Claimed: Calder O'Callahan Bio

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Early Life

 

 

Calder O’Callahan grew up in Edina, Minnesota and was born into a big sports family. His father, Jack, played in the NHL for the Blackhawks and Devils while also famously representing the United States at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team that defeated the Russian powerhouse. Calder has two brothers, Tyson and Daniel, both of which were two-sport athletes growing up in hockey and baseball. Growing up, the boys were all very close as they are only five years apart from Calder (the youngest) to Daniel (the oldest). The family grew up big Minnesota Wild fans and was close family friends with the Minnesota Wild star, Zach Parise. There was always a competitive spirit in the O’Callahan household.

 

“Growing up, we would compete in everything from who would eat the most for dinner to whiffle ball in the backyard to of course hockey. Neither of us wanted to lose at anything, it was actually pretty funny looking back.  I think growing up around my two brothers really made me the man I am today. Being the youngest was obviously difficult at times, but they made me a tougher guy on and off the rink.”

 

O’Callahan first laced up the skates at the age of five and was a natural. He and his brothers would play every day after school on the frozen pond in their backyard. One of the more interesting pond hockey moments was at age 7 when Calder unfortunately fell through a crack in the ice when the boys were playing one early spring day. Luckily for Calder, the pond was only a few inches deep of water and his brothers were able to drag him out and laugh at it later. This would hopefully be the first and last time Calder would fall through the cracks in his hockey career.  

 

High School

 

 

O’Callahan had his sights set on playing for Eden Prairie High School, which is one of Minnesota’s top high schools. Both of his older brothers also played at EPHS and were household names. The stage was set for Calder to follow in the footsteps of his family and become one of the more dominant players in Minnesota High School history.

 

Freshman Year: This year was a tough year for Calder on the ice and also in the classroom. He was playing on the varsity team, but the competition was much bigger and stronger physically than Calder. In the classroom, Calder struggled to juggle both hockey commitments and schoolwork and had to spend extra time after class to pass the courses. When the year was said and done, Calder played minimal minutes on the varsity fourth line and posted 3 goals and 2 assists. He had a lot to learn coming out of his freshman year, but that is expected for a young kid.

 

Sophomore Year: As Calder physically began to physically develop, he started focusing on his fitness. He jumped from 120 pounds to a respectable 140 pounds and was able to grab a spot in the top 6 on the team. This was a breakout year for a sophomore and started opening eyes that maybe he could be something special. His skating for his age was second-to-none and dazzled opponents with slick hands. He also had an opportunity to play with his older brother, Tyson, who was a senior winger on the second line. Calder finished the year with 14 goals and 15 assists for a total of 29 points which was top five on the team.

 

Junior Year: As many seniors graduated, Calder was the guy his junior year. He continued to mature physically and at the start of the season was 5’10 165 pounds and was physically very strong. His coaches also recognized his leadership qualities enough to name him the first non-senior team captain in the team’s history. He performed well this year, but was significantly overwhelmed with the college recruiting process which put a lot of pressure on the young man. He was talking to over ten schools and held discussions with teams nearly every week. Between the recruiting process, hockey and school, it was definitely a mentally and physically draining year. On the ice, he led the team with 25 goals and 25 assists in 30 games, which was tied for the highest point total by a junior in the school’s history.

 

Senior Year: The hockey world was focused on where Calder would sign to play at the next level, but before the season he made it clear that he would not be making his decision until after his senior year, an unheard of tactic. The second-year captain had a goal to score the most points in teams history this year, which he tied his junior year. He accomplished this goal and then some. Calder finished with 60 pounds (35 goals and 25 assists) and won the Minnesota “Mr. Hockey” award given to the states most outstanding senior hockey player. On the college front, it was down to the Minnesota Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers. However, as the process went on, Calder was fielding calls from VHLM general manager. It was a rare opportunity to skip college altogether and go right to professional hockey. After long thought, he accepted a contract offer from the Las Vegas Aces of the VHLM, spurning the NCAA powerhouses, and would begin his professional hockey career at the age of 18.

 

“It was an extremely difficult decision for me and my family. I grew up dreaming of playing for a great Division-1 hockey school like Minnesota or Wisconsin. Full disclosure, I was very close to signing with the Gophers. However, when I met with the VHLM teams, it just felt right. I felt like as a hockey player and person, I was ready for the professional game and I look forward to the challenge.”

 

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Review:

 

Well laid out Biography. The in depth analysis and statistics makes for an very interesting read. The pictures are a great addition as well as the quotes give it an interesting insider point of view. Great Biography would read again! 10/10