Markell developed as hockey player under father's eye

Ryan Markell's father, John, played in the NHL and coaches Ohio State.
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
BOARDMAN -- Ryan Markell has traveled far and often while growing up, all because of hockey.
Until recently, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms' forward still was traveling, but he hasn't stopped growing.
Through it all, Markell has lived in three countries, though he never has had to look or go far to find his first and greatest influence in the sport: his father.
At age 6, Markell was introduced to hockey in Germany by his dad, John. After spending four years in the National Hockey League, John continued his hockey career in Germany in 1985.
When he retired as a player in 1993, he and his family returned to America, where he became an assistant coach at Ohio State.
Ryan wasn't sold exclusively on hockey until he tried other sports when he was young. Football and basketball came and went, and then he stuck to two.
"I tried a lot of [sports], but I stuck to soccer and hockey and played them at the same time. Before high school, I stopped playing soccer to focus on hockey," he said.
But the pressure to follow his dad's footsteps and play hockey was never present.
"It was really easy for me because I just wanted to play," Ryan said. "Once I got introduced to it, I really liked it. I could've stopped playing, but now I really love the game. I probably never would have played if he didn't."
Dad is longtime OSU coach
John has been the Buckeyes' head coach for 12 years. Entering this season, he has a record of 200-173-32, and is coming off a career-best 27-11-4 mark last season and a second-place regular season finish in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA).
In 1998, he took the Buckeyes to the Frozen Four and has appeared in the NCAA tournament five times in the last eight seasons. Currently, the Buckeyes are 10-7-3, 6-5-1 in the CCHA, and ranked 19th nationally.
Despite having a strong pedigree in his sport, Ryan didn't expect a handout from the Phantoms. Having a dad as a former NHL player and current NCAA Division I coach is a greater gift.
"He tells me everything I need to work on," he said. "He tells me the truth after games. He doesn't sugarcoat it. He tells it to me, straight, how it is."
"Who could be a better of judge of his talent?" said John. "For Ryan, hearing from your father wasn't always easy. But as he continued to play, he grew and matured. He started understanding what he needed to do and he enjoyed it. He was always good enough to play."
Has developed
John is proud of his son's development. He also feels that Ryan could be further ahead, skill-wise, were it not for a few things.
"It wasn't always best for him," he said. "At times, we moved, or it was the competition, or it was the coaching. But he's always earned a spot on merit."
Ryan made the jump from junior 'B' to junior 'A' earlier this year when he joined Cornwall of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). Growing up in Cornwall as a child, John knew that it would be a long haul to see his son play. But there's more as to why Ryan ended up in Boardman.
"[Head coach] Bob [Mainhard] runs a better ship," he said. "The players here are more accountable, they're well-mannered and they're well taken care of."
On the ice, Ryan's skating ability and dedication are a perfect fit with the Phantoms and he easily recognizes what it took for him to make it here and what it will take for him to make it to the collegiate level.
Objective
"I want to work more on my lower body strength and getting stronger shots," he said. "Defensively, I want to play better; especially getting the puck out of our zone."
"Ryan obviously comes from a great hockey family and background," Mainhardt said. "He quietly goes about his business, he works hard and earns every second he gets on the ice. He doesn't expect anything to come easy. That's why he having some pretty nice success and fitting in well so far."
In just three seasons, the Phantoms have developed a rich connection of family ties with the NHL and the NCAA. Former Phantoms goaltender Tyler Sims is the son of former NHL player and coach Al Sims. Kyle Laughlin's father, Craig, was a 12-year NHL veteran. Both Tyler and Kyle are now teammates at Providence College, ranked 17th in the country.