RinkWise podcast: Mike Kennedy on what it takes to play college hockey

Mike Kennedy enters his sixth season as head coach at Brunswick. (Dave Arnold/NEHJ)

Mike Kennedy is a Brunswick hockey lifer.

Entering his sixth season as head coach of the Bruins’ boys hockey team, he spent the previous 13 years as an assistant under associate director of athletics Ron VanBelle. Brunswick has evolved plenty during his time around the program.

Growing up in nearby Darien, Conn., he attended Brunswick from fifth to ninth grade when the Bruins still played a local high school schedule. Kennedy decided to move on to play prep at Westminster before playing college hockey at Middlebury, winning a national championship as a senior.

But he immediately returned to coach and teach in the English department at Brunswick. In his 19 total years behind the bench with the program, the Bruins have established themselves as a big program on the prep scene. They’ve secured tournament berths in nine of their 14 seasons of Division 1 play, capturing their first title in 2018 when they won the Large School tournament.

Kennedy has also guided Brunswick to the Elite 8 in 2017 and the program’s first Elite 8 semifinal appearance last season. He has had alumni move on to Division 1 and 3 college hockey as well as the professional ranks and the NHL.

New England Hockey Journal editor Evan Marinofsky hosted Kennedy on the latest RinkWise podcast.

The impact of academies

Kennedy: “It’s probably impacted it more than I know. I think down in Brunswick, I’m not sure it’s had that big of an impact on us. I’m not recruiting or looking for an academy type of kid. I’m not saying they’re not valuing education, but I think they’re putting hockey first. And at Brunswick, like I said, we’re academics-first here, and you’re going for the prep school model. So the kids that I’m looking for here and the families are always going to be looking for that. I think there’s going to be a market for that everywhere. I think, obviously, some of the boarding schools are struggling to fill beds. They’re competing with those academy kids that they maybe would have gotten in years past to help keep their programs vibrant and full. So, it’s certainly probably tougher for some of our competitors at Brunswick than it is for us. But like I said, I think I like our model down here, and I think families will always be attracted to it. We’re gonna keep selling it and the buyers will be out there.”

What it takes to play college hockey

Kennedy: “I think it takes consistency. I think these coaches are probably gonna see you, I don’t know, three, four or five times on different days. They’re not seeing you every day. Like for me, I get to see my players every day, and I grow accustomed to who they are as players. But these college coaches are showing up to rinks over different periods of time and different days, but they want to see the kid at his best, the best level every time he takes the ice. I mean, that’s tough as a 17-year-old kid to be bringing it every day, to be focused and prepared. But those kids who are sort of dominant each and every time they take the ice – and they’re around in the prep world – those are the kids that are probably first off the list. Then the others it takes more time. I think colleges want to see them more often. That’s something I hear a lot: ‘Oh, we just want to see him for another season or a couple more games.’ So, consistently bringing it every day and every time. You never know who’s going to be watching you. So, you can’t take days off based on the opponent or you’re not feeling so well or whatever it might be. That’s what I would say is the differentiating factor.”

The RinkWise podcast can be streamed here and on major platforms, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.