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Coaches' Corner: Salem N.H.'s Mark McGinn

Thursday, December, 20 By Alan Siegel
Staff writer

Salem High hockey coach Mark McGinn wishes he had a tournament like this to play in as a kid.

The annual Blue Devil Classic features some of the region's top teams, including Oyster River and Pinkerton Academy. The event, which begins Dec. 26, will be held at the ICenter in Salem.

We caught up with McGinn, who played college hockey at the University of New Hampshire, this week.

1. You grew up in Long Island. Where did you go to high school?
"Culver Military Academy (in Indiana). The school isn't really in a (hockey) league out there. We played prep schools and junior teams. That's kind of their forte. They've had a pretty good program for over 20 years. … We did once play in a tournament in Milton, Mass. It was great for me. My family could actually see me play."

2. What was military school like for you?
"You definitely get used to it. People have the wrong idea of military schools. If you did your stuff, there was no issue. It wasn't gung-ho military where you were expected to go to a military academy (afterward). It was education, hockey, and discipline thrown in too."

3. Did you play a lot of pond hockey as a kid?
"They didn't freeze as much as they do here. You guys have more ponds and lakes."

4. Were you a big Islanders fan growing up?
"From 1979-83, the Islanders won four (Stanley Cups) in a row. My mom worked indirectly for the Islanders, but I never took to them. My family was pretty divided (between the Islanders and the Rangers). (McGinn is a Rangers fan).

5. Is it nice to see a local kid like Derry's Paul Thompson playing so well at UNH?
"It's awesome. There's always the knock that our state doesn't have a lot of great hockey players. They are here. A kid like him brings it to light. A lot of them eventually go to prep school or play juniors. When you're next to Massachusetts, it's so big, there's so many kids that play, I think we get overlooked sometimes."

6. So what's gotten into the Bruins lately?
"I'll tell you what. I'm surprised what they're doing with (Patrice) Bergeron out. They just seem to be playing hard as a team."

7. What's it going to take to get more fans interested again?
"This area's definitely a hockey area. I think you need to win consistently. I think people are waiting for that to happen."