With roots in Michigan and Canada, ice hockey was inevitable in Will Duffy's life. Will's father grew up in Orchard Lake, Michigan, playing pond, street, basement, junior high and high school level hockey for his local schools, all as a goaltender. He played against the likes of Pat LaFontaine (the greatest American born player the NHL has ever seen), Chad Smith (also a netminder, now drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers), and John LaFontaine (now Head Coach for the Junior A Bozeman Ice Dogs in Montana). Will's second cousin Todd Warriner of Ontario, Canada, was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques and had a nice NHL career playing for the Maple Leafs, Lightning, Coyotes, Flyers, Canucks, and Predators. Another Ontario cousin Gordie Duffy was highly recruited by the NHL at a time when the NHL was changing over to taller and heavier players.

As a young boy, I always assumed you did what your father did, so goaltending it was for me. I'll never forget that day my hockey career started, in the basement, on my knees, playing hockey with a rolled up sock against my dad. Mano y mano, goalie against goalie. I had my baseball glove for a catcher and a blocker made out of an old snow glove and cardboard. We didn't have sticks, so we used our hands to hit that rolled up sock back and forth to each other, attempting to sneak one behind into the predetermined boundaries of the goal. That's all it took, and I was hooked. I had discovered the greatest position in the greatest game on earth. Our game of "sock hockey" moved its way to the street, and then to local roller hockey rinks and then the big transition to ice. I played youth ice hockey here in Colorado at Big Bear and High School Midget hockey with the Foothills ice hockey association, on my way to numerous Junior A tryouts and camps, but to eventually end up walking on to the Varsity team at The Ohio State University. I was never rostered, but earned my way to skate every week with the red shirts and those who didn't get to dress for the weekend games. Division I hockey was quite a leap from the Midget A ranks in Colorado, but I made the best of it, and when I returned home I transferred my experiences and passion for playing into the teaching of young aspiring hockey players in the Rocky Mountain region... 

Will Duffy is a Level 4 USA Hockey Coach and a Level 2 USA Hockey Official.