Mike Ayers (ice hockey)

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Mike Ayers

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|01|16}}

| birth_place = Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.

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| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 180

| position = Goaltender

| shoots =

| catches = Left

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| played_for = Grand Rapids Griffins
Dayton Bombers
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
Syracuse Crunch
Norfolk Admirals
Pensacola Ice Pilots
SønderjyskE Ishockey
Leksands IF
Charlotte Checkers

| ntl_team =

| career_start = 2000

| career_end = 2008

| draft = 177th overall

| draft_year = 2000

| draft_team = Chicago Blackhawks

| module =

{{Infobox college coach|embed=yes

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| current_title = Associate head coach

| current_team = Boston College

| current_conference = Hockey East

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| alma_mater = University of New Hampshire

| coach_years1 = 2008–2009

| coach_team1 = Iowa Chops (goaltending)

| coach_years2 = 2009–2011

| coach_team2 = St. Cloud State (goaltending)

| coach_years3 = 2011–2013

| coach_team3 = USA U-18 (goaltending)

| coach_years4 = 2013–2020

| coach_team4 = Boston College (assistant)

| coach_years5 = 2020–Present

| coach_team5 = Boston College (associate)

| overall_record =

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Michael Ayers (born January 16, 1980) is an American ice hockey coach and former goaltender who was an All-American for New Hampshire.

Career

After graduating from Thayer Academy in 1998, Ayers spent another year playing prep school hockey before ending his junior career with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Despite playing for the worst team in the USHL that season, Ayers was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks after the year.{{cite news|title= Chicago Blackhawks Draft Picks |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/CHI/draft.html |work=Hockey Reference |accessdate=November 29, 2021}} That fall, he began attending the University of New Hampshire and served as the team's third goaltender as a freshman. After Ty Conklin left in 2001, Ayers split time in goal with senior Matt Carney and helped the team finish atop the Hockey East standings. The two goalies were platooned through the Hockey East Tournament with Ayers in net for the Wildcats championship game victory.{{cite news|title=New Hampshire 3, Maine 1|url=http://www.uscho.com/box/mens-hockey/2002/03/16/maine-vs-new-hampshire/|publisher=USCHO.com|date=2002-03-16|accessdate=2013-06-12}} UNH got the top overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and Ayers got in goal for the team's semifinal match. Unfortunately, the team was outplayed by conference rival Maine and Ayers allowed 7 goals on 40 shots.{{cite news|title=Maine Hockey vs UNH 2002 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw4UVra5hdc |work=YouTube |date=November 10, 2008 |accessdate=November 29, 2021 }}

For his junior season, Ayers took over as the primary netminder and produced his best season yet. He set program records for wins, save percentage and shutouts, leading the team to a second consecutive conference title. Ayers backstopped the Wildcats to a conference championship and the team earned the third overall seed. In his second postseason run, Ayers was a clutch player for UNH, allowing 4 goals through three games, and led the program to only its second championship game. Facing down defending champion Minnesota, Ayers turned aside 29 of 30 shots through 40 minutes and had the Wildcats tied with the Gophers. However, the wheels came off in the third. Ayers surrendered three goals in a just over five minute span and New Hampshire lost the game 1–5. Ayers did return for his senior season, but both he and the team declined. While he finished with respectable numbers, they weren't enough to get him back onto the All-American team. New Hampshire did receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season, but the team lost its opening match. While the ending was disappointing, Ayers did finish as the program's all-time wins leader (since broken).

After graduating with a degree in kinesiology, Ayers began playing professionally. He spent most of his first season in the ECHL and slowly worked his way up into the AHL. His numbers slid in his third season and he only saw limited minutes before finishing the season in Europe. He returned to the ECHL for one final season before ending his playing career in 2008.

