Joey Muldowney, Nichols Prep chasing New York State Championship

Nichols '04 forward Joey Muldowney (Lakeview, N.Y.) is a University of Connecticut commit. (Photo by NH Sports Photography)

Timing is everything.

Just ask Nichols School senior Joey Muldowney, an ’04 forward from Lakeview, N.Y.

A product of the Buffalo Regals and Junior Sabres organizations, Muldowney made Des Moines’ 30-man roster out of camp this past summer and was invited to play in the USHL. But he opted to wait. He wanted to make sure he was ready before taking the next step.

Instead of potentially jumping the gun and going off to start his junior hockey career too soon, he chose to do what he felt was best.

For him, that meant staying in western New York, enrolling in prep school and playing his senior season at Nichols.

“I just felt like I needed another year to develop so that when I got out there I could make sure I was ready to be the best player I could be,” Muldowney said in a recent interview with New York Hockey Journal.

With a challenging schedule, guaranteed minutes and three years of eligibility still left on the table in juniors, Nichols became the clear choice for more reasons than one.

“I thought staying home and graduating high school would be the most beneficial for me,” Muldowney said.

“I also played with a lot of the kids at Nichols on the Regals, including (fellow Lakeview native) Brock Jones. Me and him have been playing together since we were 6, 7 years old, so that played a big part in it, too.”

Since arriving at the Buffalo prep school, the first-year draft-eligible prospect has landed a Division 1 commitment and is flourishing in his senior year. Through 48 games, he leads the Vikings in scoring with 86 points on a whopping 51 goals.

“He’s been awesome,” said Nichols head coach Michael Benedict, a former college player at Niagara and NAHL assistant from Eden, N.Y.

“Even when he first got here, he was one of the guys that kind of pushed the pace in practice. He was always one of the first ones on the ice, one of the last ones off.”

Although he’s technically a newcomer to the program, Muldowney’s impact has been that of a veteran, Benedict said.

“The success that he’s having, a lot of it has to do with his hard work. He’s a very skilled player, an energetic player and a guy that I count on in all areas of the game. Five on five, penalty kill, power play, late in periods … he sees a lot of ice time.”

Prior to Nichols, Muldowney first had to maneuver some unique circumstances to get to where he is today.

After playing the 2019-20 season with the Regals 16-U, he was not selected in his birth year’s USHL Futures Draft. Instead, he was picked by Owen Sound as a prospect for the Ontario Hockey League.

“At first, I had no interest from USHL teams or any colleges, so I was really invested in the OHL,” Muldowney, 17, said. “But I wanted to keep my options open, so I started reaching out to some teams.”

Turns out, a number of USHL organizations were interested in his game. They just thought he was destined for the OHL. Before long, Muldowney was off to Omaha, Neb., to participate in a workout with the Lancers.

Although he didn’t end up with Omaha in the Tier 1 league’s entry draft the following summer, the push to market himself paid off when he was selected by Des Moines in the fourth round at No. 51 overall.

“It was nice to be able to go to Omaha and get myself out there and see what the USHL was all about,” Muldowney said. “And I’m glad I did since it’s kind of led me where I am now.”

With his development leaning toward a college hockey future, he began to set up the next step of his journey.

Playing in summer tournaments with Roc City Elite, he caught the eyes of scouts — of which there were many following the previous season that allowed for limited in-person viewings as a result of COVID-19.

The University of Connecticut was one of the schools that showed interest.

After talking it over with the coaching staff, Muldowney made it official, announcing his commitment to the Huskies on Nov. 8, 2021, with his tentative arrival set for 2023-24.

“I was very interested in Hockey East. I just think it fits my style of play the best, and I really wanted to go to a bigger school,” Muldowney said. “I was very excited when I saw that they’re building a new rink on campus. That was big for me, too.

“I just wanted to make sure I made the right decision, and I feel like I’ve done that.”

With the commitment, Muldowney became the first member of Nichols’ prep team to secure a D-1 offer.

“He called me Halloween weekend, I think it was, and he said, ‘Hey, Coach, I’m going to commit to UConn,’ ” Benedict recalled. “And I said, ‘That’s awesome. Now the real work starts.’ It’s great to get that under your belt, but now you’ve got to prove the naysayers wrong, and he’s done that two-fold.”

Playing on Nichols’ top line with his longtime friend Jones and Sam Christiano (East Amherst, N.Y.), the chemistry has been off the charts.

“We lost a senior, Colby Ameche (Orchard Park, N.Y.), who went to the NAHL after he graduated,” Benedict said. “And when Joey came in, he pretty much solidified our top line. I haven’t had a top-line this dominant even going back to coaching junior hockey.

All three of their stat lines just jump off the page.”

While Muldowney leads the way in two-thirds of the team’s major offensive categories, Christiano holds the team lead in assists (47) and owns 68 points of his own. Through 47 games, Jones boasts 50 points on 32 assists.

“I like to think that I’m good at finishing,” Muldowney said. “Sam does a really good job of feeding me. Him and Brock, they get into dirty areas, and I think I just do a good job of finishing when I get chances.”

With the regular season winding down, Nichols sits at 25-17-4 with its sights set on the New York State Tournament in March.

While playing in the USHL this season would have been nice, that option will be there next year, Muldowney said. He and the Vikings have some business to take care of first.

“I’ve actually never won a state championship and I know a lot of the guys on this team haven’t, so winning that title and going to nationals would be an unforgettable experience,” Muldowney said.

“Especially in our last year of youth hockey, I just think that would be great for us and a big step forward for the program.”

Editor’s note: This article appears in the January/February print edition of New York Hockey Journal.