Max Novick got a late jump on hockey, starting playing competitively when he was nine or 10 years old.

While he started skating at three or four years old on a pond near his backyard, he originally started with tennis and dabbled in soccer. Then, it turned into hockey all the time.

“It was definitely a later start than most kids,” Novick said. “I started skating when I was young, so it wasn’t that hard of a transition when I joined a team.”

He eventually made his way to the Ontario Junior Hockey League, playing with North York for a few seasons before requesting a trade after he did not get enough playing time in his eyes. Novick found his way to Stouffville, where the Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, native began to flourish under new coaching.

The Spirit’s coaching staff “had more belief” in Novick, he said, and developed into the player that the Laker faithful saw at the Marano Campus Center throughout his three seasons. He played 100 games, recording 75 points as an offensive-minded defenseman in his Stouffville career.

“Oswego was really the only Div. III school that I was considering. I also thought about playing university hockey [in Canada],” Novick said. “But ultimately, when I went for a visit and saw the fans at a game and saw the whole community plus the rink, as well as meeting the coaching staff, I basically made the decision right then and there.”

Oswego State men’s hockey head coach Ed Gosek said Novick’s ceiling was high when he first arrived on campus.

From square one, Novick became an “impact player” Gosek said. Coming in from junior hockey, Gosek added that Novick was a “special talent” between his skating and puck-moving ability.

“Maybe in my heart I have a way of pushing those guys [with special talent] a little more, holding them to a higher standard … It takes a while to see who’s going to have what it takes and who doesn’t,” Gosek said. “But Novick was one hell of an athlete. And he had it.”

Every season that Novick played for the Lakers, he was named to an All-SUNYAC team. His freshmen year, he was third team while taking home first team honors his sophomore and junior seasons. He was also named an AHCA Div. III All-American All-East Third Team in his last two seasons.

Most recently, he was named to the SUNYAC All-Decade Team, the only current player to be named on the team.

He played in 79 games for Oswego State, recording 56 points. He led the team in assists his freshman year and was second in goals for defensemen in the SUNYAC during his sophomore campaign. 

But now that Novick’s career abruptly ended, the personal accolades and stats do not matter.

“I would trade all of [the individual awards] in just for a championship chance with the guys again,” Novick said. “Personal accolades are nice but aren’t as important to me as winning the SUNYAC with the guys and the different memories that could’ve been created.”

Had the 2020-2021 season happened, Novick would have not only been a part of the leadership council, receiving the “A” for his senior year, but he also would have been a part of the team’s strong defensive core between returners and some of the new first-year players.

Novick said it was tough not being able to see how the team would have unfolded this year, mentioning that he thought they “had a real crack at it this year.”

Now, the question is where Novick would have ended up by the end of his senior year. Gosek thinks, barring an injury, “the odds were pretty good” that he could have been the first three-time All-American in the history of the Oswego State program.

“Each year, he was climbing. There would be no reason to think he wouldn’t continue that trend,” Gosek said. “When you get [a player like Novick], very rarely does anybody get worse … I’d say his progress was pretty steady.”

Gosek compared Novick to a couple other Laker greats, including Bobby Gersatkis but said that there were a lot of similarities to Joe Carrabs, who played 118 games for the Lakers before graduating in 2004. 

Novick and Carrabs were similar players as offensive defensemen, with the ability to move the puck out of the defensive zone and consistently be a scoring threat whenever they had the puck in the offensive zone.

After three years in the green and gold, Gosek said it was enjoyable to watch Novick’s progress as a player, athlete and a person.

“Joe was maybe a little more physical than Novi, and Novi maybe had a little bit more of an offensive flair,” Gosek said. “Everyone always says, ‘But geez, how are you going to find another diamond in the rough like that?’ Sometimes guys, like Novick, they’re as good as you thought they would be.”

Looking back on his three years playing for the Lakers, Novick said he “can’t talk highly enough about his experience” at Oswego State. Between playing in front of the sold-out crowds at the campus center, plus helping out at numerous events throughout the community, he said “it was an extremely fun experience.”

Novick said he was also looking forward to embracing the leadership role, something that was “amazing for a short period of time” before COVID-19 placed too many restrictions on the team.

“Everything was really amazing, especially coming from juniors where we didn’t get many fans, to coming to this school where you get anywhere from 2,500 to 3,000 fans a game,” Novick said. “Looking back on it, it was really cool to be a big part of the community. You walk around in the hallways and see different people and realize those are the same people that are watching you play every weekend.”

One of those fans and perhaps the most important in Novick’s eyes was his grandmother, Gail Levine-Novick, who passed away in February. In her obituary, her family described her as “truly one of a kind and lived life to its fullest in her own unique way.”

Fans could hear her cheering over the other thousands of fans every time Novick’s name was called for the starting lineups or whenever he made a strong play.

Not only was she the biggest fan of her grandson, but the entire Oswego State program, as well, with “a whole bunch of sweatshirts and apparel,” Novick said.

“She was a huge part of my life. She was a massive supporter of me and hockey. No matter how bad we played, she was always encouraging, and she knew hockey really well,” Novick said. “If she couldn’t make it to the games, she would always watch online and then text me after … She was an amazing part of my life.”

Novick said his future after graduation is “undetermined.” He added that the original plan was to play professional hockey following college, but after being off the ice for so long since his senior year was canceled, he said he “can’t say for sure yet.”

But if it is not hockey, Novick said he hopes to go into sales or marketing, potentially taking the real estate route down the road.

“I know it’s been frustrating for him,” Gosek said. “I just hope he doesn’t hang the skates up and gives it a shot somewhere next year.”

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The Oswegonian file photo from 2019