Kai Faga: A Multi-Sport Athlete For Mammoth 14UAA Who Also Speaks Japanese

Kai Faga, a center for the Mammoth 14UAA team, remembers the season-opener, which certainly set the tone for a successful run. They played the Blues on September 21, an early morning game in Bensenville.

Faga scored four goals and Mammoth won, 5-4. “We were so relieved to start the season with a win,” he said.

Mammoth won 11 of its first 12 games this season and went into the holiday break carrying a 19-5-2 record and wins in their last four games, including road shutouts against Rockford and Winnetka.

Faga, 14, who lives in Evanston, is an eighth grader at Haven Middle School and will attend Evanston Township High School next fall. A right-handed shooter, Faga has played wing and defense and played for Mammoth 14UAA last season, too.

On the ice, Faga is adaptive, calm, smart and tenacious.

“If there’s a player on our team whose effort level is never in question, it’s Kai Faga,” said Mammoth 14UAA coach Declan Harnett. “His skill level is off the charts, but more importantly, so is his drive and team-first mentality. He is a game-changer on the ice, on the bench and in the locker room. I am proud to coach him.”

Faga showed stardom last season, too. Take, for instance, a scoreless game against the Ice Dogs. “With :08 remaining, we were taking a face off in our defensive zone,” Faga said. “I was able to get the puck, beat the defenders and had a breakaway. I watched the clock and scored the game-winner with .5 seconds on the clock.”

In his last year as a peewee, during a weekend tournament championship game in Madison, Wisconsin, against Winnetka, Faga’s crew trailed 3-0 in the third period. “I was able to score a goal to break through and then we scored another. In the last :10 seconds, we tied it up. After overtime, we went to shootout and won. It was a great win for our team,” Faga said.

Faga participates in many other sports, including baseball, golf, Ultimate and volleyball. Those sports help his hockey strength, hand-to-eye coordination, stamina and IQ. “Baseball helps hand-to-eye coordination like hitting pucks out of the air. Golf helps my slapshot power. Ultimate frisbee helps me find space and pass to the open guy. Volleyball is good for quick reactions,” he said.

Slapshots With … Mammoth 14UAA Center Kai Faga

Jersey Number: 61
Hockey Highlight: “Playing at the United Center.”
It’s a Fact: He is fluent in Japanese
Off-Ice: “I fish a lot and practice the snare drum.”
Long-Term Career Goals: “Make the NHL or MLB, or be a pro tournament fisherman.”
Hobbies: Fishing, mountain biking, hanging out with friends, talking about sports, trading sports cards, going to tackle shops and listening to music
Giving Thanks: “I would like to thank my coach, Declan, because he has been supportive to get me to this point.”
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Frank Nazar
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: The Sandlot
Favorite Pre-game Meal: Orange chicken on rice 
Favorite app: Fish Brain 
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: David Mickey Evans 
The Quote: “As his dad, I’ve seen how playing so many sports competitively has made him into a better athlete. Hockey was his first sport, and I have seen a lot of carry-over from hockey to baseball, golf, Ultimate frisbee, volleyball and pretty much every sport he plays.” – Mark Faga 
It’s a Fact: He has spent years practicing his shot in the family’s basement.
During The Pandemic: Faga was in third grade, living in Oakland, California. Every Saturday, he would play roller hockey where he was always the only kid playing.