Former Rams' Hockey Star Hopes To Play in Professional League

Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame catcher, Roy Campanella once said, "You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta  have a lot of little boy in you too." Campy could have been referring to other sports as well as baseball.

Eric Lind, a former star hockey player at New Canaan High School, would have made Campy proud. Lind, who has laced his skates in various cities over the years, has a lot of the little boy in him and his love for the game has kept him active as a player and coach in towns and cities from Davenport, Iowa to Manchester, England to leagues in Holland and Belgium as well. Now he's hoping continue his playing career as a member of the newly formed Danbury Whalers of the Federal League.

Lind is a 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound defenseman who has no illusions about making it to the NHL.

"I keep on playing because I love the sport and still have a passion for it. I get my fix playing and coaching and that's good enough for me," 32-year-old Lind said.

Lind spent his early years in Norwalk and moved to New Canaan when he was in the eighth grade. He played for two years at New Canaan High School where he was named FCIAC Most Valuable Player as a sophomore on the championship Rams' team. Although current Rams' coach Bo Hickey had him for only part of a season, he remembers how talented he was.

Hickey said,"Lind was an excellent skater, especially for a big guy." Lind transferred from New Canaan to prep school hockey at Avon Old Farms, where his career blossomed as he moved up the ladder.

He played at Avon Old Farms for the following two and a half years and was twice named New England Prep School Player of the Year. Lind spent some time as a member of the U.S. Development squad where he gained national exposure and  attention from professional scouts and coaches. He left Avon to play Junior A hockey for Davenport, Iowa of the United States Hockey League and then returned to Avon where he was offered a scholarship  to play for the University of New Hampshire. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins while still at Avon but decided to play for New Hampshire where he was a first-liner for the next four years.

As a member of the Wildcats, Lind made two Frozen Four appearances. After graduation, his hockey odyssey took him to leagues in Miss., PA., SC., Texas and, closer to home as a member of the now defunct Danbury Trashers. Across the pond, Lind played in the Elite English League with the Manchester Phoenix and was a player-coach in Holland.

Now he's got a shot at playing-for-pay once again as a member of the Danbury Whalers–once the Trashers, then the New England Stars and most recently, the Mad Hatters. 

Lind skates regularly with NHLers and other professionals who live in the area; Martin St. Louis, Max Pacioretty and Ryan Shannon and stays close to game shape.It's  a comeback of sorts since he stopped  playing for a while.

"I stopped for a time when my dad was sick but when I started again I knew the passion was still there. I'm in pretty good shape and hope not to embarrass myself on the ice. And that's good enough for me," he added.

Lind is one of 34 players who have been invited to the team's official training camp.

Coach Chris Firriolo said, "Those invited are a mix of seasoned professional players as well as players recently out of Division 1 NCAA hockey."

When Lind is not playing hockey, he's coaching it. He's the Hockey Director of the North American Hockey School which offers day camps to players of all ages. In addition, he's an assistant coach at Yale.

The "man with a lot of the little boy in him" expects to be back playing the game he loves next month.

Tryouts and practices for the Whalers of the newly formed  Federal League get underway next month with the season beginning in October.