Skater from Illinois picks hockey over dad’s sport of football

Jayson Megna came late to hockey. At least later than most of his Cedar Rapids RoughRiders teammates. “I think it was a birthday party when I was like 7 or 8,” the Riders winger said. “We were all skating around the rink, and I decided I liked it.” One skate was all it took. Megna picked up a hockey stick and hit the ice more and more. He was hooked. No football for this kid. Sorry about that, dad. Jay Megna played two years in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, but his oldest son was all about hockey. Jayson Megna has 10 goals and 14 assists in his first junior season and has been a regular on the Riders' power play. There is some serious skill there. “Ever since I was growing up, stick handling has been my strength,” said Megna, of Northbrook, Ill. “I was always a smaller kid, and stick handling was one way to get by the bigger guys.” Megna made the RoughRiders as a “free agent,” showing well at the tryout camp last spring. He played two years at Tabor Academy prep school in Massachusetts. One of the oldest RoughRiders at 20, he still has one season of USHL eligibility, which he plans to use unless a late college offer he likes comes along. “I knew coming into this league that it would be difficult,” Megna said. “This is where the men play. I'm not disappointed with my season, but, honestly, I was expecting more.” RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson said there will be more eventually. “I mean this in a good way, but I think Jayson has found out how difficult this league is,” Carlson said. “This league is the hardest league in the world to get points in. Sometimes it takes an adjustment period for guys when they are used to getting points every night. “If he gets a step faster, stronger, I think he can follow the path of a number of guys that we've had. Guys that have doubled their points. To name guys on this team, I think Jayson could have a (Jeff) Costello or (Zach) Lehrke type of year.”