Winger Justin Nakagawa may consistently be the smallest player on the ice, but his combination of work ethic, determination and skill has separated him from the rest.
While growing up in San Jose, Calif. as an only child, Nakagawa became enamored with hockey from a young age. Though his parents knew nothing about the sport as Japanese immigrants, Nakagawa’s babysitter was a San Jose Sharks season ticket holder and one night, he was lucky enough to attend his first NHL game with her.
Once Nakagawa was formally introduced to hockey at five years old, he was hooked for life after an unforgettable experience.
“To this day, the Sharks are my favorite team,” Nakagawa said in an interview with The Statesman. “Not only did the Sharks win the very first game that I went to, they did the three stars of the game after it and each star handed out a stick. Evgeni Nabokov was the first star and I was fortunate enough to get his goalie stick. According to my parents, I slept with it that night and I started playing hockey from there.”
Because of his dad’s duties as the general manager of Fairway Golf, Nakagawa and his parents moved to San Diego, Calif. when he was seven years old. In San Diego, Nakagawa truly began working towards his goal of becoming a hockey player, but it was not always easy.
Nakagawa initially had thoughts of becoming a goaltender after his interaction with Nabokov, as he and a close friend were hoping to battle it out for the backup role on their youth team — the San Diego Ice Arena Oilers. However, after the team’s starting goalie tragically passed away in a boating accident, Nakagawa gave way so his friend could take over the job while he focused on becoming a winger.
Additionally, Nakagawa’s parents were not exactly keen on him trying his hand as a goaltender due to his small stature, which has been a challenge for him throughout his career. Now 22 years old, Nakagawa stands at 5-foot-8 and weighs 180 pounds.
“There’s a lot of people that are a lot bigger and stronger than me,” Nakagawa said. “I wish I had even a little bit of their size. These smaller players need to put that little extra effort in just to even reach the battle for the puck. From a scouting or coaching perspective, you’re always going to want the taller guy over the smaller guy if they have equal skill because he has a longer reach and can hit people. It’s definitely been much harder.”
Despite this obstacle, Nakagawa never strayed away from his dream, opting to develop his hockey IQ after his idol and recently-retired NHLer Joe Pavelski. While living in sunny San Diego, ice time was not constantly readily available, so Nakagawa played roller hockey to put in extra work. After spending eight years in the city, Nakagawa moved to Kelowna, British Columbia during his freshman year of high school to seriously pursue his hockey career. Throughout his three years in Canada, Nakagawa played for the Pursuit of Excellence and was housed by a different family each year.
Nakagawa cited the experience as a “culture shock,” as he did not have his parents with him to hold his hand. Nonetheless, Nakagawa’s time away from home helped him mature while he focused heavily on both hockey and school to make his parents’ financial investment in him worthwhile.
Following his time in Kelowna, Nakagawa continued to bounce around. In 2020, he played just one game for Saskatchewan’s Notre Dame Hounds before COVID-19 abruptly ended his campaign. During the 2021-22 season, Nakagawa took his talents to the Philadelphia Hockey Club of the National Collegiate Development Conference.
“It was a struggle,” Nakagawa said. “A great learning experience but definitely not a fun one. I wasn’t meeting the expectations of my coaches or myself. I didn’t get the playing time that I wanted, but that was definitely my fault. I wouldn’t consider it a successful junior career, but I learned a lot.”
After posting just five goals and four assists through 45 games during his first year in Philadelphia, Nakagawa’s career turned a corner during the 2022-23 campaign. Across 46 contests, he netted 15 goals and added 22 assists.
Nakagawa credited his transformation to then-head coach Rylan Ferster and assistant coach Matthew Gaudreau. Unfortunately, Matthew Gaudreau was tragically killed in August alongside his older brother — Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau — by a drunk driver while on a bike ride the night before their sister’s wedding.
“I was able to showcase a lot of my skill set during my second year in Philly and eventually apply it at Stony Brook,” Nakagawa said. “Ferster kicked our butts in the nicest way possible. He took a group of players and made them a team. [Matthew] Gaudreau was definitely a player’s coach. He was always with, coaching and relating to the guys. I loved him and I miss him.”
By chance, Pavelski’s number eight — Nakagawa’s original desired digit — was occupied by fellow winger Edward Molfetto when he arrived at Stony Brook. Coincidentally, Nakagawa ended up choosing Johnny’s number, 13, with Matthew’s number, 21, being the runner-up.
