Sibling rivalry is something relatable amongst all brothers and sisters. Sean and Connor Henry, both juniors playing on the Suffolk University men’s ice hockey team, did much of their competing on the ice growing up. The talent and zeal the duo of brothers honed has not only pushed them to get to the college level of play, but has also helped them to become the first brothers to play in the same graduating year and the first pair of twins the program has ever seen.
As the Rams move through the remainder of the 2017-18 season, the chemistry and charisma that the Henry’s bring will certainly be key to helping the team win games.
Sean, a defenseman, and Connor, a forward, are the third pair of brothers to have played for Suffolk’s hockey program under 14 year head coach Chris Glionna. Before Sean and Connor, Kevin and Ryan Coakley played with one another in the 2004-05 season, while Joe and Steve Drago were both members of the team in 2005-09 and 2009-13.
“After the first meeting with the Henry’s, I realized how career driven they were and knew they had to be Rams,” said Glionna in a recent interview with The Suffolk Journal. “Both Sean and Connor are very smart hockey players and they understand how to compete.”
Glionna first recruited the Henry brothers while they were playing for the Junior Bruins of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), alongside their future Ram’s teammate, forward Tommy Bishop. Glionna said he immediately saw promise in the brothers and realized just how intelligent they were on the ice.
“At first, I could only tell them apart because Connor had longer hair,” said Glionna.
The brothers have loved the game of hockey since they were 4-years-old, so finding the motivation to play college hockey was no mystery for them. Along with their drive to succeed individually, they have always been each other’s biggest fans and critics on the ice.
“The way we compete hasn’t changed, we have always been competitive and push each other to do better,” said Connor, a finance major, in an interview with The Journal. “We are very critical of each other’s performance, always making sure we are at the top of our game at all times.”
Sean also felt that their competitive relationship from growing up together allowed them to grow as players on the ice. In an interview with The Journal, Sean said that since a young age, they were driven by trying to be better than one another which helped them both improve immensely.
Growing up, we always wanted to be better than one another, so we always challenged each other
— Sean Henry
“Growing up, we always wanted to be better than one another, so we always challenged each other,” said Sean, also a finance major. “We were both fortunate enough to have someone to push ourselves since we were young. If one of us wasn’t feeling up to practice or a workout, we’d motivate the other to do it.”
Sean is currently a captain of the 8-10-2 Rams team. The defenseman is not lighting up the stat sheet due to his limited role in the scoring push, but Sean is widely viewed as one of the most positive leaders on the team.
“Sean knows how to get the other guys going and keep them locked in,” said Glionna. “He definitely has the back of all his teammates.”
As for Connor, his ability to move the puck around and get others involved, backed by his six assists and eight total points, is the part of his game where he feels he thrives the most.
“My strengths on the ice are my game awareness and the ability to make plays with others,” said Connor. “I’ve always worked at trying to make myself a great passer.”
Along with being two dynamic players on the Rams roster as individuals for each of the last three seasons, coach Glionna credits the disposition of the Henry’s as one of the main ways they have been able to contribute on the ice.
“I think when you have two players, especially two brothers, of such high character it only makes everyone else around them better,” said Glionna. “As a coach it is so helpful to have kids like that.”
