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Mickey Volcan

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Mickey Volcan
Born (1962-03-03) March 3, 1962 (age 63)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Hartford Whalers
Calgary Flames
NHL draft 50th overall, 1980
Hartford Whalers
Playing career 1980–1991

Michael Stephen Volcan (born March 3, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the third round of the 1980 NHL entry draft and played 162 games in his NHL career. As the 1980 draft was the first to allow the drafting of 18-year-olds, Volcan was the youngest player in the NHL in the 1980–81 season. During his tenure with the Whalers, Volcan shared the distinction of becoming the first active player to officiate an NHL game.

Early life

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Volcan was born on March 3, 1962, in Edmonton, Alberta[1] to parents Sylvia and Mike.[2] His father was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League.[3][4]

Career

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Minor hockey and college

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Growing up in Edmonton, Volcan played both baseball and ice hockey. He represented Jasper Place Two in the 1974 Alberta District Number Two Little League major division of baseball playoffs.[5] Due to his skills, Volcan often played above his age level in minor hockey. He spent his pee-wee years with a Bantam team and played midget ice hockey in his first year of Bantam eligibility at the age of 13.[6][a] Volcan signed with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 1976 at the age of 15.[8] After participating in the Portland Winter Hawks' 1977 training camp, Volcan was reassigned to the St. Albert Saints for the 1977–78 season.[9][10] He finished his rookie season second in voting for the AJHL's Rookie of the Year[11] and was promoted to the Winter Hawks for the 1978 Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) playoffs.[12] He scored his first goal of the playoffs on April 8 but the Winter Hawks were eliminiated in the same game.[13]

Volcan returned to the Saints for the 1978–79 season, where he passed his previous season's total despite playing in fewer games.[1] He was recognized with the AJHL's Most Valuable Defenceman award and a place on the All-Star team.[14][15] While competing, Volcan also fast-tracked his schooling so he would be eligible for college at the age of 17.[16] After the Saints were eliminated, he was again called up by the Winter Hawks for the 1979 playoffs.[17] Volcan fielded offers from nine universities before accepting a hockey scholarship for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.[16] Upon joining the Fighting Sioux at the age of 17, he became the youngest player in the entire conference.[18] Volcan scored his first collegiate goal on November 16, 1979, against the St. Lawrence Saints.[19] He was unable to find regular playing time during the season and finished with two goals and 14 assists.[20] Volcan was drafted in the third round, 50th overall, by the Hartford Whalers in the 1980 NHL entry draft.[21] This was the first year that the NHL allowed teams to draft 18-year-olds.[22]

Professional

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Following the draft, Volcan joined the Hartford Whalers for their 1979 training camp.[23] Although the Whalers wanted him to return to school, Volcan persuaded them to give him a chance.[20] Volcan surprised the Whalers' director of hockey operations, Jack Kelley, and head coach Don Blackburn during his time at camp with his poise and maturity.[24][25] As a result, Volcan beat out fellow rookie Fred Arthur for a roster spot[26] and signed a multi-year contract with the team on October 9.[27] Volcan stated that even if the Whalers did not sign him, he would still have left the Fighting Sioux for Tier 1 hockey in Canada.[28] Upon making his NHL debut, he became the youngest player in the 1980–81 season.[29] Volcan tallied his first NHL point on October 15, 1980, by assisting on Steve Alley's goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins to help the Whalers earn their first win of the season.[30] While he was limited to two assists through his first 17 games,[31] Volcan was repeatedly paised by Kelley and Blackburn for playing beyond their expectations.[32][33][34] He scored his first NHL goal on January 15, 1981, in a 5–4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.[35] He scored two goals and 11 assists through 50 NHL games before being re-assigned to the Whalers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Whalers. One of the reasons for his reassignment was due to the return of Thommy Abrahamsson.[36] Volcan scored his first goal in his debut game against the Springfield Indians.[37] However, he missed numerous games at the end of his season with the Indians due to a charley horse and hand injury.[38][39] He finished the regular season with Binghamton collecting 10 points through 24 games.[40]

After attending the Whalers' preseason training camp,[40] Volcan was returned to the AHL for the 1981–82 season.[41] However, due to a separated shoulder, he was expected to miss the first three weeks of the to play the regular season.[42] He returned to the lineup at the end of October and scored his first points of the season in his third game back.[43] On November 20, Volcan was recalled to the NHL level,[44] but his debut was delayed due to a snowstorm.[45] He was recalled again in December[46] but suffered another injury later that month.[47] He scored his first goal of the season with the Whalers on December 27 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[48] When he was returned to the AHL on February 20, Volcan was advised by the coaching staff to be more disciplined with his play if he wanted to return to the NHL level.[49] Due to the Whalers low place in the standings, Whalers head coach Larry Pleau stated he was comfortable slowly acclimating Volcan into the NHL.[50] Volcan helped push the Binghamton Whalers to the 1982 Calder Cup Finals against the New Brunswick Hawks. He suffered a bruised jaw in Game 2 and sat out one game before returning for Game 4.[51][52]

