AA team which won the CAHA state banner and made it all the way to the National semi-finals under the tutelage of coach Peter Torsson. After Aidan’s bantam major season, while a few of his teammates left for prep school, he decided to stay local and play for the LA Jr. Kings. The following year, he packed his bags and told his “civilian” friends he was going to boarding school. Many of his friends were confused, thinking he was in trouble and that his parents were sending him away for bad behavior. Some even imagined that he was joining the military. (This reminded me of those classic 80’s movies! I shared a good laugh with Aidan on the misconception of board/prep school among our Californian friends and family.) Aidan decided on Groton School in Massachusetts because of its strong academics.  The bonus was that they had great hockey, and to sweeten the deal, he knew a couple of former Bears teammates who were already there and calling Groton home.

At this point Aidan started thinking about the bigger picture. What did he want? How long could he stay on this ride? As he reflected, “Playing high level hockey in California, it’s almost impossible not to get wrapped up in trying to take it as far as you can.” He believes having parents, who were not too familiar with the sport, helped ensure that he had other interests that he prioritized in life as much as hockey. He grew up playing all sorts of sports and even when he went to Groton, he made time to seek out other interests on campus. The big moment for Aidan, as he calls his “ticking clock,” was during his junior year that was plagued by the pandemic. With no games and minimal practices, the hockey path became less clear. He started to really think about his future.

“Going into my senior fall at Groton, that summer I really kind of had to make the decision that I wanted to apply to colleges just as a regular student. I think that was something that I really kind of played around with in my head, because obviously I had spent so much time with hockey being such a large majority and priority, if not the priority in my life. And going into that summer it was really kind of interesting to say, “Ok I need to now focus on college applications. What else am I interested in? What else is something that I can see myself doing for the long run?” Fortunately, at the University of Penn there was a club hockey team, and when I got in, I was able to get in touch with the team. That was super helpful because I was able to kind of come into Penn with the mindset of this is an opportunity for me to continue to play hockey, which I love doing, but have it kind of be in the back seat rather than in the passenger seat.”

Listening to Aidan articulate this was so refreshing for me as a father and hockey dad. That epiphany, that moment of release (not surrender), of recalibrating your life in a new direction.  We’re all aware of the mathematics of making the professional leagues of the NHL, EHL, KHL, ICEHL (to name a few) or getting an NCAA scholarship. It’s an extremely hard goal and dream to realize.  And we must celebrate those who work tirelessly to grasp it. Even if they miss. But at one point, 99% of these players need to pivot, and have the maturity, mindset and intuition to let go without regret. The sooner they recognize that “moment” the more fulfilling of a journey they will have.

It really is ok to stop, assess where the goal is, and figure out if it really is attainable. And it’s not “giving up.” It’s “giving in” to a new course. It's blazing a new trail. Pivoting will, indeed, change the experience. Letting our egos step to the wayside and releasing the need to “never surrender” can really open up new paths. But this is not all on the athlete, it’s on the parents.  Most parents are the north stars for their athlete’s goals, hopes and dreams. And it’s a delicate balance of supporting the “reach” and making it realistic. These dreams can consume athletes as life seems to be on hold until their last gasp of making it to the “show.” The more interests and options you gain along the way, the easier it is to pivot on a new path.

Aidan is one of those players who recognized a new path, “I think the interesting thing about club hockey, which I think I didn't understand until coming here, is that it's taken very seriously compared to other club sports at different colleges. It was much more of a time commitment than what I was expecting. But I think coming from boarding school and coming from California where it was such a big part of my life, I think it was good for me to have it be somewhat serious. We travelled and we were fortunate enough to be able to win the conference championships and go to regional tournaments. We travelled to Ohio and Virginia. We ended up beating the University of North Carolina's club hockey team. They sell out some of those games and some of those bigger state schools take it super seriously. We also played Michigan’s club team.  So, it's just playing a lot of good hockey, with surprisingly, a lot of good players who all have different paths. Some of them went to go play juniors and then ended up at these state schools. So, I really enjoyed it. At lot of the D-1 schools also have a club team associated with it. At Penn, it’s a little different where we don't have a D-1 team. We are one of the two Ivy League teams that don't have D-1 and just a club team. But there used to be one at Penn, so there's a rink on our campus which is super nice. And the coach took it super seriously as well. It was a great experience.”

