Garrett Milan is the starting forward and points leader for the Rock Lobsters, Athens’ first-year FPHL hockey team that has taken the city by storm. As a Canadian native with nearly 18 years of professional hockey experience, Milan starred in all 56 games this season and tallied six game-winning goals for the Rock Lobsters on the way to being named league MVP.
With their season recently wrapping up after exiting the Commissioner’s Cup Playoffs, Milan reflected on his unforgettable first season in Athens.
Q: With the Rock Lobsters’ inaugural season in Athens, what were your expectations for the team and the success of the organization entering the season?
A: Obviously, it’s tough with a new team. You never know exactly how it’s going to go. But looking at the roster when I signed, and talking to coach Steve Martinson, it’s pretty blatant that we knew that it was going to be a good team right off the hop. And I think that’s why a lot of us older guys or new guys came in to play here, is that we knew that it was going to be a good team. Did we know we were going to have such a good start? Maybe not as good, but I knew that we were going to be right where we are right now, for sure.
Q: What was your mindset entering this season following your back injury last year playing for Pensacola?
A: It was tough. Last year was a little frustrating year for myself, just pain wise, injury-wise, it wasn’t the best season that way. And then the offseason, I did a lot of rehab after surgery, so I wasn’t too sure if I was going to be able to play or not this year. But come September, I started feeling a little better and got on the ice, and when Steve called me, it was kind of a no-brainer for what he was pitching and what Athens brought: a brand-new organization. And this year has been tremendous. Obviously, it’s a lot better to play hockey when you’re not hurting.
Q: How has the success of this new Athens team and fanbase fueled you and the squad to such an impressive first season?
A: It’s been huge. You never know going to a new organization what the fan base is going to be like. Obviously, with the Georgia Bulldogs, they have a good following already, and we tried to get some people from there, and I think we have. And then we also dipped into that student pool, which the students have been tremendous. Coming to games, they’re nice and loud, and that gets the guys going in the locker room. I’ve been around for a while and seen a lot of fans, a lot of fan support, but I think for the young guys, it’s been tremendous that they actually see what playing professional hockey is. We’re pretty lucky here in this league, for sure.
Q: At 34 years old, what are your plans or goals for the rest of your hockey career?
A: That’s a good question. I’m kind of taking it year by year now. Obviously, last year I kind of thought was my last year. This year’s kind of sparked a new energy in myself, just, you know, playing injury free this year. So we’ll see.
Q: How has Coach Martinson’s experience helped develop this team in only its first year of existence?
A: It’s huge. Obviously, he’s got a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience. He knows a lot about the game, so it’s kind of like doing nuances and practice, or if it’s in video, or if it’s kind of bringing in one of the younger guys aside, and showing them little tricks here and there. I think it’s tremendous working with a coach like that, that you can approach and talk to. You know, he knows that the games change as well, so he takes information. If myself or Carter (Shinkaruk) want to talk about certain things, he takes that in and actually wants to use that as well. So that’s good, coming as a player. But yeah, he’s been tremendous with us, and I think the young guys have definitely helped with that, for sure.
Q: As the team’s points leader, how have you elevated your game this season and at this point in your career?
A: I think coming in, I knew that they were going to rely on me offensively that way. That’s kind of my game. It comes with a little bit of, you know, people want to see you score. People want to see good points. So there’s that added pressure, but I think that’s good pressure. Obviously, you want that pressure, and you want the success from the team first and foremost. But I think that to help with that, I do my job as well.
Q: As a Canadian player, how have you seen hockey expand and grow in popularity in the Southeast, especially with the unprecedented success of a team in Athens?
A: It’s been huge. Obviously, I played in the South in Florida, and I saw that kind of grow. From the first year, two years, we had about 3,000 average, and then it went to, you know, 5,500 average. And then coming here, it’s been tremendous. Right from the start, I think everyone was excited. I think they did a great job of marketing the team to the community, but also to the whole South. Down here, it kind of seems like we’ve got people coming from two hours away to see our games. The support and the livelihood and the rink and the fan support has been tremendous. I think in the South, hockey’s not big, but once you go to a game and you actually get them in the seats, they love it. The fighting, the body checking, the loud atmosphere, it’s tremendous. And I think everyone keeps coming back. So, it’s been good.
Q: How has your career in hockey inspired you to share your passion with youth players as a trainer?
A: It’s cool. I’m from a small town ski resort that doesn’t breed a lot of hockey players, I’d say. But you see the passion in the kids, and you want to make it fun, but you obviously want to make them, you know, get something out of it, get better at the game. But it’s cool to give back when you can, and see that spark in the kids’ eyes, or the smile that they love doing it. So I think it’s been good to kind of share your knowledge and express that with the kids.
Caden Klein is a student in the undergraduate certificate program in the Carmical Sports Media Institute at the University of Georgia.
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