From backyard rinks to Big Ten titles, the former Michigan standout navigates the grueling transition to professional hockey, proving that consistency is the key to surviving the grind.
For most players, the game is their entire life. Mark Estapa is no different to that feeling.
Long before the 6-foot-2, St. Clair, Michigan native was navigating the professional ranks, there was a backyard rink involved with the person who made him fall in love with the game and a young kid discovering how much he loved the game. “My brother. He used to play goalie, so my dad made a little rink in the backyard, and I'd always go out there and shoot on him. So, I guess that's what made me find love with the game.”
The love of the game carried Estapa to the University of Michigan, where Estapa played with current Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty. Estapa spent four seasons with Michigan and became a two-time Big Ten champion, but his journey wasn’t linear. Estapa played in 145 games at Michigan from 2021-22 through 2024-25. He recorded 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points. He also gathered 212 penalty minutes while finishing his collegiate career with a plus-10 rating. His best seasons came in his sophomore and senior years in the 2022-2023 season, when he tallied five goals and seven assists in 40 games. In his senior year, Estapa produced two goals and 10 assists over a 35-game span. The numbers only tell part of his story.
Photo Credit: Trois-Rivières LionsMichigan is where he began to learn what it meant to handle the highs and lows of a season that comes with pursuing professional hockey. “It's like a roller coaster. There's a lot of ups, a lot of downs. It teaches you how to come back to the rink every day with the same attitude. Just keep moving forward and have fun while doing that.”
A goal from the beginning
College hockey was never the final destinations for Estapa, it was merely a stop toward a goal that he carried with him for years. “I've always wanted to play pro. There was always a goal of mine to go to play in the NCAA first and then move on to Pro.”
Shortly after his college career ended, that goal was made a reality when he signed with the Laval Rocket and made his AHL debut during the 2024-2025 season. He dressed in one game with Laval before heading to the ECHL Trois-Rivières Lions. During his lone season with Trois-Rivières, he dressed in 63 games during the 2025-2026 season and put up seven goals, eight assists, and 65 penalty minutes. The adjustment from college to professional hockey brought a different level of expectations.
In college, Estapa was in that environment and everything that came with playing for a recognizable program. In professional hockey, the schedule became a grind, and consistency became as important as his talent. “I would say just learning what pro hockey is and what it takes to be successful. You have got to be consistent. Come in every day, with the same attitude, and it's a long season.” Learning that lesson extended beyond what happens during the 60-minute game on the ice. “It's a job, but at the same day, at the same time, it's just something that you've grown up doing that you love, and at the end of the day, it's still a game. You've got to go out there and have fun.”
Finding his identity
Continuing to develop his game, Estapa is clear on the player he wants to continue to be and it starts with the physicality. “Just hard and physical, winning my battles on the walls.” Beyond being a physical presence, he has a mental presence on the ice as well. “I'm thinking ahead of the play, making plays, and just taking the parts on that, being strong defensively.” The combination of being physical, anticipatory, his playmaking and defensive responsibility, has helped to shape Estapa’s identity at the professional level.
The people behind the player
The sacrifice for not only the player, but their families, is prevalent. All the hours Estapa has logged on ice, he didn’t get there alone. From the backyard rink to the college world, to the professional level, his family has been by his side for the ride. “My family. My brother, my dad, my mom, without them, I couldn't do it. I don't even know where to start, they facilitated so much of it, and without them, none of it is possible.” Estapa’s family’s support remains his foundation as he works towards what comes next. The professional game tests players in ways that go beyond the ice. There are different cities, teammates, long seasons, and the need to prove oneself.
More than a hockey player
Photo Credit: Trois-Rivières LionsLooking ahead to a new season with a new team, Estapa’s ambitions aren’t limited to his numbers or how many games he can play. He wants to leave an impression on the people around him. “I want to just want to be remembered as a good dude. Guy who comes to the rink every day, and tries his best, and helps his teammates.”
A fitting goal for a player whose journey has been around more than just his individual accomplishments. From the days of shooting pucks in the backyard, to playing at the University of Michigan and starting his professional career, Estapa is continuing the rollercoaster ride of professional hockey.
Estapa is currently on an ECHL contract with the Florida Everblades and was released on 9/30/3036 from the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton training camp.
