'Random' Act of Hockeyness

When you ask Ryan Minkoff about major milestones in his hockey career, he is both candid and modest. First question: How did a Minnesota teen aiming to play Division I hockey on the East Coast become all-time leading scorer for the University of Washington men's club team?
"It was pretty random," he says. "I did not plan to come this way. I was looking at schools out East [Union College, Penn State]. The only reason I applied to 'UDub' is because my mom is from Mt. Vernon and she insisted I apply."
OK, next milestone: How did Minkoff become the first UW men's hockey player to go pro, playing in Finland?

"It was pretty random," says Minkoff. "I didn't really know much about European hockey. But after my freshman year at UW, I trained at a hockey camp with Marty Sertich [a former Hobey Baker winner as college hockey's top player]. He was playing professionally in Switzerland. He put the thought in my head-keep progressing and maybe you could go pro in Europe."
One more question: How did you get signed by a pro club, Lapuan Virkia, after finishing your illustrious UW career, which included leading the team to the regionals for the first time ever as a freshman and a conference championship two years later?

"I received this random Facebook friend request," says Minkoff. "I was on spring break with a teammate and his family. I promptly deleted the request because I didn't know the person and it was from Finland. The next morning, I got another friend request and decided to do some research."
Here's a random thought: Maybe Minkoff's hockey life is not so random. These days, the Seattle resident is forging a hockey career that builds on his experience. He is an advisor and agent. His Seattle-based firm, 83, LLC provides representation for hockey players looking to advance their careers in the junior and professional ranks.
Minkoff dove into the hockey pipeline between North America and Europe because, effectively, no agent would take him on a client ("not enough money in it for me" was a common reply). His services include negotiation and placement with teams, of course, but also advice on education (some hockey dreams are quenched by earning scholarships), marketing, finance and taxes with a goal of clients reaching "full potential on and off the ice."
The business is growing and Minkoff is in it for the long haul. Which will come as no surprise for any hockey fan or those among us with an entrepreneurial spirit who read Minkoff's new book, "Thin Ice: Thin Ice: A Hockey Journey from Unknown to Elite--and the Gift of a Lifetime" (Rowman and Littlefield, available in hardcover and e-book). It is a story about love of the game, learning shift by shift about hockey and himself during games and practices and hard knocks and, in Minkoff's case, serving as both president (managing a budget, scheduling games, figuring out how to travel the team, attracting fans) and star player of his hockey club.
I rarely use the first-person point of view in what I write because the reporter in me aspires to tell and, especially, show the story, not be the story. This is one of the infrequent exceptions.

I wholeheartedly recommend Minkoff's book, just published Nov. 1. He tells a story that will be admired and absorbed by anyone who loves hockey. The book is a must-read for newbie puck fans who want to understand the irrepressible spirit of hockey players who feel not only the rush (literally and figuratively) of the sport but a liberation of sorts every time they skate onto the ice. This book will inspire entrepreneurs to get started or keep going. Ditto for youth and even adult hockey players who are learning to play or needing encouragement.
The strength of Minkoff's book comes from candor, allowing readers to understand his thinking as the quiet but gifted player on his youth teams, the best player on a University of Washington squad that issued him a sweat-stained jersey (number 83) as a frosh, the player who negotiated his first contract with his Finnish pro club to include two free daily meals at a town restaurant and as the teen who grew into a man on a mission to support other players' hockey dreams. He regularly scouts players on video or, pre-COVID 19, in person when possible. Minkoff is looking for a certain someone on all ice sheets.
"The players I want to represent stem from my own story," says Minkoff during a recent phone interview. What I love so much about my role now is helping clients who just need the exposure to that next step in their hockey careers. It takes a lot to be noticed. I want to help promote players."
Minkoff works both sides of the hockey connection between the U.S./Canada and Europe. One client might be looking to further his playing career post-college or post-juniors by landing a spot in an overseas league, maybe even in a country that most fans don't know have professional hockey leagues. Another client could be a European-born player on a college team here in the States who impresses Minkoff but hasn't registered on NHL draft boards.

Haralds Egle (prounounced "(HARE-ulds EE-gull) is one of Minkoff's success stories. Elge starred for NCAA Division I Clarkson University last season, totaling 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 32 games. The Latvian-born Egle competed for three seasons in the United States Hockey League, which is a primary league for young players to show their talents to college programs. Minkoff helped Egle to land a spot in the NHL Winnipeg Jets development camp in 2019. In the spring, Egle signed a two-year pro contract with the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose, which is Jets' AHL affiliate that also plays its home games at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg. "It was a really cool experience for Haralds and me," says Minkoff.
Minkoff's first roommate with his Finnish pro team was Latvian. He helped him negotiate a better deal in that first season, including getting him those two free meals a day at the local restaurant. He has a significant number of Latvian clients these days. That friend request from the Finnish general manager was motivated by a player on the roster who was a teammate of Minkoff back on a juniors team in Minnesota, the same team Minkoff joined to get exposure, leaving a top-10 high school hockey team in the hotbed state before senior year.
Minkoff's hockey connections and decisions all add up to a worthy book, which he started writing before his senior year at UW and labored to the product you can give as a gift this holiday: "I started reminiscing about my youth hockey days and all of the challenges I had. I knew my hockey story was unique. I started writing down my thoughts. By the end of summer, I had 100 pages. I updated it every couple of weeks during my senior season, then kept going when I got the deal in Finland. Once I finished writing, it took two-and-a-half years to get it published. I sent out about 200 book proposals. I finally found someone who believed in my story."