FOREST HILLS, Mich. — A Forest Hills hockey player who started skating at two years old is now nominated for a prestigious state award while making a special announcement about his future.
Benny Mielock, a forward-playing center at Forest Hills Central, describes how he feels on the ice in just a few words.
"Energetic, I'd say," Mielock said. "Strong. Happy, for sure. Kinda free, it's kinda freeing."
"I enjoy coming to the rink. It's kind of like my off time or play time almost," he said.
Mielock has three brothers, serving as built-in role models from the beginning. One of his older brothers Sammy Mielock was a leader of the Forest Hills Rangers.
"It's definitely a competition in my house all the time," Benny Mielock said.
His mother, Wendy Mielock, remembers his early passion for the sport.
"I specifically remember coming to the rink, and his older brothers were out on the ice, and he wasn't. And every time they would step out on the ice, he would sit by the glass, and he would cry," she said. "And he just wanted to be out there with them. And finally, one of the instructors that was handling learn to skate, said you can put him out here, even though he's young, it seems that he wants to be out here. And so we did. We put him out on the ice at two years old, and he couldn't stand up, but he was the happiest he could have ever been. So we knew he loved hockey."
The competition between Mielock and his three older brothers shaped his approach to the game.
"They definitely taught me to compete a lot. I kind of recall, like street hockey and mini stick games with them. Like, if I lost, I'd be just really upset and mad, and we definitely had some fights over that. And yeah, I'd say they taught me to compete really good," he said.
When his older brother Sammy graduated, Benny stepped into the leadership role for his team.
"I had to step up as, like, a leader and as just a person on this team," he said.
"When he was a senior and I was a freshman, I was kind of under his wing, and he kind of, you know, helped out the younger guys, and I didn't really have to do any of that. And now, since he's gone, I kind of have to take that role as what he was when he was a senior," Mielock said.
Now Mielock ranks among the top players in Michigan and was voted team captain by his teammates. He dedicates around 20 hours per week to hockey.
Bill McSween, head hockey coach for Forest Hills Central, has coached Mielock for four years and praised his leadership development.
"Benny is very passionate about the game of hockey, and he hates to lose, like he is really determined to make his teammates better," McSween said. "Over the summer, we had some younger guys skate, some seventh and eighth graders, skate with us, and I was checking the cameras to see how practice was going. And Benny took the time to work with the younger players, teach them how to shoot a puck, teach him how to catch a pass, and leadership just becomes natural to him."
The team practices Monday through Thursday with two workouts per week in what McSween describes as intense sessions.
Off the ice, Mielock takes his nutrition seriously, avoiding fast food before games and focusing on proper meals, workouts and sleep. His mother noted his dedication to healthy habits that most people don't see.
"He is not one that's going to go through the drive through to get, you know, a hamburger and fries and a shake," Wendy Mielock said. "He's that kid that's gonna, you know, make an omelet right before a meal, or he's gonna have the chicken and pasta."
Mielock is also a multi-sport athlete, playing baseball for Forest Hills Central in addition to hockey.
This year, Mielock is a contender for Hockey Player of the Year, an award that evaluates big-game moments, team success and community support. He found out about the nomination last week.
"I think it just goes to show like the grit and determination that I put in over the years and can be a good factor too for the other guys on our team to look at and kind of set an example," Mielock said.
His mother describes how she felt after learning about his nomination.
"I'm thankful that he was, was nominated, but for me, at the end of the day, it's, it's not about the titles or the awards, although it's nice, it's really the person that he's grown into being," Wendy Mielock said.
McSween wasn't surprised by the nomination.
"It was great to me. It was a slam dunk, though. Like I wasn't surprised that he got nominated. There's no doubt he's one of the best hockey players in the state," he said.
Mielock is active in community service, participating in Cascade parades and volunteering with special hockey and learn-to-skate programs.
During the interview, Mielock shared news about his college plans.
"I'm actually just committed to Davenport," he said.
He had another surprise announcement.
"I'm also playing with my brother at Davenport as well," Mielock said.
The decision came after conversations with Davenport's coaching staff, and Mielock is looking forward to reuniting with his brother on the ice.
"It'll be a lot of fun. You know, as I said, you know, we compete for everything on the ice, so it'll be good playing with him again," he said.
His mother will also get to see her boys play together again.
"Davenport plays out of the same rink, so we're not leaving right, we're still going to be here, and we will always cheer on the Rangers," Wendy Mielock said. "We couldn't be happier. We're so excited to have them play together."
McSween has a personal connection to Davenport University, having played there himself.
"The coach at Davenport was my D partner, and he's a great, great coach, great man. And I just, I'm just happy for Benny, because he's happy to be able to move on and play hockey at a higher level, and he's happy to be able to play hockey with his brother," McSween said.
As Mielock approaches his final high school season, his mother hopes he enjoys every moment.
"I just hope he has a great final season, right. Enjoy it. It goes by so fast," she said. "You get 27 games and playoffs, and it's done, and you're moving on, right. And so when you're in it, you feel like it's sometimes never going to end. And then one day it comes and you're cleaning out your locker, and that's it."
Looking ahead to what he hopes people will remember about his final season, Mielock said: "I was always there for my teammates, always there for my team, and I was always helping out with the community."
The Mielock family has been part of Forest Hills Central Hockey for 11 years, with McSween calling them "a staple of Forest Hill Central Hockey."
"Benny is a tremendous young man. He works in the community all the time," McSween said. "He gets along with his teammates well, I love coaching him, and I couldn't be prouder of him."
Voting is open for the 2025 State Champs Hockey Player of the Year award, with community votes counting for 20% of the final decision.
If you want to vote for Benny, you can click here.
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