Young hockey star is Europe-boundJoey Diamond is picked for U.S.A. Under-17 team

Ask anyone who has seen him play, and they'll agree that about sums up Diamond. Joe Brand, who coaches the state champion hockey team at Long Beach High School called him the best he's ever seen at that age. Fellow hockey players shake their heads when describing Diamond. His father, Mike, a cop in New York City, describes him in the choppy, cautious language used by fathers who are trying not to gloat too obviously. To be safe, he'll occasionally change the subject and dote on his other children as well.
Getting to the select team is not unlike getting into a select university. "There were 200 kids who applied for the New York state team, and they only took 20, and he was one of them," said Mike Diamond. "Then there were 240 kids from across the country for a team of 20 with 17 slots already filled, so of the 240, they were really only looking for three. We went up to Rochester for a six-day tournament, and he made the cut."
As a sophomore, Diamond was part of the Long Beach High team that stunned the state last March by knocking off a team from outside Buffalo to win the New York title. "Make no mistake about it, that state championship doesn't happen without Joey," said Brand. "I'll be the first one to say it, and I don't think anyone will argue about it. He's that special a talent. Every team we played against had to alter their game plan because of him, and nothing they did stopped him."
Even those unfamiliar with the sport can recognize Brand's enthusiasm when describing his young player. "He can score from anywhere," Brand said. "He can stick-handle through guys' skate laces."
Diamond and his new USA Hockey teammates leave Sunday for Europe. On Aug. 14 they will play the Czech republic, followed by matchups against Slovakia on Aug. 16, Switzerland on Aug. 17 and Germany on Aug. 18. After the tourney, they'll bus down to Italy for an exhibition.
Diamond said he was excited to play in Europe, but explained that it's a somewhat different game than he's used to. "It's a lot faster game over there," he said. "And a lot more hitting."
At 5-feet-7, Diamond doesn't tower over anybody, and Brand acknowledged that size matters in hockey, especially at this level. But Brand said he has never known Diamond to be afraid of anybody, on or off the ice, and Diamond said he suspects he isn't done growing.
All this success may be Brand's undoing, because if the European trip works out, Diamond might win an invitation to be a full-time junior hockey player and move out to Port Huron, Mich., where he'd be enrolled in the U.S. National Team Development Program. There he'd stay with a local family, and study and skate with the nation's best. The City by the Sea's loss would be the Great Lake State's gain.
"What he's got now is the best possible scenario for a kid his age," Brand said. The coach said he laid it out to the young man in a conversation last month that this could be one of those life-defining opportunities that simply mustn't be missed. "The bulk of the conversation was, 'Go,'" Brand said. "They help you with your schoolwork, they help you with your hockey and you're going to play against the most talented people under the best possible coaching. Right now he couldn't be in a better situation."
Diamond's father described him as a fearless kid who has felt comfortable on skates since he was 2. He started playing for Apple Core - the local amateur hockey association - at age 5, and still skates for them. And, for the record, his father rightly points out that he comes from a family of accomplished siblings. Joey's older brother, Michael Jr., was a state champion wrestler at Chaminade, his father said. Joey's sister Antoinette is studying at Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, N.C., on a lacrosse scholarship. His sister Jeana is a Long Beach lifeguard, and his kid sister Cassandra plays lacrosse at Long Beach High.
Coming from such athletic stock, it's no surprise that Joey displays the attributes of a natural athlete. What is a bit of a surprise is that Long Beach can produce so many good hockey players. The city has an ice rink, which most communities don't have, but the sport's appeal is limited nationwide.
Brand suggested that the nature of the game, hard-hitting and full of daredevilry, helps attract good athletes, but just as important is the city's hockey heritage. In the 1970s and into the '80s, the Rangers practiced here, and many members of the club lived here during the season. Men like Brand and Mike Diamond remember those days, and the effects linger.
"I grew up here with the Rangers here," Brand said. "I played hockey with their sons. It's always been a town that enjoyed the sport. It's always been a blue-collar town, and hockey is a blue-collar sport."
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.