“I guess it was a magical, small-forward connection that we had,” Nakagawa said. “That Gaudreau connection made it an obvious keeper and with the horrible event that happened, that number 13 has a stronger meaning.”
Along with his development as a player in Philadelphia, Nakagawa decided on his future there, as well. During his first season there, Nakagawa decided that he wanted to play American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I hockey rather than chasing an NCAA Division III opportunity for academic purposes.
The goal became a reality when head coach Chris Garofalo began recruiting Nakagawa to join the Seawolves. Despite having interest in Arizona State University and San Diego State University in his hometown, Garofalo heavily recruited and inspired Nakagawa to take the leap of faith to Long Island by impressing him with the program and Stony Brook’s high education level.
“[Garofalo’s] honest,” Nakagawa said. “As someone who values other people’s opinions, I appreciate that. Aside from hockey, he gives us life advice that we can always take with us. I have no complaints. I love hockey, I love this program and the school gives me enough tools to become whatever I want to be.”
Upon arriving at Stony Brook last year, Nakagawa was welcomed with open arms both on and off the ice. In fact, he lived with last season’s co-captains, forwards Devin Pepe and Nick Zarrilli, who helped teach Nakagawa the ropes and get him acclimated. However, Nakagawa’s rookie campaign was filled with ups and downs.
In his first collegiate season, Nakagawa was the Seawolves’ iron man, as he was the only player to suit up in 28 games. Moreover, he was a crucial piece of Stony Brook’s forward core, posting a team-leading 12 assists while his 19 points were the second most on the team. Despite his strong offensive numbers, 14 of his points came through his first 13 games, as he was mired in a second-half slump.
“I’m glad that I went through that slump early in my career,” Nakagawa said. “I had great leaders that helped me get through that to keep me upbeat. The biggest thing I learned was to do the small things and big things will come. During that slump, I believe that I kept doing the right things but the stats didn’t show it. I got frustrated by that but when I look back at it, I think my process was right and I can execute now.”
Nakagawa has carried out that mindset perfectly thus far, as he is off to a torrid start to his sophomore season. Through the first 10 games of the campaign, Nakagawa has notched a team-best 14 points and seven goals — matching his output from last year — while his seven assists are tied for the most on the squad. On top of playing on the team’s top line and power-play unit, Nakagawa plays tough minutes on the penalty kill, showcasing his two-way abilities.
Along with leading by example on the ice, Nakagawa has emerged as a leader in the locker room. Although he does not wear the “C” or even an “A” on the front of his jersey, Nakagawa currently serves as vice president on the club’s executive board.
“[Nakagawa]’s one of our best players,” Garofalo said. “He’s putting the team on his back right now. With his IQ, he’s a step ahead of everyone else and his decision making is his biggest attribute. He’s a phenomenal hockey player and more importantly, he’s a phenomenal person.”
With over two years remaining until graduation, Nakagawa has plenty of time to figure out what his future holds, but he already has a goal in mind. The sophomore has a knack for numbers and is currently a business management major with an accounting minor.
Though he is unsure if he wants to pursue a Master’s of Business Administration, Nakagawa ultimately wants to play professional hockey for Asia League Ice Hockey’s Yokohama Grits and live in Japan for a few years, where he spends most of his summers with his extended family.
Nakagawa’s time in Japan has also helped shape him as a person. He is fluent in both English and Japanese, and he tries to blend and instill the best values from each culture into himself. For these reasons, Nakagawa wants to put hockey on the map in the Land of the Rising Sun.
“Just like Nabokov inspired me as a child, I love when kids show up to the Stony Brook hockey games so I can sign some stuff, give high fives and have a conversation with them,” Nakagawa said. “That gets me the most excited, spreading hockey in Japan. Even if I influence one kid to play, [that] would make me extremely happy. That’s how I can contribute.”
For the time being, Nakagawa is currently solely focused on enjoying the rest of his time at Stony Brook, finishing the season strong, bringing the program its first national championship and living by his mantra.
“Get one percent better every day, and, by the end of the year, you’re 365% better,” Nakagawa said. “We’re definitely back. Last year was a struggle and learning experience. Not only are we trending in a positive direction, but we’re going to exceed a lot of expectations and I’m really proud of that.”
