Did Zach Edey play hockey in school? Purdue star's playing career explored

Zach Edey may be known as one of the best centers in college basketball, but there was a time when he did not like the sport and was actively trying to avoid it.

Edey played two sports before he got into basketball. He played hockey from the age of eight before shifting his focus to baseball.

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Zach Edey's hockey career explored

Sometime in 2010, the Toronto native was playing house league hockey in Leaside, Ontario. Word got around, and Al Rourke, a former NHL defenseman coaching the Toronto Penguins team, wanted to see what many called a raw talent.

Rourke had just one look at the six-foot Zach Edey and immediately knew that he wanted him.

“I said right away, ‘You’re on the team.’I also told his parents, ‘You should put a basketball in his hands.’”

Edey had no interest in anything else and slowly began to hone his skating skills. While he was not quick enough for triple-A competition, Edey was pretty good at double-A.

He played defenseman and was feared by all opponents who didn't know how to play him. His skills aside, the biggest problem for Zach Edey and his team by extension was his size.

He already outgrew the skates meant for children his age and was in the men's sizes. His father, Glen Edey, requested Rourke to pass down any of his old skates, as he was listed as a six-foot-two, 215-pound blueliner during his playing days. Unfortunately, even Rourke's top-end pair didn't fit Edey.

The other problem his size brought in was that he was easily fouled. When Edey played, checking wasn't permitted. So even if Edey made the slightest contact with his opponent’s head, he was sent to the penalty box. It meant that Al Rourke coached him to keep his arms tight and ride an offensive player off the puck.

“Even if a kid runs into him, he’d get a penalty for elbowing or interference or something stupid when it’s not his fault. He’s just way bigger,” Rourke says.

Ultimately, Zach Edey outgrew the sport and got into baseball. Edey relented for the longest against playing basketball because he felt like every tall person always played it.

He wanted to be different but eventually found his love for the game. Zach Edey moved to Florida, where he played at the IMG Academy before joining Purdue. This weekend, he will lead the Boilermakers in their first Final Four since 1980. They will tip off against NC State on Saturday.

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