It all started years ago, he was a little boy around 3 years old, at a time when the NHL was going through hardships and as a whole nearly became the first pro sports league in history to cancel an entire season. It was during 2003 when Bryan Lockner’s two older brothers Dylan (22) and Jordan (24), both former hockey players for Fossil Ridge, sparked his love for the game just about as soon as he could stand on skates.
At a young age the three boys would tie up their laces and go out into their garage late in the day to shoot pucks for hours on end. Bryan said, “I remember my parents coming out raging mad – more my mom than my dad – because we would put holes in the walls from missing the net.” Although Lockner spent a lot of time practicing with his brothers, his father Bill, was as much of a supporter of him as Dylan and Jordan were. Lockner and his father have a very strong bond. Even after the long late night car rides home after tough losses, the arguments they’ve gotten into about his future, and the years of hard training he has put into this game, his father never once left his side. “Having his support is the best thing in the world. He is tough on me when he needs to be and congratulates me when I deserve it. I have never felt so close to anyone like I do with my dad.”
“Over the years I have experienced a lot. Tough lessons…Once in a lifetime moments… Practices that I thought would kill me…Injuries… But one thing that has noticeably come out of it all, when I look back at the tiny little rec player that I used to be, is that I have become a strong, smart and focused player that I now expect myself to be all the time. Hockey hasn’t been a hobby for me. It has truly been my entire life, my escape, my canvas for creating myself since the day I began playing.”
With more than 10 years of competitive hockey under his belt, several championship titles, his draft into USHL by the Muskegon Lumberjacks this year and his signing with Regina Pats in the WHL last year, he is focused on one thing and one thing only. Lockner knows exactly what he needs to do in order to reach his goals after having been surrounded by competitive hockey at its highest and lowest moments for his entire life. “Now the question for me is, do I go play for one of these junior leagues or go play collegiate hockey? The WHL pays, so I can’t go to college if I go out to that league. But if I do decide to go there, it is a great gateway for players trying to get into the NHL. But then there is also the possibility of going to the USHL which doesn’t pay you to play, but you go there and you get to go to college and then try to get into the NHL later.” This is a critical year for Bryan, and these decisions could literally change his life forever. Of course with the support and drive he has, he will make the best choice for himself. Though, without question his situation between choosing either the WHL or USHL would have been different if it hadn’t been for the top notch coaches he’s played under over the years. Working with NHL legends Joe Sakic, Adam Foote, and Jaimie O’Leary during a handful of seasons taught him things about the game that changed his way of playing and his perspective on the rink, and also allowed him the opportunities to experience the next level in hockey.
From the coaching to the competition, club hockey and high school hockey are two very different games, for Bryan the contrast between the two is almost shocking. He has been playing for the Thunderbirds since he was 11 years old, and now plays with the Fossil Ridge hockey team alongside his younger brother Owen, a freshman at Fossil Ridge. Collectively his club team, the Thunderbirds, have won several tournaments, one of them being the Bauer Invitational, one of the biggest tournaments in the world. From the looks of the statistics for their past couple of seasons, it is clear that Bryan makes a big impact out on the ice. With with Fossil’s team, it is a lot more about representing your school rather than the development of players. The Fossil team has held a solid roster for the last couple of seasons and has also kept up its tradition of winning games season after season. “Playing for Fossil, is more of what I consider a ‘social event’. Of course we still practice and play hard but it is completely different representing your school and playing with a bunch of guys you have classes with, rather than playing under an umbrella of a competitive youth hockey organization. One isn’t better than the other, but they are very different when considering player development.”
One nice part about being as talented as he is, is the fact that he gets to travel around the world to compete with the Thunderbirds. He has always been on the elite teams in his age group, and has traveled to British Columbia, California, Boston and many other countries in the US as well as Providence’s in Canada for tournaments, league games, as well as on invitation.
Along with the top notch hockey experiences he has had while traveling to these places, he has also found some of his favorite spots and things along the way. When spending time in Maryland a while back, he discovered his favorite restaurant: Captain Billy’s a seafood joint that’s located right out on a dock. Although Lockner is considered a special talent, he is a very normal guy. His favorite things to do are play baseball, go camping and fishing, and he also enjoys spending time with friends when he’s not out in the rink. His favorite movie is Miracle on Ice, “It is just a classic. And I also really like listening to country music, I listen to a lot of Jason Aldean. My favorite song of his is Crazy Town, but I can’t really listen to country before I play because it doesn’t get me pumped up.” One of his pre-game superstitions is that he always puts his gear for his left leg on first before doing the other side and he has to tape his stick before every game.
The family aspect of life is important to this young star, so having the support of his entire family is the best feeling in the world and motivates him beyond words. “My dad always used to say, ‘Never strive for ‘good enough’’. And that piece of advice has always and continues to push me to do my best every time I put my helmet on and walk out of the locker room.”
As of right now he is undecided between taking the contract and playing for Junior WHL and committing to the USHL. “If I decide to play college hockey my dream school would be North Dakota because it is an elite DI program and it’s players are treated like professionals, but I also want to set myself up for the best future I can. ” There are a lot of decisions he will have to make within the next two years, but he is excited for what the future holds for him and also can’t wait to finish out this high school season.
