On any given day, Forest Lake’s varsity hockey team looks like a well-oiled machine. What’s not so typical, however, is that their leading scorer is still in middle school.

Maverick McKinnon, just 14 years old, is making waves on the ice as an 8th grader playing for the Forest Lake Rangers varsity team. Despite being younger than his teammates, McKinnon is already a top scorer and is quickly making a name for himself in Class 2-A hockey.

***Click the video box above to watch the feature story on McKinnon done by Alec Ausmus***

Head coach Jay Ekman says McKinnon has shown remarkable poise in the spotlight.

“The lights just don’t seem too bright for him,” said Ekman, who has been coaching hockey for over a decade.

McKinnon, who’s been playing against older competition for years, has never shied away from the challenge.

“Right when I got on the ice, I just knew that I could play out there,” McKinnon said, recalling his first moments on the rink with his varsity teammates.

While his classmates are focused on their middle school studies, McKinnon is balancing school with his role on a competitive varsity hockey team. During the day, while his teammates are in high school, Maverick is on a middle school schedule.

“At the end of the day, I just have my dad come pick me up and bring me back over here and I just feel like one of the boys out there,” McKinnon said.

McKinnon’s talent became apparent early in the season. In their first game of the year against section rivals Grand Rapids, McKinnon scored a crucial goal to tie the game, an early sign that he was no ordinary 8th grader.

“My first eye-opening moment was probably Grand Rapids, our first game of the year,” said Ekman. “We were playing up at IRA, a classic arena against Grand Rapids, and he scored a big goal to tie the game. I was like, wow, this kid isn’t fazed by anything.”

This goal was just the beginning for McKinnon, who is now one of the top-25 point scorers in the state this season for Class 2-A. Notably, McKinnon is the only 8th grader on that list, and there isn’t even a freshman to be found in the top 25.

“I’ve always gone through playing with older kids and I’ve done pretty well out there,” McKinnon said. “When I came out here and started playing with highly skilled players, I was doing well.”

McKinnon’s success on the ice is a testament to his maturity and skill. Though his age may suggest he’s still learning, his game is already well beyond his years.

“I think the biggest question I get asked is, ‘Is he really only 14?'” Ekman said.

As McKinnon continues to grow both on and off the ice, he’s undoubtedly a player to watch in the future of Minnesota hockey. For now, he’s proving that age is just a number when it comes to playing at the highest level.