TJ Walsh, Marc McLaughlin thrive off each other’s energy for RoughRiders

Hockey is widely considered a fraternal sport, one where bonds in the locker room run deep. When it comes to the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, that notion goes a step further with two forwards who call Massachusetts home.

TJ Walsh (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Marc McLaughlin (Billerica, Mass.), both entering their second year in America’s top junior league, are best of friends, linemates and classmates all bundled into one. They share a special relationship, one which often landed them on the same line in 2016-17 with head coach Mark Carlson’s RoughRiders.

"We were both young players in the league but we adjusted pretty well and we pushed each other to work hard and get better," Walsh said. "Hopefully we’ll do that again this year."