Chicago Wolves: Work ethic mirrored in Jaycob Megna’s function

Jaycob Megna’s bloodlines gave him a fairly good probability to develop into knowledgeable athlete. The hockey half was a longshot.
“We type of lucked out with the genes,” Megna quipped. “It’s been good.”
Born in Plantation, Fla., Megna and his household moved to the Chicago space when he was round a yr outdated after his father Jay’s job with Life Health took him and the household right here. Megna began skating when he was 4 years outdated, performed for the Glenview Stars, Workforce Illinois and the Chicago Mission earlier than graduating to the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks and Nebraska-Omaha.
Hockey, nevertheless, was new to an already-athletic household. Jay was a defensive again at East Tennessee State and frolicked with the Dolphins and Saints, and Megna’s mom Jacqueline was a highschool All-American in water polo. They each grew up in Florida and hockey wasn’t on their docket.
“My dad performed sports activities his complete life,” Megna stated. “He performed soccer professionally however by no means performed hockey. It was most likely the one sport he didn’t play.”
Athletics and an emphasis on accomplishment have been key components of Megna’s improvement. Megna stated that meant work-ethic and energy have been careworn, however taking part in sports activities was one thing the household loved. His brother Jayson is within the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, and sister Jessica was a determine skater and performed on the Florida State membership softball workforce.
Megna performed baseball by most of his time in highschool and competed in golf. Academically, he excelled at Glenbrook North, and in 2011, he earned the USHL’s Scholar-Athlete Award after accumulating a four.zero GPA at Mona Shores Excessive College in Muskegon whereas taking part in for the Lumberjacks.
“(Sports activities) wasn’t compelled upon you,” Megna stated. “That was the place we acquired to point out our work and what we’ve executed. It was at all times lots of enjoyable to play.”
That work is mirrored in Megna’s function with the Wolves. A defenseman, he’s appeared in 43 NHL video games, all with the Geese, and is a veteran chief for a Wolves workforce that’s as younger as any Megna’s been with within the AHL.
Now 27, Megna is grateful for the way veterans have been to him when he was breaking into the skilled ranks, and desires to pay that ahead. There are gamers adjusting to the professional life-style and being away from dwelling whereas dealing with extra free time than they’re used to, and Megna desires to assist them acclimate
“It’s simply one other step in your professional development,” Megna stated. “It’s vital to have guys which have been there that may allow you to out you could lean on. For me personally, I simply attempt to set an instance and do all the things the appropriate method and deal with my enterprise each day.”