Joe K’s childhood playing career started like most kids’ from South Buffalo, NY: playing youth hockey at Cazenovia Ice Rink, just a scant 2 miles from his childhood home. For whatever reason, the cut off each age group was a June 30th birthday, meaning that Joe K and his July 4th birthday allowed him to be one of the oldest and biggest kids in his group. Already a larger child, this helped Joe K dominate in his youth, and he did the one thing he loved to do: Score goals. And he did it often. His on ice vision and positioning had him noticed by prep schools at an early age, but he didn’t want to leave his friends. As a result, he played for his club team and his high school team until he was 17. That’s when the young sniper with the quick hands had to decide what was next for his future. He chose to enter the S30 SMJHL Entry Draft, and thus began his pretty good run through the SHL. (174)