Rochester has contributed more Minnesotans to the NHL than any other state in the country.
Create a hockey state
(ABC 6 News) — No state in America is bigger in hockey than Minnesota, and the sport's legends are ingrained here, including in the southeast corner where many young players hope to reach the highest level just like their predecessors.
Doug Zmolek, Sijon Podain and the Stewart brothers are some of the high school stars who made it to the NHL.
“Frank Serratore was my coach when I was playing locally right out of high school,” Podain said, recalling his time playing hockey in Rochester. “He was one of the great coaches too. They expected you to work hard and that really built the foundation for me to not only play youth hockey but continue on after.”
“(Sean) had a great career and won a Stanley Cup,” added Zmolek, who played with Podein at John Marshall High School. “He did a lot of great things for Rochester and the hockey community here.”
Their success wouldn’t have been possible without Kirk Gill and Rochester Youth Hockey, who helped countless young men get into college and get one step closer to the league.
“They've always been hard workers and very good — not just hockey players, but very good people,” said Gill, who coached Podain, Zmolek and the Stewart brothers.
“And I think some of them have been fortunate enough to get started on this path through hard work,” Graham Arena Manager Bob Montrose said, “and now they're the ones giving back to the program.”
But it's been a while since we've seen local talent rise to the top, and there's still a lot RYH can do to close the gap.
“The more numbers you have, the better players you have,” Podain continued, “and you give them the opportunity to compete and play against the best as they develop. They know what it takes.”
Gill added, “Rochester needs to look at itself and ask, 'What can we do better and how can we continue to develop these kids who have a great level of skill?'”
It takes more than just the equipment, dedication and hard work to make these dreams a reality, but history has shown that it's possible to make it into the league and maybe even one day bring home the Stanley Cup itself.
“And I was fortunate to have Mr. Gill as one of my coaches,” Podain emphasized, “without the great coaching staff I had growing up, I never would have been able to accomplish what I did after leaving Rochester.”
“I think the more we hear these stories, the more motivated the younger kids are to keep going,” Montrose said.
