NM ICE WOLVES
Hubbard was trained on NM ice, now he's heading to D1
Ice Wolves' Stanley Hubbard will be New Mexico's first hockey player to compete at Division I level
Stanley Hubbard knows the photos are somewhere. At some point, he鈥檒l have to go back and look. Some of the details 鈥� at least, a few of the less important ones 鈥� are a little fuzzy.
Perhaps he was 2 years old. It may have been either his dad or grandfather guiding him around.
No matter. The core parts remain plenty clear. Being outside, bundled up against the Minnesota winter, stick in hand, ready for his first skate; a family tradition.
鈥淭he whole outdoor hockey thing,鈥� Hubbard, an alternate captain for the New Mexico Ice Wolves of the North American Hockey League, said with a grin Saturday. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 really skate when I was that young, so I would kind of get pushed along.鈥�
Saint Mary鈥檚 Point is a town of fewer than 400 people, less than 30 minutes east of Saint Paul, along the Saint Croix River. It鈥檚 where everything started.
The ending?
Well, the middle is still happening. It鈥檚 all part of a story that featured a relocation 18 hours south to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 when he was 4 and one that will soon include another move to outside Pittsburgh.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward announced his commitment to play Division I hockey next season at Robert Morris ahead of the start of the Ice Wolves鈥� division semifinal playoff series against the El Paso Rhinos.
鈥淗e鈥檚 put in so much work and dedication to get to where he is,鈥� said coach and general manager Kyle McKenzie, a former minor league defenseman who won a national title with Providence College in 2015. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 special, too. He鈥檚 a homegrown boy from sa国际传媒官网网页入口. It鈥檚 huge for the city. You don鈥檛 really see that all too often, especially in this part of the country.鈥�
McKenzie isn鈥檛 exaggerating or overstating. Hubbard鈥檚 college choice is a rare one.
According to the Ice Wolves, he is the first men鈥檚 hockey player developed entirely 鈥� youth through juniors 鈥� in New Mexico to commit to an NCAA school at any level. The franchise also said he is the first New Mexican who will compete at the DI level.
There鈥檚 even a little bit of a family bonus. Younger brother Ryan committed to play adaptive hockey at Penn State a week earlier. There鈥檚 another brother, Connor, who is still in high school.
鈥淚 kind of just stuck with it the whole way here and a lot of kids kind of took off and went the triple-A (travel) route, and you move away for a couple years and do that,鈥� Hubbard, 20, said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really see a need to do all that. Everything I needed was here and then I was lucky enough to play juniors here, too. I never had to leave.鈥�
It鈥檚 because everything kept developing 鈥� the programs, the competition, himself.
What began with one rec team when Hubbard first started playing organized hockey has grown into 12 boys youth travel teams, six girls teams, three adult leagues and sled hockey to go along with numerous clinics and an on-site speed gym. And, of course, there鈥檚 the founding of the Ice Wolves 鈥� the Tier II junior hockey program 鈥� and their North American 3 Hockey League affiliate. Levels Hubbard worked his way through.
Leaving didn鈥檛 make sense to Hubbard. Even through plenty of tough times.
鈥淎s a dad, I鈥檓 super proud,鈥� said Stan Hubbard, Stanley鈥檚 father who is also the owner of the Ice Wolves and Outpost Arenas. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy. It鈥檚 a grind. He鈥檚 spent four years in junior hockey 鈥� two years on the NA3HL development team and two on the Wolves. In the early years, there were a lot of games where he was 鈥� healthily scratched. A lot of games, he didn鈥檛 see a lot of minutes.
鈥淏ut he never stopped working and never lost his positive approach, and his love for the game. He just keeps getting better and better and better, every shift, every game. I think he鈥檚 going to have a really good college hockey career. But nothing makes you more proud as a parent than when you see your kids achieve their goals.鈥�
And DI hockey? That鈥檚 always been one of the younger Hubbard鈥檚 ambitions.
Yet, he鈥檚 not quite ready to depart for Pennsylvania just yet. There鈥檚 still the matter of helping the Ice Wolves try to reach their second South Division final in five seasons.
That will be another tough task after Saturday鈥檚 5-2 loss put them two games down in the best-of-5 series.
Jacob Solano scored the go-head goal for the Rhinos with 17:26 left in the third period. Ethan Woolcott added an insurance goal with a little more than 2 minutes to play and Alexander Stephen followed suit with less than 30 seconds to play.
Jake Kasay and Jeremy Sprung both netted goals in the second for New Mexico. Kasay鈥檚 score came with 59 seconds left in the period. Tommy Shore and Raphael Laviolette logged goals in the first and second periods, respectively, for El Paso.
Hubbard, who finished with 11 goals and 12 assists in 57 regular-season games, was awarded a two-minute penalty for boarding with 1:42 left in the 1st period and another one for roughing with 12 seconds to play.
Game 3 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. in El Paso. Game 4, if necessary, is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 25 in El Paso, while a Game 5 would be 5 p.m. April 26 in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
The series winner will face either the Shreveport Mudbugs or Lone Star Brahmas in the divisional final.
But that鈥檚 just one part of Hubbard鈥檚 story. A short chapter in the middle. Just like the move to New Mexico. Like his commitment to Robert Morris.
Right now, he鈥檚 trying to enjoy the whole picture.
鈥淚 think for me, it鈥檚 just enjoying the moment and enjoying the journey,鈥� Hubbard said. 鈥淵ou can only play the sport you love for so long. I enjoyed playing youth hockey and I鈥檝e been enjoying playing junior hockey, and I鈥檓 excited to take the next step to college hockey. Every part of this path has been a little different and I鈥檓 excited to experience the whole thing.鈥�
David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X