Volcan returned to the Hartford Whalers for their training camp but was hospitalized with a viral infection.[53] He missed the entirety of training camp due to the virus but was expected to be healthy enough to start the 1982–83 season with the Whalers.[54] By the start of November, Volcan had accumulated one goal and two assists for three points.[55] He suffered a hairline fracture in his right wrist in December and missed numerous games to recover.[56] Due to this injury, he was a scratch for the Whalers game against the New Jersey Devils on January 15, 1983. When a snowstorm prevented a referee and a linesman from reaching the Hartford Civic Center, Volcan and opponent Garry Howatt became the first active players to officiate an NHL game.[57][58] Due to the suddenness of the request, Volcan and Howatt donned black sweats and practice jerseys instead of typical official uniforms. While their time as substitute officials only lasted one period, Volcan was presented with a proper jersey as a memento.[58] He finished the regular season with four goals and 13 assists through 68 games. On July 5, 1983, Volcan was traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Joel Quenneville and Richie Dunn.[59]

Post-retirement

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In 1992, Volcan became the assistant coach for the Arizona State Ice Devils.[60] He was promoted to head coach in 1999. As this was an unpaid position, he also taught power-skating at the Cellular One Ice Den.[61] Starting in 2000, Volcan also ran an ice hockey academy in Flagstaff, Arizona.[62][63]

Personal life

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Volcan's brother Marty and his nephew Nolan are also ice hockey players and both played in the Western Hockey League.[64] Volcan is of Czechoslovakian descent.[65]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1977–78 St. Albert Saints AJHL 60 28 40 68 106 — — — — —
1977–78 Portland Winter Hawks WCHL — — — — — 8 1 1 2 2
1978–79 St. Albert Saints AJHL 49 20 49 69 107 5 2 2 4 4
1978–79 Portland Winter hawks WHL — — — — — 4 1 0 1 0
1979–80 University of North Dakota WCHA 33 2 14 16 38 — — — — —
1980–81 Hartford Whalers NHL 49 2 11 13 26 — — — — —
1980–81 Binghamton Whalers AHL 24 1 9 10 26 6 0 0 0 14
1981–82 Hartford Whalers NHL 26 1 5 6 29 — — — — —
1981–82 Binghamton Whalers AHL 33 4 13 17 47 14 4 8 12 40
1982–83 Hartford Whalers NHL 68 4 13 17 73 — — — — —
1983–84 Calgary Flames NHL 19 1 4 5 18 — — — — —
1983–84 Colorado Flames CHL 30 8 9 17 20 5 0 0 0 11
1984–85 Moncton Golden Flames AHL 63 8 14 22 44 — — — — —
1985–86 Nova Scotia Oilers AHL 66 12 36 48 114 — — — — —
1986–87 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL 72 8 36 44 118 — — — — —
1987–88 JYP Jyväskylä FIN 29 7 4 11 78 — — — — —
1988–89 EV Landshut GER 16 9 15 24 49 — — — — —
1988–89 EHC Chur NLB 7 6 4 10 26 — — — — —
1989–90 Krefelder EV 1981 GER-2 25 8 27 35 60 — — — — —
1989–90 SC Riessersee GER-2 10 5 7 12 39 — — — — —
1990–91 Phoenix Roadrunners IHL 59 13 29 42 103 11 0 6 6 11
AHL totals 258 33 108 141 349 20 4 8 12 54
NHL totals 162 8 33 41 146 — — — — —

