Once hockey gets in your blood, it’s almost impossible to walk away. Just ask Atlanta Gladiators forward Mike McNamee.

Four years ago, the 32-year-old native of Perth, Ont. Stepped away from the game he loved to pursue another passion: music. With a group of friends, he formed Boston Levi, a band that blended country, rock and alternative.

The COVID-19 pandemic was happening around the time McNamee decided to retire from hockey. Music was something he had only recently taken up.

“The reason I retired was kind of (centered around) what was going on in the world more than anything,” McNamee said following an Oct. 31 practice. “I just happened to have music to fall back on, so it seemed like the right time to do it.”

The 6-foot, 180-pound left-shot center didn’t completely walk away from the sport during that time. He became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Carleton University, where he previously played for four seasons.

The Comeback

As much as he enjoyed making music, McNamee realized he may not be done with playing hockey after all. Last May, he began the process of making a comeback.

“I think I kind of lied to myself a little bit, saying I was done with hockey,” McNamee admitted. “Through the last four years, I realized I maybe made… not the wrong decision, but I wished I was still playing and decided to make a push to come back.”

McNamee completed his collegiate career in 2017, recording 50 goals and 84 assists in 102 career games at Carleton (U-Sports). He then signed with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.

The next few years were quite a ride for McNamee. He played professionally in Germany, Denmark, Wales, and the Greenville Swamp Rabits prior to retiring and returning to Carleton as a coach.

Over 10 games with the Swamp Rabbits in 2021, McNamee registered two goals and two assists before announcing his retirement.

Rounding Into Shape

Four years is a long time to be away from a physical sport like hockey, and it’s taken a while for McNamee to feel comfortable on the ice again.

“It probably took until mid-August, early September to feel like I was finally back to where I could compete at a high level,” McNamee said. “I didn’t really have expectations on a timeline. I didn’t know how long it would take, and just pushed a day at a time.”

Until a loss to the Swamp Rabbits on Nov. 5, the Gladiators were the last remaining unbeaten team in the ECHL. McNamee has three assists in seven games coming into the weekend.

While he couldn’t be more pleased with his team’s start to the season, McNamee continues to work on his own game, especially on the defensive side.

“It took me a while to figure out (playing defense),” McNamee explained. “When you’re young, you just want to get points and score goals and all that… There’s pride to be taken in being able to play defense. I’m still working on it.”

Will he go back to music once his hockey career is truly done?

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he said. “I’m trying to take a bit of time away from it. It was getting tiring being on the road, putting music together and trying to figure that out. Our band is still friends, we still chat. Hockey holds a special place in my life. The body only holds up so long. I’m going to try to do it until my body tells me I can’t.”

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.