Preston Farr and Nolan Gentry first came to love the game of hockey in their home state of Arizona, playing up through the AAA ranks before looking at options for junior hockey.

This season, the close friends wound up in Minnesota playing together for the USPHL’s Minnesota Mullets, a situation that has seen both develop their games and show that players from the desert can make an impact at the junior level.

“The opportunity to sign with the Mullets started after my senior year season,” said Farr, a Phoenix native and goaltender. “I was in contact with a ton of coaches emailing back and forth and countless phone calls from teams all over the U.S. and Canada. After talking to teams, I narrowed it down to a few, and the Mullets were a top choice I was looking at and head coach Chris Walby asked me to fly over for a weekend to visit the city I’d be living in. After touring the city, seeing the team’s facilities, and seeing the college campus I’d be living on, it made my decision to sign with the Mullets. It felt like the Mullets would be the right fit for me and my development. Minnesota has had a strong hockey program with a great reputation on getting players to the next level. The opportunity to play with a competitive team and continue my player growth as a player was too hard to pass up.”

“What appealed to me about the team was the environment I get to play in, living in the city playing for a junior hockey team and the opportunities I have been presented to get to the next level. The team’s commitment to player development along with a high level of competition in the league is something I was really excited about. The hockey environment in Minnesota is unique, with the state being known for its hockey tradition and passionate fan base. It’s a place where hockey is more than just a sport, it’s a part of the community. I have been blessed to be part of that culture and push myself further.”

Gentry has been equally excited to play for the Mullets, and he credits Farr for helping push him to the organization.

“The opportunity to join the Mullets arose around Thanksgiving time,” said Gentry, also from Phoenix. “My childhood friend Preston Farr has been on the Mullets for two years now and although he moved away from home a few years ago, we always stayed in touch. I was on a team in Boston to start out the year and telling him about how it hasn’t been the best fit for me and how I was considering exploring my options elsewhere. This is where he proposed the idea of the Mullets. Preston would go on to text Coach Walby and the timing worked out great because they were in need of defensemen at the time. The process of leaving Boston and coming here to Minnesota definitely was not the easiest time but thanks to Coach Walby, he made it as simple as possible, and pulled some strings to relieve some of that stress off my shoulders at the time, going the extra mile for me when he didn’t have to, which I forever will thank him for that. After all was said and done, I ended up joining the Mullets after winter break.

“A lot was appealing to me about the team before even knowing anything about it. Having a friend on the team helped me drastically because going to a new team in the middle of the season is really tough, like a complete restart. Another huge green flag to me was how welcoming Coach Walby was, both on the phone when we first introduced ourselves, and my first day at the rink, trying his best to make me feel as comfortable as possible. The hockey environment in Minnesota also helped seal the deal for me. I was looking for a team that I could develop and get scouted as much as possible. What better place to do that than in the state of hockey? I’ve only been here for a little over a month and I’ve already gotten a ton of exposure, so it’s safe to say I made a good choice in that department.”

Back in Arizona, Farr played for the Arizona Hockey Union, Jr. Coyotes, Arizona Bobcats, DYHA Jr. Sun Devils and Desert Vista High School.

Gentry grew up playing for the Arizona Mustangs, Jr. Coyotes, Jr. Sun Devils and Chaparral High School.

“The first time I stepped on the ice was at Arcadia Ice Arena and I was five years old,” Gentry remembered. “My best friend’s mom at the time signed him up for a learn-to-skate program and so my mom signed me up for the same one. The Coyotes hosted this program called Little Howlers. This was a total new experience to me as my family had no history of hockey whatsoever. I was already playing multiple sports at the time but the second I stepped on that ice for the first time, I knew hockey was the one for me. I would have slept on that ice that night if my parents had let me.

“I played in Arizona up until my 18U year, where I got an opportunity to play for a AAA hockey academy in Boston. There’s a few coaches I’d like to thank that helped me to get to where I am now. Brad Norton and Nick Naumenko were my coaches when I played for the Jr. Sun Devils. These coaches really were the perfect duo as they both had elite knowledge of the game, as they both played pro, while Naumenko was dialed in 100% of the time, pushing us to the max, and Norton was totally for the people, making every practice and game fun, making the guys all laugh, while still being dialed in as a coach. Not surprised why that year of hockey was the most successful for both us as players and as the organization as a whole. These coaches really helped us grow exponentially as players on the ice, and men off the ice.”

Farr added that his career was one that grew out of passion for the game.

“I started my hockey career at the Ice Den Chandler,” Farr said. “My dad introduced me to the sport of hockey and I fell in love with it. As a kid, I grew up a Coyotes fan, watching on TV and going to all of the games. The Coyotes played a major role in inspiring me to pursue my dreams of playing hockey. The Coyotes offered a program to help that dream come true by learning how to skate and play hockey through the Little Howlers program. I started learning to skate around four years old and haven’t stopped loving it since. Seeing players like Shane Doan and Mike Smith and many others made me realize that hockey was something I wanted to take seriously. Growing up in Phoenix, I didn’t have as many options as kids in the colder states, but the Arizona hockey community has always been supportive and strong. Being from Arizona I think has giving me an extra drive every time I touch the ice to be the best player I can be and show where I’m from.

“Some coaches that stood out to me were Kenny Corupe with the Jr. Coyotes and Nick Naumenko with the Jr. Sun Devils. They both had a huge impact on my development, teaching me not just the technical side of hockey but also the mental and emotional aspects of the game. They helped me grow both as a player and a person. I’ll always remember the community and the camaraderie of Arizona hockey. The bond between players, coaches and families is something unique to the Arizona hockey program, and it has made my time special. The friends, coaches, and people I’ve met through playing hockey in Arizona still are supportive and important in my life today. The challenges of playing in a non-traditional hockey market made every game feel more special and meaningful, especially facing teams from the bigger hockey states where hockey is so deeply ingrained. Arizona may not be known for hockey, but its tight-knit and supportive community has made all the impact on me. Arizona hockey has made me the player I am today and I know everyday when I put on my skates, I play for the state I came from.”

Moving forward, both Farr and Gentry have goals and aspirations, both on and off the ice.

“In the short term, my goal is to make an immediate impact with the Mullets, continue improving my game, and contribute to the team’s success, as well as finishing out my junior hockey career the best it can be,” Farr said. “In the long term, my goal is to play at the highest level possible, whether that’s advancing to the collegiate NCAA level or eventually playing professionally. I’m also interested in a career in sports management or coaching once my playing days are over, so I want to make sure I’m preparing for life after hockey as well.”

“There are lots of goals that I have for myself,” added Gentry. “For the short term, I hope to continue to develop this year and to help my team make a deep playoff run and to get more exposure to keep climbing the junior hockey ladder next year. For the long term, I hope to play NCAA hockey and to play professional overseas. I would love to experience playing hockey in a different country, getting the full experience of playing the sport in a whole different culture. I’d love to play hockey for as long as possible but when that comes to an end, I’d love to stay involved in the game, whether that is coaching, scouting, whatever opportunities present themselves.”

Photos/Kels Wit

— Matt Mackinder

(February 23, 2025)