Photo credit: Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP

By Steve Sears

17-year-old Tyler Muszelik was a recreation hockey forward, and he really never wanted to be a goalie. 

However, over time, the crease called to him. “Our goalie quit midway through the season, and we were rotating through guys at the time who would have to go in net for the weekend,” he recalls. “Eventually it was my turn. At first, I wasn’t really interested in it. And then when I put the pads on and got in the net, I just loved stopping people, and it became a love of mine to play goalie. I was always really interested in the pads and the helmet and all the cool stuff that comes along with being a goalie, and I just fell in love with it. Ever since then, I’ve been a goalie and never looked back.”

Muszelik has been a member of the USA Hockey’s National Team Development program since he was 15. “It’s a camp of about 200 kids, and you get picked through your district,” he says. “I was part of the Atlantic district, and you have to go to trial camp for that. If you’re lucky enough to get picked by a district, you go to that camp over the summer, and the USA scouts and others evaluate you and, depending on how you do from there, you’re on their watch list for the rest of the year. I was lucky enough to make that list. They watched me through my 15U year and just really liked what they saw, so they invited me, and they gave me the chance to play for the team for two years.”

Muszelik, who as a freshman and sophomore attended West Morris Central High School but now attends Michigan International Prep School, didn’t come from a typical hockey family. No one in his family had ever played the sport. When he was 6, his best friend and his best friend’s mom convinced Muszelik and his mom to try a free skate at Aspen Skating Rink (now Sports Care Arena) in Randolph. Muszelik was hooked, and the next two years played for the Long Valley Wolfpack rec squad, and followed that up with two seasons of travel hockey with the New Jersey Freeze, also of Randolph. “After my 13U year, I wanted to make a jump to AAA, which is the highest level of youth hockey. My parents were willing to do that, so I switched teams and went over to the New Jersey Rockets, and I played for them for my 14 and 15U years, and we became a really good team.”

Muszelik, who this fall will be attending the University of New Hampshire, grew up watching and admiring New Jersey Devils goalie, Martin Brodeur. “It was really cool and inspiring to grow up watching him play. I was really lucky to go see him a decent number of times. I do have a few NHL goalies that I try to model my game after right now, like Connor Hellebuyck (of the Winnipeg Jets) and Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks).” 

Muszelik is now eyeing his opportunity in the upcoming National Hockey League draft. “The draft for me would be this summer and, obviously, I’m hoping to get picked,” he says. “But for now, I’m just trying to focus on finishing off the year strong and giving myself the best chance to make that come true.”

Muszelik does miss Long Valley, but he has been welcomed by the folks in Elsie, Michigan. “It’s a great opportunity to be out here, and the people out here are awesome, too.” He then adds what he feels is most important. “How special it is to wear the USA Jersey. We never know when it’s going to be the last chance for us to put it on, so representing it the right way every day is pretty important.”