|
|
Where Are They Now?: David
Maley
Catching up with the former Shark
I sat down with former Shark David Maley for a
one-on-one conversation to catch up on what the former NHLer has been up to
since his playing days ended back in 1999. The veteran left winger played in
466 regular season NHL games for five teams over nine seasons. Maley only
played in 62 total games for San Jose from 1992 through the 1994 season before
being dealt to the New York Islanders, but his mark on the Bay Area landscape
is a big one.
The casual San Jose hockey fan may recognize Maley for
his occasional stints as both a radio and television analyst. He's a hockey guy
after all, and a career as a hockey analyst seems like the perfect fit for a
guy who played a game or two in the NHL. The thing is, broadcasting is more of
a moonlighting gig for Maley. His day job entails building one of the most
impressive private health and recreation facilities in California.
 |
| Maley as a 1982 NHL Draft
Pick |
Before I delve into the business mogul that is David
Maley, let me take a step back and try to plug some of the holes that are his
past.
His background is a simple one. Wisconsin kid who grew up on a
small farm, moves to the hockey hotbed of Edina Minnesota. Picks up hockey at
age ten, and evolves his game enough to be taken as the 33rd overall player in
the 1982 NHL Entry Draft (2nd round) by the Montreal Canadiens and play college
hockey for the University of Wisconsin. As a freshman at Wisconsin, Maley
played in 47 games, scoring 17 goals and chipping in a cool 23 assists.
His freshman season at Wisconsin would end with a 6-2 victory over
Harvard to win the 1983 NCAA National Championship. That team would feature
defensemen Chris Chelios and Bruce Driver, and winger Patrick Flatley.
Maley's Badgers wouldn't qualify for the NCAA Tournament his final three
seasons in Madison, but he would cross paths with future Sharks Tony Granato
and Gary Suter, who both played as freshman during Maley's sophomore season.
NHLers Scott Mellenby, Paul Ranheim and Paul Stanton would also call Maley a
teammate at Wisconsin.
 |
| Maley currently serves as
President of Silver Creek Sportsplex |
In four years as a Badger, Maley notched 164 points
(65 goals, 99 assists) in 160 games, adding 301 penalty minutes. Right after
graduating from Wisconsin, the Canadiens immediately summoned him to Montreal,
where he would close out the regular season, playing in 3 regular season games.
His spring break that year would get a little more interesting. He was
retained by the Canadiens to participate in their playoff run that culminated
with a Stanley Cup Championship. Maley would appear in 7 playoff games, scoring
a goal and adding 3 assists.
That goal was a big one. The goaltender?
"Mike Vernon," Maley replied.
And yes, it was pretty cool.
"Game two in Calgary," Maley responded matter-of-factly. "Down in the
series 1-0. We were down one in the third period and my goal tied the game and
it went in to overtime. Brian Skrudland's game-winning goal in that game ended
the shortest overtime in NHL playoff history, at a mere nine seconds."
When I first met Maley, I was immediately struck by his frame. Seventeen years
removed from the NHL, he's still a physical presence. Standing 6'2", his hand
shake is firm and his physique tells you he takes care of himself. Given his
life after hockey, being physically fit still makes sense for the former
bruising winger.
What I wasn't expecting was how accommodating Maley
would be. He took time out of a busy schedule to meet with me at his gem of a
sports facility, the Silver Creek Sportslex (SCS) in South San Jose. After
getting a personal tour of the facility, we talked for two hours, covering
topics ranging from how hockey has changed since he played, to his role as a
Sharks analyst. What's most evident when you talk to Maley, is that he's
enjoying life after hockey.
It's an amazing metamorphosis from his
days as a rough and tumble hockey player. Maley speaks fondly of his first
career, with a respectful tone for the game. It was his meal ticket, but the
life of a professional hockey player isn't all that it's cracked up to be. He
speaks of the challenges of knowing that on any given night, you may be faced
with dropping the gloves with some of the toughest characters in the history of
the game. He pauses when mentioning how the careers of some of his peers were
ruined by a bare fisted punch that found its mark.
It's a far cry from
his current world, which has its own challenges. The enforcers in his present
life come in the form of customer expectations.
As the President of SCS, he's responsible for a
facility that has woven itself into the fabric of San Jose as a recreational
hang out for the athletically inclined. SCS is a 240k square foot facility that
houses inline hockey rinks, indoor soccer rinks, a restaurant, pro shop, work
out rooms for things like martial arts classes, and a section dedicated to
inflatable jump houses for the kids. SCS also shares some of their floor-plan
with a full service gym facility, which makes the facility a Mecca for the
active Bay Area fitness nut.
Maley's palace is a labor of love that
didn't just drop in his lap. In 1993, Maley was evaluating investment
opportunities that are often presented to professional athletes. A manufacturer
of inline hockey rinks had sent the future business man some marketing material
on their product. He was intrigued by the product and the notion of hockey
without ice after seeing one of the first inline skate products a few years
earlier.
>> Continued...Page 2
 |
|
| What did you think of
this article? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
