Feature Photo by Abby Barber
Story by David Cassman
As president and team captain, Linden Palmer serves as the heart of MTSU club hockey.
Palmer grew up just over 30 miles from Murfreesboro in Lebanon, Tennessee. While Lebanon isn’t exactly known for its hockey roots, its proximity to Nashville heavily impacted Palmer’s childhood.
He fell in love with hockey at three years old after his father took him to a Nashville Predators game. Soon after, his dad signed him up for skating lessons, where he learned to skate at the age of three. He was a natural, so good, in fact, that when the next season came around, he joined a hockey league and began playing at only four years old.
Palmer joined the hockey club at MTSU during his freshman year in 2021, quickly finding his spot on the team. In his freshman season, Palmer led the Blue Raiders in goals scored with 20 and in assists with 19 in only 20 games played. He’s been one of the top point leaders for the Blue Raiders over the past couple of seasons, as he made his way to a program record of 100 career points and counting.
“He [Palmer] has been our most consistent player for the past four years,” MTSU club hockey head coach James Murray said. “And when he gets going, the other guys build off his energy.”
Palmer’s skills with the puck were very obvious early on but he also showed his leadership off the ice. His teammates selected him as an assistant captain in his sophomore year and captain in his junior year. As a sports management major, Palmer was interested in a leadership position, so he took the role of vice president as a sophomore, and became the team president as a junior. As the hockey club’s president, Palmer’s first move was to rebrand the team in hopes of changing the culture. He designed new jerseys and ordered new equipment for the team.
“When I came to MTSU, we were not very good, and since I became president, I’ve tried to make a point to change the program,” Palmer said. “We’re progressively growing. During my sophomore year, we had a four-win season, and last year we finished 17th in the nation, so I’m hoping that we continue to grow and get better”
Palmer’s long list of responsibilities includes attending all meetings and creating the team schedules. On the financial side, Palmer is responsible for reserving hotels and buses, paying athletic trainers, referees and the costs of the ice rink.
Although the club is given funds by club sports, the majority of the costs are paid out of pocket by the hockey club and the players. Just to put into perspective the responsibility that Palmer owns, the ice rink cost is $50,000 – $60,000 yearly.
“Club sports has always had a negative connotation, with people saying that it’s not really competitive and that it’s just for fun,” Palmer said. “But it’s really competitive. There’s probably four times the number of club teams than there are NCAA hockey teams”
After his hockey career, Palmer hopes to become an assistant coach and eventually secure a position as an athletic director. Until then, Palmer hopes to continue to positively impact Blue Raider hockey, on and off the ice.
David Cassman is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines
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