Quinnipiac’s Sam Lipkin hasn’t forgotten his Philly hockey roots as he pursues an NCAA title

With a puck on his stick before the age of 3, Philadelphia native Sam Lipkin was born to play hockey. Now, the freshman is one of the top scorers for the Quinnipiac Bobcats, who will be competing in the NCAA men’s hockey Frozen Four this weekend in Tampa, Fla.

“My dad is from Winnipeg, Manitoba, so I was coming from the Canadian bloodline,” Lipkin said recently. “He had a hockey stick in my hands early.”

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Playing for local teams like Team Comcast, the New Jersey Colonials, and the Jr. Flyers, Lipkin began to stand out at an early age. But unlike most elite players, Lipkin elected to play high school hockey instead of jumping to junior hockey right away. To put things into perspective, of 1,857 Division I men’s hockey players this season, 35% of them came directly from the USHL, the top junior league in the country. Less than 2% went from prep school straight to college.

“Education was a big part of my family growing up, and La Salle [College High] provides the best of both worlds,” Lipkin said. “I was exploring my options. There’s no rush. … I think that did a lot for me for my development”

Lipkin, now 20, played for La Salle College High for two seasons, racking up 60 points in 25 games as a sophomore. That 2019 season, Lipkin helped the Explorers win both the Flyers Cup and the AAA state championship.

Fresh off La Salle’s Pennsylvania Cup win, Lipkin took the next step: the USHL. He was drafted in the second round by the Chicago Steel and played four games in 2019-20 before earning a full-time spot the next two seasons. Lipkin would go on to win the 2020-21 Clark Cup with the Steel.

“I wasn’t one of the ‘chosen ones’ growing up,” said Lipkin. “[I had to] pick my own path and what was best for me, focusing on my own development and getting better each day. I think I got rewarded for that.”

Despite Lipkin’s less traditional path, at least one NHL team identified his talent. With the second-to-last pick of the 2021 draft, the Arizona Coyotes chose Lipkin. Following that “dream come true” moment, Steel coach Brock Sheahan rewarded Lipkin by naming him co-captain for the 2021-22 season. Lipkin returned the favor by potting 36 goals that season, the fourth-most in the USHL.

“I had a great opportunity [in Chicago] and that kind of just made my transition to college seamless,” Lipkin said.

Lipkin hasn’t missed a beat this season as a freshman at Quinnipiac. The 6-foot-2 forward was named the ECAC’s rookie of the year, and ranks second on the Bobcats, and tied for 19th nationally, in scoring with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists).

Alongside his college coach, Rand Pecknold, Lipkin also took a detour through Canada midway through the season to play in the World Junior Championships. Donning the red, white, and blue of Team USA for the first time, he picked up a point and a bronze medal. Pecknold called the experience a “moment we’ll take with us the rest of our lives.”

Now, Lipkin and the Bobcats’ sole focus is on winning the school’s first national title. After a dominant 30-4-3 regular season, No. 2 overall seed Quinnipiac tore it up at the Bridgeport Regional two weeks ago. The Bobcats outscored Merrimack and Ohio State by a combined score of 9-1 to advance to the Frozen Four. Lipkin was integral in QU’s success, registering a goal and three assists over the two games.

“I’m excited for Tampa and the future here [with Quinnipiac],” Lipkin said following the regionals.

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Lipkin turned his excitement into postseason heroics Thursday night, scoring the game-winning goal in the third period, and adding an assist, as Quinnipiac upset star-studded Michigan and projected No. overall pick Adam Fantilli, 5-2. The Bobcats advance to face off with No. 1 overall seed Minnesota in the NCAA title game on Saturday (8 p.m., ESPN2).

With a win, Lipkin would add his biggest trophy yet to a rapidly growing personal trophy case that already includes a Pennsylvania state championship and a Clark Cup.

There are only 48 Division I men’s hockey players from Pennsylvania and New Jersey this season. Though that number is dwarfed by the likes of Minnesota (219) and Michigan (162), hockey in Pennsylvania, especially in Philadelphia, is starting to grow. Lipkin believes the city’s hockey reputation has come a long way and should continue to get better. He hopes his individual success this season on the national stage can slowly help change the narrative that Philadelphia doesn’t produce hockey players.

“There’s a lot of good teams, a lot of good options. A good place to play.” Lipkin said. “I think hockey in general in the Philly area has been booming.”