Former Flin Flon Bombers goalie PJ Musico says that “playing pro hockey is a blast, if I had to put it so simply.”
“Enjoying the sport has always been something I focus on daily,” he said. “You have to truly love what you do. Sure getting paid to play a sport is something I have always dreamed about, but at the end of the day the money has nothing to do with it.”
A Bomber for the 2010-11 campaign, Musico is now in the midst of his professional rookie season for the Greenville (South Carolina) Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL.
As of Feb. 15, the 6-foot-1, 198-pound goal-ender led the team with a 7-3-1-0 record with a 2.35 goals-against average and 0.925 save percentage.
Having joined Greenville after three seasons with Penn State, Musico said the biggest adjustment to pro hockey has been time management.
“In college you have to juggle classes, workouts, homework, classes, exams, practice, games, studying, travel, etc, all while performing all of the above at an insanely elite level,” he said. “When I came to the pros, it was a strange adjustment realizing how much time I had to truly focus on nothing but hockey. It has allowed me to develop a routine that really focused on my performance along with taking care of my body. Whether its strength training, stretching, or plain old rest, it allows you to really only focus on hockey.”
As a freshman, Musico played “club” hockey with Penn State’s American Collegiate Hockey Association. The next season he accomplished many milestones for Penn State as he earned the program’s first NCAA Division I win and its first shutout.
Musico took on a reserve role in his third season before enjoying a successful senior season.
He was named the winner of the national Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award for his effort on and off the ice. Musico has been involved in fundraising for pediatric cancer research and, inspired by his brother Patrick, supporting autism awareness.
Musico grew up in California, but his junior career took him to New Jersey, Wichita Falls and finally Flin Flon.
“I truly can’t give enough praise to everything I learned in Flin Flon,” Musico said.
“Everything from the town, to the organization, to the staff and everyone else in between. Playing for the Bombers helped me to develop my love for the game on an even higher level.”
He praised his billet family, the Brookses, for all they did for him. Musico also appreciates the Bombers giving him a chance.
“[Head coach] Mike Reagan really gave me the opportunity I needed to excel,” he said. “The type of opportunity I never got elsewhere. On top of that he was constantly on the phone trying to get me to the next level. … Without the Flin Flon Bombers organization I may not be where I am today, and for that I am forever thankful.”
He looks back fondly on his season in Flin Flon.
“What I loved most about playing in Flin Flon was playing in front of the whole town and how crazy everyone was for the team,” Musico said. “Home games were so much fun.”