After two great seasons, and two conference championships, Aidan has “hung up his skates” to devote his time to studying, running and lifting. He tries hard to keep up with the awesome social life of Penn’s campus but finds himself focused on his degree in Systems Engineering. Once again, I interviewed a sharp, honest and authentic young man who happens to be a great hockey player. He continues the tradition of Bears players who left home at a young age and have set themselves up for success off the rink.

If you have any questions for Aidan, he would love to hear from you at armalyaidan@gmail.com  or 626-375-9171.

Why hockey?  (Ten words or less)

Challenged me and brought me the most personal growth.

When and where did you start playing hockey? Who inspired you to play? 

I started playing hockey at the Pasadena Maple Leafs when I was six. I grew up going to Kings games and wanted to learn how to skate, which got the ball rolling and ended with me joining the travel team.

Best Bear Memory? 

I played at the bears for five years at the same time as Peter. I was on some great teams, but my favorite memory was playing in the National Tournament my 14u year in NY. I still talk to my teammates from that year today and even though we lost in the semifinals I always look back to that.

Nickname among your hockey friends? 

When I was younger it was just Armaly. When I ended at boarding school it got shortened to just Arms.

Which coach/mentor/role model stays with you, to this day, in the back of your mind?

My parents will always be the role models I look up to. They didn’t know anything about hockey when I started so I didn’t learn much technically from them, but their work ethic and their ability to adapt to situations is still something I try to emulate today.

How did you balance studying, commuting, practice and lots of missed school days?   

Communication and time management. If I knew I was missing things school related I would let my teacher know prior to make sure I received everything I was going to miss beforehand. Then I just had to find time on commutes or during the school day to get work done so I was not overwhelmed at nights. There will inevitably be long nights but if you can plan ahead and utilize your support system you can find a sustainable balance.

Which exercise gives you the biggest advantage on the ice? 

Any type of squats and explosive movements were the most helpful for me. Also playing basketball every now and then helped improve my agility.

Where are you playing now and how did you get there? 

I just recently hung up the skates. My journey was definitely different than many. After the Bears, I stayed playing California hockey for one more year before transferring after my sophomore year. I ended up at the Groton School, a boarding school in the Boston area. I was fortunate enough to have a great experience there and ended up at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) where I joined the club hockey team (ACHA II). UPenn is one of the two Ivy league schools without a NCAA D1 team, but the school has a rink on campus, so it was super convenient and allowed me to enjoy playing hockey while I prioritized school move heavily. After two years and two conference championships, I got all I wanted out of the sport as a player and was ready to move onto the next chapter.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

Hopefully close to family and friends, and in a job that allows me to solve problems.

Who would win in a hockey fight -- Marty McSorley vs Manny Pacquiao (on skates)?

Marty McSorley. Without being able to balance on skates Pacquiao has no chance.

Best celebrity sighting on ice?

P.K. Subban at the Van Nuys rink before one of our practices.

The longest drive you/parents made for a hockey game? 

Around 6 hours to Phoenix.

Favorite hockey slang that confuses your civilian friends? 

Mentioning Junior League Names (WHL, USHL, NAHL, USHPL, etc) is usually hard to explain to people outside of hockey.

You have a Bears Time Machine, you fly back to your first day of Mites, what advice would you give yourself? 

Have confidence in yourself and enjoy the ride. Time flies by.

What is the funniest misconception you’ve experienced when trying to explain to hockey players outside of California…that yes, there is indeed hockey in California?  

I’ve had multiple friends at college think I played field hockey when I say I grew up in California and played hockey.

Look at your phone, what is the very last song you listened to? Be honest! No reason or apology necessary. (We all have that one song).  

How do You Sleep – John Lennon.

Any real-world experience, that made you think “Yes, that’s just like in hockey.”  What did you learn from your hockey life, that has helped you in the real world (school, job, friendships)? 

I think you can find similarities between anything and hockey. I got a lot from it. I was fortunate to play under Coach Peter Torsson for 5 years at the club. This gave him many opportunities put me in positions where I had to learn different ways of displaying leadership, which I used every day in every situation at boarding school and now in college. Looking back at my hockey journey I see so much growth, which gives me confidence that in any academic or social environment, familiar or not, that I will be able to excel.