FRONT NINE WITH COYOTES CLAYTON KELLER By John Davis

NINE THE FRONT

CLAYTON KELLER

SLAPSHOT

Coyotes’ MVP mixes hockey, golf to perfection

Clayton Keller is the first to admit that he is better at shooting a puck in the net than hitting a golf ball on a green. However, he has shown that he is quite adept at both as a scratch golfer and one of the brightest young stars in the National Hockey League. Keller, 21, was selected seventh overall in the 2016 NHL draft by the Arizona Coyotes and quickly proved it to be a wise pick.

Displaying a “Keller instinct,” he led the team in scoring each of his first two seasons and is in position to make it a three-peat in 2020.

He set virtually every Coyotes rookie scoring record, was named the team’s most valuable player and was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given to the most proficient first-year player in the NHL. Last season, he became the youngest All-Star in franchise history.

Keller, who led his Boston University team in scoring as a freshman, is known as a rink rat and always is one of the last players to leave the ice after practice.

The team rewarded that performance and dedication with a rare eight-year contract extension in September that is worth $7.15 million per season and runs through 2028.

The rigors of an NHL season leave little time for golf, but when it ends, he and several teammates hit the links around the Valley in a game he began playing at 8 years old in his hometown of St. Louis. At 13, he made his first hole in one and, since moving to Arizona, By John Davis

As a scratch golfer, Arizona Coyotes star Clayton Keller carries a big stick. COURTESY ARIZONA COYOTES

has teed it up with the likes of PGA Tour players Chez Reavie and Colt Knost. Last year, he participated in a Special Olympics event at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he was paired with Amy Bockerstette, a collegiate golfer and disabilities advocate with Down syndrome. Bockerstette is the first person with Down syndrome to receive an athletic scholarship to attend college. She plays her golf at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix. The next day, Amy captured the hearts of the golf world by making a par on the famous 16th hole, which she played with Gary Woodland in the pro-am. A video of their interaction, in which Amy repeatedly said, “I got this,” went viral and has garnered more than 44 million page views. Recently, AZGOLF Insider caught up with Keller to talk about his two favorite sports, life in the NHL and the state of the Coyotes.

1What was your introduction to golf? When I was real young, my dad used to play on weekends with his work buddies. So I started tagging along and took lessons to try and get better, and I still see that same guy when I’m back home. He follows my career, so I stay in close contact with him. I used to go with my dad to this short-game practice area, where he would hit 400 balls a day, just chipping and putting for hours at a time. That’s how I developed a good short game and that’s really the best part of my game.

2When the Coyotes drafted you, were you excited to be going to an area with great golf? Definitely. That was a big-time bonus for sure. I was so excited to be here, first of all, to play hockey. And then knowing there are so many great courses, plus having the Waste Management Phoenix Open here, that was just one more great reason to be able to come here and play.

3So, you made a hole in one when you were 13? Yes, I did, and it was pretty cool. I was golfing with my dad and two of his work buddies. It was kind of a windy day out and I had about 160 yards, hit a 6-iron and it went right in. I had been playing for about five years when that happened, and the best part about it is that I was golfing with my dad at the time.

4How competitive is it when you golf with your teammates? Schmaltzy (Nick Schmaltz), Brad Richardson and I are all scratch players, but we have three or four other guys on the team who are all really good golfers and all of us love to play when we get the chance, so we have some pretty good matches. It’s definitely competitive but we usually play two-man teams and try to keep it fun. It’s great to have so many teammates who are really into it and are such good players.

COURTESY ARIZONA COYOTES

5So what is it about hockey that translates so well to golf? I think maybe it’s the handeye coordination, and when you shoot a slapshot, that motion is very similar to the golf swing. For me, it’s a little different than it is for some guys because I am a lefty in hockey and shoot the puck left-handed but I play golf righthanded. That’s just the way I grew up playing the two sports, but it’s still kind of the same motion so it works for me.

6What was the Special Olympics experience like for you? It was a great experience to be able to represent the Coyotes and spend time with those Special Olympics athletes and help put a smile on their faces. It’s such a great opportunity to represent the team and make their day a little better. That’s a huge part of our team and our sport, giving back to the community, and it helps us to grow hockey here in Arizona. Plus, having that interaction with the kids who are out there. We do a lot of other things, like hospital visits and helping build playgrounds for kids. I love doing those kinds of things. It’s a nice break from the usual routine, and it’s a good feeling to be able to do something for others in the community.

7Did that feel even better when Amy’s story went viral? Oh, that was so great. The first time I saw the video where she played

the 16th hole with Gary Woodland and parred the hole out of a bunker … that is such a cool thing to see. I really enjoyed meeting her and then seeing her do that, it was pretty awesome, and I’m sure it brought some attention to Special Olympics. She is such an amazing girl, and it really kind of makes you feel good inside to see something like that, the way the whole thing happened. COURTESY ARIZONA COYOTES

8What has your NHL experience been like to this point? It’s crazy because you grow up dreaming about it and working to get better and make it to this point, especially being a smaller guy like I am. I knew I had to work even harder to get Arizona Coyotes MVP Clayton Keller and Coyotes mascot Howler teamed up with Internet sensation Amy Bockerstette at last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open (above). As a kid, Keller (left) got into golf, scoring a hole in one at the tender age of 13.

where I wanted to go and that definitely helped me get where I’m at. The NHL is really a dream come true. You can’t take anything for granted because these players are the best in the world. That’s what I thought it would be and that’s what it is. I just try to learn as much as I can from all the other guys in the locker room who’ve been there and some have won Stanley Cups. It has been a great experience to learn from them.

9Why has this year’s team been so successful and what do you see for the future? We have such a special group. This is the closest group of guys I’ve ever played with. Everyone gets along with each other. We go do dinner, we laugh, we do everything together and no one is out of the mix. We’re so comfortable with each other, and we battle hard on the ice together. I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s what it takes to be a team. It’s the reason we’re having success and the reason why the future looks bright for this team. I think we have something pretty good going. We just need to keep it going. n