Not every professional athlete is gifted with great skill.  Many athletes climb their way through the ranks through rigorous training and hard work.  For Cody Lampl, rolling up his sleeves and working hard is just part of who he is.  Having played over 230 professional games, primarily spent in the ECHL, Lampl has found a new lease on his career with the American Hockey League’s St.Johns Ice Caps.  “I knew I was kind of on St. John’s radar, and was really excited about the opportunity to be invited to their training camp.  I just worked extremely hard.  I’ve never been a goal-scorer or a point guy.  What I’ve always brought is compete level every shift I’m on the ice.  It ended up being a good fit.  I feel like my career is just starting,” said an enthused Lampl.

Plagued by injury during his first few pro seasons, the Ketchum, Idaho native is thankful that the PHPA was able to help.  “My first year of pro I didn’t really have an understanding of what the PHPA was all about, but was fortunate to play with guys who were on their Executive board who helped explain it to me.  The PHPA was very beneficial to me early in my career.”

Lampl is now making up for lost time after winning over the Toledo Walleye fans during the 2012-13 season.  During a strong ECHL season where the workhorse defenseman tallied 15 points and was a team-best +20, Lampl was rewarded with a call-up to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.  For Lampl it was another step closer to a dream that is on every young hockey player’s mind; the NHL.  “Always in the back of my mind is the goal of playing in the NHL.  I’ve never been the one with the best skills but I am working on those every day.  For me it is just staying healthy and making sure that on every shift I’m a hard guy to play against.  When other guys look over the boards and see that I’m on the ice, that they know they might get run into or it’s going to be a hard shift – that’s my goal, and I will see where it takes me.”

Lampl’s hard, competitive level of play during the Ice Caps training camp earned him a Professional Tryout (PTO) contract with the team.  “I was fortunate enough to get a PTO for 25 games and I’m on my second one now.”

The transition to life in a new city is an element of the professional hockey lifestyle that faces all players, something that Lampl believes is more stressful for the players’ families.  “The biggest thing is the effect on my wife.  She always has to adjust.  It’s pretty easy for me because right when I get there I always have 20 to 25 friends right off the bat.  She is sometimes alone and there are only a few girlfriends or wives in certain places.  Actually being on a PTO, she wasn’t with me to start the year which was tough.  At the same time the organization was fantastic.  “They flew her up to see me, and I can see her on the road, which has made things a lot easier.”

The 27-year old D-man has faced several challenges throughout his career.  While injuries hindered a climb through the professional hockey ranks early on, recent success has followed Lampl, who has developed a growing side business; Lampl’s Hockey Garage (www.facebook.com/LamplHockeyGarage).

“In Sun Valley or even in the whole state of Idaho there is really no one who teaches skill development for hockey players.  So I decided to remodel the garage and create a place to shoot pucks, stick handle, work on agility, as well as balance and coordination for hockey players and young athletes.  It really took off so we ended up moving into our own space.  That was always my goal – for kids to have a place where they can stickhandle and shoot pucks given that ice time is so expensive.”  

Starting young is a key focus for Lampl, who attended Colorado College playing for the Tigers, appearing in three NCAA tournaments and winning a conference championship.  Lampl’s time at College helped him prepare both physically and mentally for a professional hockey career.  “The reason why I went to school for the most part was because I knew I needed some extra time to mature physically and mentally.  When I was there though, I never really was thinking that college was a stepping-stone to pro.  I was living in the moment, the college lifestyle, challenging myself every day.”  With a shorter schedule and more practice time, Lampl admits college offers a prime environment for development.  “I had to practice as a 19-year old with 24 and 25 year olds. Especially as a freshman practicing with guys that were Hobey Baker finalists and had won it. Those guys were a lot stronger than I was, and having to compete with those guys every day in practice is what helped me in terms of being a pro.  That kind of formed the way I play and taught me that you can’t take any days off.”

With the end of the college hockey season in 2008-09, Lampl’s focus was on his history major rather than playing hockey, until a turn of events resulting from an ECHL line-brawl changed things.  “I wasn’t going to play after my season was over and just focus on the rest of my academic career.  There happened to be a big line brawl between the Alaska Aces and Las Vegas Wranglers, leaving Las Vegas short on players.  We actually had two college teammates on Las Vegas.  They called me up and said ‘Lamps we need you down here right now’.  That was my first weekend of pro.  It kind of threw me right in there, gave me a taste of it and I realized that I could play at that level.  I initially had no intention of playing in Vegas but it was a great opportunity.”

This kickstarted Lampl’s time in the ECHL, which saw him play two seasons in his home state of Idaho with the Steelheads.  “It was a great experience and I had one of the best coaches in Derek Laxdal.  He was kind of a captain/coach.  He really taught us to put in the work and he led by example.  We had a great team, went all the way to the finals, and it was a great experience for me being able to play with some of the guys I did who taught me a lot every day.”

Off the ice, Lampl has been very involved in the PHPA serving as a Player Representative as well as an elected member of the PHPA Executive Committee, an involvement which he is glad brings benefits to fellow players.  “I was fortunate to be on the Executive when we were going through a CBA negotiation with the ECHL.  I think that was probably the most exciting part as I knew I was having input towards decisions that would impact the League for the next five years. It was a great honor to be a part of that and we got some things done in terms of benefits for the players that had never been done before, and I think guys who are playing in the league really appreciate it.”

Over the course of a professional hockey career that has seen Lampl play 331 games over 6 seasons, there is always just a bit of room to relax.  The PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives during the off-season provides a chance for Lampl to wind down and relax while also discussing issues and remedies for hockey players.  “We aren’t a big vacation family, so to go down to Florida and to be with the families and players off the ice who share the same passion to better serve the players is fantastic.”

While some players are more reserved at the meetings, Lampl enjoyed the 2013 meetings where he displayed his well-renowned karaoke skills.  “My passion for karaoke has always been there, and when people started to go up and get rocking, I could say it was the highlight of my trip.” As for songs, Lampl likes to stick with the classic karaoke hits, “I think anything by the Blue Brothers; Soul Man or Shout is always a fun one. Anything that doesn’t get too high pitched I like to do.”

With a rejuvenated career and successful business, look for Cody Lampl to be a rock star on the defensive line of the St.John’s Ice Caps in the second half of the AHL season!