Color of Hockey: Chau ‘rises to the occasion’ with Blues affiliate in ECHL

Chau credits his success to his days in Brooks.

“I was taught from the coaching staff, from the older players there, how to win, how to how to compete, how to play the right way,” he said. “I was, like, ‘OK, if I’m going to play, I want to play to win, and I want to find a way to kind of leave my legacy within the game in a different way, rather than individual success, but more so team success.”

Chau and Makar committed to UMass and joined a 2017 recruiting class that included future NHL players Matt Murray, Mitchell Chaffee, Mario Ferraro and John Leonard.

“It was a special moment in my life because it was kind of the first time I got to be around and watch a generational player,” Chau said of Makar. “Even when he was in Brooks, I know he wasn’t quite on the radar yet when we first started the season, but we all knew that he was going to be a very, very special player.

“And then to even get the chance to live with him and play with him in college and see all his success there and then to the NHL, it’s been incredible to watch.”

UMass coach Greg Carvel said opposing teams focused on Makar and other players, and often overlooked Chau to their detriment.

“I think he (flew) under the radar,” Carvel said of Chau. “For us, he was a very good complimentary player who scored (27) points the year we won the national championship, which is not easy to do. The fact he wasn’t the guy that other teams talked about going into games, but at the end of the game they’re, like, ‘Geez, that guy made a big difference.’”