Cornerstone (A Fradin McGryer Biography)

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The following is from a fan page of the young defenseman, pulling information from interviews, social media posts, and other articles written about the player.

 

 

 

Massachusetts. Home of countless events of American History, storied sports franchises, and even the Merriam Webster dictionary. Which is only fitting that they produce the living image of the word 'Cornerstone' for all three categories.

 

Fradin McGryer is the middle child of four boys, so there's no question where he learned his competitive spirit. Growing up in a small town in northern Mass, it wasn't uncommon for pickup games with the local kids to quickly split into the teams of the McGryer brothers take on the town. Largest of the four was Fradin who as a result was often a designated wall in front of his older brother Liam, who had been at the time and would continue to love playing tender in all sports - especially ice hockey.

 

This began his love of the growing sport of Rugby in New England. Starting in his middle school years he was introduced to a program teaching a sport that was very similar to American football. It was the process of learning a new system that drew him. Fradin in multiple interviews had often expressed his love for puzzles and strategy games. This pull to Rugby consumed most of his springs and summers. In the winters up until High School, Fradin would take up wrestling, a sport he and his father loved watching during the Olympic years together, and one that helped him retain his balance and strength. 

 

In his early High School years, his interests had swapped to fundraising and community service. As his High School hadn't quite the funding yet for the sport of Rugby to join the small division of schools that did play it in Massachusetts, a program would have to show enough interest to earn district funding. Teammates of his former middle school program would often be seen wearing their old jerseys and performing things like car washes, grounds keeping, and even trash removal in public areas. In the winters they would even work in teams of three shoveling out driveways in the heavy snow that the north is prone to.

 

In his Junior year the city had finally agreed to fund the program, with the promise that the team would continue to perform community service acts around the town in the offseason. The coaching duo from the middle school program was actually brought up and hired to coach the High School team, the Red Raiders. Now in Rugby, it's incredibly rare for a Prop to be handed a captaincy. But the coaches appreciated Fradin's ability to bring the group he'd grown up with to give up their time and actually enjoy helping others to bring the team to a reality in a bigger league. 

 

In his two seasons of High School Rugby, Fradin held the captaincy and played Right Prop. In their first season his team finished second to last in the twelve team league. To be expected for a team that had no experience in a professional setting in a larger age group than they last played. Throughout his final season of his short High School career, Fradin was being scouted by multiple colleges. Given his wide frame and fantastic balance, he was a hard prop for most to get by without doubling up on him. The Raiders eventually went on to lose in the finals that year, but Fradin was given an award by the league for his leadership abilities on and off the field before his sendoff to his visit with the University of San Diego.

 

It was here in San Diego where he rekindled his love of hockey. Spending his summer playing with his brother Liam, who had been goaltending for the University of San Diego for two years by this point. Liam often brought Fradin to watch practices and even skate with some of the VHLM players for the San Diego Marlins who would remain to put in some extra training in and interact with fans. Watching these players reminded the Mass native of his love of community, and that very feeling he had when he first discovered Rugby began to wash over him at the idea of professional ice hockey. Of course, this would mean giving up on a sport he'd found a love for at a young age. Edit: Fradin had stated recently in a radio interview that it was around this time he had realized his love for Rugby was more about helping his town and team than the sport specifically.

 

Shortly before the 88th season of the VHLM, Fradin had decided to attend a tryout for the Marlins. Encouraged by his brother, who had many years spent with his younger sibling help him keep pucks out of the net. A team with a new front office and staff, McGryer loved the energy of a new mindset and hunger on the Marlins. It was something he'd decided he wanted to be a part of. That competitive spirit and enthusiasm was seemingly exactly what Marlins management was looking for, as not only did they take in the budding defenseman, but they also granted him an alternate captaincy a game into the season. The New England native being recorded as one of the founders of a sporting team in his home town, his new captaincy on the Marlins, and how he carries himself on and off the ice proves Massachusetts has reinvented the 'Cornerstone' player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Fradin99