Becoming a Playmaker
Five Questions with Owen Baker · October 25, 2026
Owen Baker, Michigan Tech
What do you do when you’re putting in the work but your name isn’t in the lineup?
For Owen Baker, learning to handle that uncertainty has been one of hockey’s toughest lessons.
A forward at Michigan Tech, Owen played junior hockey with the Waterloo Black Hawks before beginning his college career at Michigan State and later joining the Huskies. He’s also the co-host of The Locker Room Life podcast (Apple Podcasts | Spotify).
In this edition of Becoming a Playmaker, he shares what helped him reach NCAA hockey, the overlooked skill he takes seriously, and how one bad shift can become a bigger problem.
His answers offer a reminder for anyone chasing the next level: the details matter—and so does how consistently you bring them.
Watch Owen: a spinning backhand pass after chasing down a loose puck.
1. Stay Ready When You’re Not in the Lineup
What was the biggest jump in your career, and what were you never prepared for?
Learning how to handle adversity, especially when you’re not in the lineup. How to deal with that while staying focused and being prepared for the next opportunity.
The takeaway: Being out of the lineup is frustrating. The challenge is keeping that frustration from changing how you prepare. Ask your coach what needs to improve, give those details your attention in practice, and keep yourself ready for the opportunity you want.
2. Make Consistency Part of Your Game
What actually separated you from players with the same talent who didn’t make it?
Work ethic and being consistent every time I stepped on the ice. Especially the little details that help you get into the lineup.
The takeaway: Your best shift shows what you’re capable of. Your everyday habits show a coach what they can count on. Battle for loose pucks, identify your defensive assignment, execute your team’s system, and handle pucks along the wall. Bring those details consistently, including on nights when the offense isn’t coming.
3. Get Better Along the Wall
What’s one detail you worked on obsessively that most players at lower levels overlook?
Wall play! It’s so crucial to be able to have clean breakouts or pick up rims.
The takeaway: A puck coming around the boards is an opportunity to help your team exit the zone—or spend another shift defending. Give those touches deliberate practice. Scan before the puck arrives, get your feet into position, and work on controlling rims from both directions so you can make the next play.
4. Don’t Let One Bad Shift Become Three
Once you’d earned your spot, what makes a player lose it?
Getting comfortable, or letting a bad shift or game spiral into a chain.
The takeaway: Earning a spot doesn’t end the work. And when a shift goes badly, carrying it into the next one can compound the problem. Identify the correction, reset, and give your attention to your next assignment.
5. Understand How Small the Margins Become
What would surprise a serious young player most about your level of hockey?
How incredibly small the margin for error is in games. One mistake can easily decide a game. The lifestyle is amazing, but also a grind. Once you move away from home, whether that’s juniors or college, it’s a grind. You have to use your time and resources wisely.
The takeaway: Moving up brings more responsibility, including how you manage life away from the rink. Build routines around school, meals, sleep, and preparation. Use the support available to you so you can arrive ready to compete.
🎯 The Playmaker Lesson
There’s a connection between Owen’s answers: consistency matters most when it gets difficult. When you’re out of the lineup. When you’ve just made a mistake. When you’re practicing a detail that doesn’t get much attention.
Wall play captures that lesson well. A clean pickup might not make a highlight reel, but it can help your team break out, preserve possession, and spend less time defending. Those are contributions worth getting good at.
This week: Ask your coach for one adjustment to your wall play. Work on it deliberately in practice, then review how you handled those touches in your next game.
One more from Owen: a rebound goal vs. St. Thomas.
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