Out of Uncertainty Comes Opportunity for Liam Izyk
Photo by BCEagles.com
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a host of unprecedented challenges across the globe and in all aspects of life, including in the world of sports. Perhaps the most unique sports-related effect of the pandemic has been its impact on the Alabama-Huntsville men’s hockey program.
Not only did UAH hockey fold in mid-May leaving players scrambling for new homes well after most teams had already filled out their rosters, but the team was also revived a week later after a GoFundMe page raised half a million dollars. By that time, three players had already announced transfer decisions. Liam Izyk, one of the transfers, is headed to Boston College in the fall.
Versatility is key for the Blackie, Alberta native who describes himself as a well-rounded center that can play a 200-foot game. During his lone season with the Chargers, Izyk worked his way up to a top 6 forward spot while chipping in on special teams and serving as one of Alabama-Huntsville’s most trusted players at the face-off dot.
The Chargers went 2-26-6 last season, and Izyk finished fifth on the team with 11 points. He ramped up his production late in the season, winning WCHA Rookie of the Week with a five-point week in early February.
“In terms of being able to make quicker decisions with the puck or paying attention to small details that make such a huge difference, I think over the course of the year just developing those good habits really attributed to that [late-season success],” Izyk said.
The day the news was to break, Alabama-Huntsville’s coach sent out a message in the team group chat saying they’d need to have team meeting, which Izyk said wasn’t out of the ordinary, as the team had met virtually since the coronavirus shutdown in March.
Izyk said he was expecting some news related to the start of the season and fall semester plans, but clearly that wasn’t the case.
“We got on the Zoom call and our coach looked a little upset,” Izyk said, recalling the day. “You could tell something was going on. Then he broke the news and it was definitely disappointing. Our coaches weren’t really in the loop, it was more the school administration that made the decision without consulting anyone.”
With that, Izyk had to set the reset button, and quickly. While there was no guarantee college hockey would even be played in the fall, if it was Izyk would have to find a new home. He contemplated playing for a university in Canada and moving back closer to home before the Boston College decision came together.
Izyk skating with the Chargers last season.
Izyk and BC made a mutual connection, but the former UAH forward credits the coaching staff for sticking with the players through the difficult time.
“The Huntsville coaches did a great job too,” Izyk said. “They didn’t just say, ‘Well, everyone’s on their own.’ They said they’d help us out as much as they could to help players find new homes.”
Izyk has never actually been to Boston, but he’s gotten a glimpse of the Hockey East experience from a few friends who play in the conference. The draw to Boston College specifically was quite simple for Izyk.
“Boston College is such a historic program and has had a ton of great players go through there,” Izyk said. “There's the combination of academics and really strong support for athletics. The competitive mindset that Boston College has was really appealing to me. It was a no-brainer honestly.”
Izyk grew up on a family farm in a town of about 400 and started skating when he was about 2 or 3. He didn’t get into hockey until he watched the Calgary Flames face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2004 Stanley Cup. Given the size of Blackie, it usually had to combine with neighboring towns to field youth teams, and Izyk grew up playing for teams of only 10 kids. As a Flames fan, Izyk has been cheering for a handful of the great players who’ve worn the maroon and gold, including Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin. Izyk even has a Gaudreau jersey hanging in his room.
Despite being the new kid on the block, Izyk is enters BC as one of the older and more experienced players on the team. According to College Hockey News, he is the fourth oldest player on the 2020-21 Eagles roster, and prior to UAH he spent three seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League where he battled through a nasty leg and ankle injury to find success with Ft. McMurray.
As Izyk mentioned, he worked his way up the Chargers lineup during the course of last season. Now he’s back at square one, again in a new situation having to prove himself. Izyk acknowledges that everything has to be earned and is prepared to put in the work necessary to win a starting job.
“[The mindset] is no different whether I was going back to Huntsville or any other team. I just have to continue to work and try to get better every day.”
Even though the mindset hasn’t changed, there’s no arguing the situation has. Izyk is going from a team that won just two games last season to one that is a perennial National Championship contender.
“Obviously everyone wants to win. Being around a group of athletes that are going to be competitive every day, and I’m sure everyone on that [BC] team has goals of playing professionally some day so everyone is going to try and improve and push each other and in that making the team as a whole better. So I’m excited to get started.”