Ayers began his second career after a short time off, becoming the goaltending coach for the Iowa Chops mid-season. He stayed with the team until the end of the year while pulling double-duty as a goaltending director for FHIT, a youth hockey organization in Minnesota. After leaving the Chops, Ayers founded his own goaltending academy, MVP Goaltending. He operated the business for just over two years. In the fall of 2009, he returned to the college ranks as an assistant for St. Cloud State. He attempted to hold three positions simultaneously, but left FHIT in November to focus on the newer positions. He remained an assistant coach and ran his goalie clinic until August 2011 when he joined USA Hockey full time as a goaltending coach. Among other duties, he served as an assistant on the US U-18 teams at the world championships in 2012 and 2013, winning a gold and silver medal respectively.{{cite news|title=Mike Ayers |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ayers-5034325 |work=Linked In |accessdate=November 29, 2021 }}

In 2013, he was lured back to college hockey, this time as an assistant for Boston College under Jerry York.{{cite news|title=BC Hockey Names Mike Ayers New Assistant Hockey Coach |url=https://www.bcinterruption.com/boston-college-hockey-2013-14-season/2013/5/30/4378342/bc-hockey-names-mike-ayers-new-assistant-hockey-coach |work=SB Nation |date=May 30, 2013 |accessdate=November 29, 2021 }} Since then, he's helped develop two NHL goaltenders, Thatcher Demko and Spencer Knight. Prior to the 2020 season, Ayers was promoted to Associate Head coach, a position he continues to hold as of 2021.{{cite news|title=Mike Ayers |url=https://bceagles.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster/coaches/mike-ayers/2020 |work=Boston College Eagles |accessdate=November 29, 2021 }}

Statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:80em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="9" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="8" \| Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season !! Team !! League ! GP !! W !! L !! T !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% ! GP !! W !! L !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV%
1997–98 \| Thayer Academy \| US-Prep \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 1998–99 \| Trinity-Pawling School \| US-Prep \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1999–00 \| Dubuque Fighting Saints \| USHL \| 55	16	35	3	3188	196	0	3.69	.904 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2000–01 \| New Hampshire \| Hockey East \| 5	0	0	0	26	2	0	4.68	.875 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2001–02 \| New Hampshire \| Hockey East \| 20	14	3	1	1129	46	0	2.44	.915 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2002–03 \| New Hampshire \| Hockey East \| 41	27	8	6	2499	91	7	2.18	.926 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2003–04 \| New Hampshire \| Hockey East \| 36	17	14	5	2101	100	5	2.86	.899 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2004–05 \| Dayton Bombers \| ECHL \| 51	15	28	6	2937	142	0	2.90	.913 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05 \| Grand Rapids Griffins \| AHL \| 1	0	0	0	19	2	0	6.02	.750 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2004–05 \| Cincinnati Mighty Ducks \| AHL \| 2	1	0	1	3	0	0	1.45	.952 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2005–06 \| Dayton Bombers \| ECHL \| 25	8	14	2	1434	82	0	3.43	.894 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2005–06 \| Syracuse Crunch \| AHL \| 23	12	8	1	1239	55	3	2.66	.919 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2006–07 \| Norfolk Admirals \| AHL \| 2	0	0	0	31	2	0	3.86	.913 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2006–07 \| Pensacola Ice Pilots \| ECHL \| 9	2	6	1	483	32	0	3.98	.892 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2006–07 \| SønderjyskE Ishockey \| Oddset Ligaen \| 14	—	—	—	—	—	—	2.98	.901 \| 13	—	—	—	—	—	2.10	.928
bgcolor="f0f0f0" \| 2007–08 \| Leksands IF \| Allsvenskan \| 13	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08 \| Charlotte Checkers \| ECHL \| 21	10	8	1	1137	64	1	3.38	.896 \| —	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NCAA totals ! 102 !! 58 !! 25 !! 12 !! 5,755 !! 239 !! 12 !! 2.49	.914 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! —
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| ECHL totals ! 106 !! 35 !! 56 !! 10 !! 5,991 !! 320 !! 1 !! 3.20	.903 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! —
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| AHL totals ! 28 !! 13 !! 8 !! 2 !! 1,413 !! 62 !! 3 !! 2.63	.919 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! — !! —

Awards and honors

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

All-Hockey East Second Team

| 2001–02

| {{cite news|title=Hockey East All-Teams|url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/hea_all.html|publisher=College Hockey Historical Archives|access-date=May 14, 2013}}

All-Hockey East First Team

| 2002–03

| {{cite news|title=Hockey East All-Teams|url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/hea_all.html|publisher=College Hockey Historical Archives|access-date=May 14, 2013}}

AHCA East Second-Team All-American

| 2002–03

| {{cite news|title=Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2013/MIH%20awards%20for%202013.pdf|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=June 11, 2013}}