Notes

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  1. ^ Bantam players are typically 14 years old and under, while midget players are 17 years old and under.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Mikey Volcan". Elite Prospects. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  2. ^ "Birth announcements". Edmonton Journal. September 8, 1966. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Price, Terry (September 24, 1980). "Volcan Top Whalers' Surprise". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Mickey Volcan". Grand Forks Herald. March 25, 1980. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Little League Clubs Volcanized by Mickey". Edmonton Journal. July 29, 1974. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Cole, Cam (January 24, 1976). "'Jennerally' great?". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Hockey Canada Announces Change to Age-Division Names". GTHL. November 19, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  8. ^ "St. Albert Saints news". Edmonton Journal. July 19, 1977. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Ice Chips". Edmonton Journal. September 15, 1977. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Drummond, Don (October 14, 1977). "Volcan does in Rustlers". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Babych top rookie". Edmonton Journal. March 28, 1978. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Eggers, Kerry (March 29, 1978). "Hawks begin '2nd season'". Oregon Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Matthews, Lynn (April 9, 1978). "Hawks out of playoffs on 4-3 loss". The Columbian. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Traders padlock rookie award". Edmonton Journal. March 6, 1979. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "AJHL Outstanding Defenceman". The Daily Herald-Tribune. September 11, 1998. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b "Volcan signs up for the American option". The Calgary Albertan. November 18, 1979. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Matthews, Lynn (March 28, 1979). "Winter Hawk pair return for playoffs". The Columbian. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Foss, Virg (December 24, 1979). "No time to be heavy. So Merry Christmas to all!". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Foss, Virg (November 17, 1979). "Smail lifts Sioux past St. Lawrence". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b Foss, Virg (December 17, 1980). "Mickey Volcan a Whale of a find". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Blaisdell picked by Detroit". Wisconsin State Journal. June 12, 1980. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Rosen, Dan (June 25, 2020). "Super 16: No. 1 picks in NHL Draft since 1980". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  23. ^ Price, Terry (September 18, 1980). "Volcan, Galarneau Impressive Whalers". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Foss, Virg (October 15, 1980). "Fossbudgets". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Caufield, Owen (November 7, 1980). "Blackie Has a Lot Going for Him". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Slap Shots". Minnesota Star Tribune. October 12, 1980. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Whalers sign Volcan". The Morning Call. October 10, 1980. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Volcan won't return to UND". Grand Forks Herald. August 13, 1980. Retrieved April 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Mickey Volcan, the youngest player in the NHL, might be an ordinary rookie defenseman, but his on-the-job training has been a bonus for the Hartford Whalers this season". United Press International. February 6, 1981. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  30. ^ "Whalers Win First; Beat Penguins 5-2". Hartford Courant. October 16, 1980. Retrieved April 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Statistics". Edmonton Journal. November 18, 1980. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Whalers win numbers game". Press and Sun-Bulletin. November 15, 1980. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Matheson, Jim (December 9, 1980). "Jim Matheson's Hockey Notebook". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Price, Terry (December 11, 1980). "Whalers See Payoff In Recent Draft Picks". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Price, Terry (January 15, 1981). "Dionne's 3rd Period Goal Spoils Whalers' Comeback". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Volcan fails to survive NHL's All-Star break". Record-Journal. February 11, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Bears give Hawks a helping hand". The Expositor. February 12, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.co.
  38. ^ "Sat. night fever blanks Whalers". Press and Sun-Bulletin. March 8, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "Win eases wounded Whalers' pain". Press and Sun-Bulletin. March 16, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  40. ^ a b "Whalers reunion at camp". Press and Sun-Bulletin. July 5, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Fossbudgets". Grand Forks Herald. October 17, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Meisel, Barry (October 7, 1981). "Whalers open in Erie". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Meisel, Bobby (November 5, 1981). "Whalers cop game with 'police' help". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "Whalers' Notebook". Hartford Courant. November 21, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Whalers' Notebook". Hartford Courant. November 23, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Transactions". The Burlington Free Press. December 7, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "Whalers' Notebook". Hartford Courant. December 21, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  48. ^ "Whalers 7, Maple Leafs 3". The Morning News. December 28, 1981. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  49. ^ Hobson, Geoff (April 25, 1982). "Volcan accepts detour". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  50. ^ "Oilers very fortunate in underage lottery". Edmonton Journal. February 23, 1982. Retrieved April 23, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  51. ^ Hobson, Geoff (May 7, 1982). "Whalers must reroute attack". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  52. ^ Meisel, Barry (May 4, 1982). "Volcan brushes jaws of tragedy". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  53. ^ Meisel, Barry (September 23, 1982). "Alumni cram for final Whalers' pairing". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  54. ^ "Veisor in Goal". Hartford Courant. October 1, 1982. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  55. ^ "Sabres vs. Whalers". The Buffalo News. November 6, 1982. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "Short-Handed Whalers Promote Hoffman". Hartford Courant. January 1, 1983. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  57. ^ Trecker, Jerry (January 16, 1983). "Whalers Win in 'Official' First". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 25, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  58. ^ a b Pinchevsky, Tal (January 16, 2013). "Volcan, Howatt made NHL history 30 years ago". Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  59. ^ Duhatschek, Eric (July 6, 1983). "Flames continue trading moves". Calgary Herald. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  60. ^ "Volcan-ized". The Arizona Republic. April 13, 1992. Retrieved April 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  61. ^ Garcia, Gilbert (March 16, 2000). "Power Ploys". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  62. ^ Turner, Annie (July 29, 2005). "Learning from a pro". Arizona Daily Sun. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  63. ^ Tucker, Jeff (November 21, 2000). "Year-round ice looks promising". Arizona Daily Sun. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  64. ^ Rocca, Taylor (May 12, 2017). "Thunderbirds' Volcan aims to add to family's championship pedigree". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  65. ^ "New Hawks perform well". The Columbian. March 30, 1978. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
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