ADAM NAGLICH HAS PLAYED HIS LAST GAME
By Lee Samuels
Las Vegas – Adam Naglich, a star player on every level he played, is retiring. He announced it today saying “…after being injured last season and with our oldest daughter starting school this year I think it’s a good time to settle down in Las Vegas.”
He was the last active player from coach Rob Pallin’s 2001-2002 AA Las Vegas Mustangs midget major team which was the first Las Vegas team to play in the U.S. Nationals. Adam was left wing on the ‘Red Line’ which was centered by mega goal scorer Josh Jasek and with Eddie Samuels on the right side.
Adam, now 31, was a star player with the BCHL Victoria Salsa, a captain in his senior year with University of Fairbanks-Alaska and played professionally with the ECHL Bakersfield Condors, several other teams in Austria and Croatia and then closed out his career last winter with Vienna Capitals in Italy.
It was with Vienna in early winter last season when Adam was checked hard. His back stiffened and there was a shooting pain down a leg. He took time off, tried to return but the pain was very intense and he was sidelined with the first serious injury of his career.
He grew up in Las Vegas as a star teenage roller player and was nicknamed ‘Stick.’ He played for high-powered Larry Sanford-coached travel roller teams. It was Larry who encouraged Adam to play ice hockey, to take the same route as Micah Sanford took to greatness from roller to ice.
“I first played ice hockey at the age of 16,” said Adam.
Rob Pallin put him on the top line with Jasek and Samuels on a club which took a riveting ride to league and regional championships, then to the U.S. Nationals.
“When I look back it was really that we had a great group of guys who were really into the game. They played hard and we had a will to win.”
Adam was the first on the Mustangs to play junior hockey with Victoria in the BCHL. His first junior coach was Pete Zurbersky. Adam was joined by Jasek and Samuels the following season. The three were housed in the same home on Vancouver Island but only played together on a Victoria line one time in a pre-season game.
From Victoria, Adam was a major force on a University of Fairbanks Alaska where he worked on the top line. One of his greatest games was scoring a game-winning goal in a playoff game against Ohio State.
He skated just last week in NARCh Pro roller with Micah Sanford and Nick Robone on a Las Vegas Tour Rebels team in Huntington Beach.
“I had fun playing in NARCh Pro but it was hard after taking so many years off from roller and jumping right into the pro division. I think I did all right but I was a little shaky,” he said.
Adam paused.
“I am going to miss the competitivess of great hockey,” he said. “It was always good being around my teammates.
“It is the little things which makes the game so special.”
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Adam’s daughter’s are Ava, age 5, and Harper 2 1/2
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Adam is taking classes in real estate. He won’t leave the game totally. “You might see me in a men’s league game here in town.” He recently played golf with former Mustangs teammate Mike Sullivan. Adam also chatted with Justin Grossman, another teammate who was rough and played in an enforcer role for the Mustangs. Justin is now a referee here in town.
