Photo courtesy of Michael Davies

Michael Davies, sophomore, has college scouts already filing into ice rinks across the country to watch him play hockey.

“When you think about it, it sounds stressful,” Davies said. “But once you start playing it’s not really on your mind. It doesn’t really affect me that much.”

Davies already has a scholarship offer to play hockey at the #8 ranked University of Notre Dame (according to USA Today Hockey Magazine). He plans to visit the #11 ranked University of Denver in a couple weeks and he hopes to obtain a scholarship from there as well. The Denver Pioneers have won seven national championships, while Notre Dame Fighting Irish have won none. Notre Dame and Denver are Davies’ top two choices to attend college. Getting the offer from Notre Dame was an unreal moment for him.

“It was a big accomplishment,” Davies said. “I didn’t really start hockey to get a scholarship, but it’s nice to have it pay off a little bit.”

Davies was not thinking about college as a 3-year-old when he started skating, nor was he considering it as a 5-year-old when he started playing ice hockey. His dad, Ken Davies, is the Kirkwood ice rink manager, which gave Michael the chance to skate frequently as a child. Soon enough, Michael fell in love with hockey.

Now Davies is playing on the national level. He is considered one of the top defensemen in the country by USA Hockey, and plays for the U16 AAA St. Louis Blues in Chesterfield, along with the Kirkwood Pioneers’ varsity club hockey team. As of Jan. 24, the U16 AAA Blues record stands at 29-2-1. Davies has scored 4 goals and recorded 15 assists for 19 points in 28 games as a defender.

Davies said the difference between the teams is noticeable.

“It’s a lot different,” Davies said. “[Kirkwood] is slower-paced. The kids [we play against] aren’t as skilled.”

When there is a conflict, Davies always chooses the AAA Blues over Kirkwood since the Blues prepare him more for the future. Therefore, he has missed 13 of 20 Kirkwood hockey games and many practices. KHS head varsity hockey coach Greg “Cookie” Griffin, who has known Davies since birth, excuses the missed time.

“We’ve worked that out,” Griffin said. “When he can be there, he’s there. He has missed some things, but everyone understands, the players understand. We understand what he needs to do to progress as a hockey player.”

“I like playing for Kirkwood whenever I get a chance,” Davies said. “I can try a lot more stuff and not worry about making mistakes as much.”

As of Jan. 21, Davies has scored 5 goals and recorded 5 assists for 10 points in only 7 games this year for the Pioneers. They are 3-3-1 when Davies makes it to a game as opposed to 5-5-2 when he does not. Griffin said the Pioneers are a different team when Davies is on the ice.

Jordan Janes, head coach of the ‘97 AAA St. Louis Blues, has known Davies since he was 6 years old. He coached Davies the previous three years on the ‘97 AAA Blues, before Davies joined the U16 AAA Blues, a completely different team, this year. Janes recognizes the importance of athletes to play for their school team.

“I think the big issue is just making sure that the kids aren’t worn out,” Janes said. “On one hand, it’s always special to play in front of your peers, have the opportunity to get recognized in front of your student body for something you do really well. On the other side of it, to get to the next level it takes playing against the top kids constantly.”

Davies frequently plays against the best. On April 1, 2012, his former team, the ‘97 AAA Blues, reached the National Championship and played against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Jr. Knights in Rochester, New York. The Knights, comprised of Americans, Russians and Canadians, beat Davies’ team 4-2. Davies enjoyed the experience and recorded an assist in the game.

Janes describes Davies as the type of player who is relied upon as a leader in “big game” settings such as the National Championship.

“Being a player like he is, he’s obviously going to be on the ice in important situations,” Janes said. “He cannot only contribute offensively, but also make sure to shut down other teams’ best players.

Just about every time he is on the ice he has the ability to make a great play.”

Davies attributes his success to his coach, NHL Hall of Famer and former St. Louis Blues forward, Keith Tkachuk.

“He’s taught me a lot and he is a big reason why I’ve got a lot of these chances for colleges,” Davies said. “Everything I’ve got in hockey is basically because of him.”

Ice hockey has allowed Davies to meet people from all over the United States. His team travels frequently, a lot of times to college campuses. Davies’ favorite experience was when his team traveled to Quebec, Canada, to stay with a family and play in a tournament.

Davies’ plan for the future involves playing collegiate hockey, and he hopes to play professional afterward. No matter where Davies ends up, Janes sees great things in his future.

“He’s only a sophomore, so he’s still got a little ways ahead,” Janes said. “He’s definitely on the right path. He’s definitely a standout defenseman for his age. A college education is definitely an incredible feat. If there are opportunities after that, then as long as he keeps working those opportunities might happen for him.”