Despite being so far from home, the Engineers’ right wing still considers his father to be his biggest influence. Croxton has always looked up to his father, a former hockey player himself. Today, miles from home, he can still go to him for advice beyond just hockey.

Both parents handed Croxton a hockey stick when he was five years old and he began playing around the house. Eventually, the inevitable occurred and he was enrolled in minors.

In the same way that soccer consumes the lives of mini-van driving moms and dads in the U.S., a large percentage of Canadian youngsters are enrolled in minor league hockey programs. “We moved around a lot as a kid, so it was a good way to meet people,” Croxton explained.

After playing for so many years, Croxton still feels sort of “excited-nervous” before the Engineers play.

“I try to think about what I should do out there and visualize certain situations,” Croxton said. And, of course, he tries to relax.

On the ice, he looks up to the likes of Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. “These were the guys we watched when growing up. They dominated the game.”

Like his idols, Croxton hopes to play professionally one day. But if not, the sophomore management major wants to own his own business—a restaurant in a small town.

Beyond hockey affecting his decision to attend RPI, he considers RPI to have a well-regarded management program. The team has academic advisors, required study halls, and other measures to ensure the academic performance of the team. With things like attendance checks ensuring that Croxton attends his 8 am classes, he says it’s hard not to do well.