Over the last few years, there’s been an influx of really talented Jewish hockey players in the National Hockey League. One of those players — arguably one of the best players in the NHL right now, period — is Adam Fox.
The young defenseman for the New York Rangers is notable for his creativity and vision on the ice, using his hockey smarts instead of brute force to get the job done.
And while we’d hoped to watch him play for Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Olympics (NHL players cannot participate this year due to COVID), never fear! The NHL season is still going strong and there’s plenty of time to watch Adam and learn more about him.
So, here are 18 things to know about Adam Fox.
1. Adam was born on Long Island to a Jewish family.
2. He has an older brother, Andrew.
Just look at this gorgeous Jewish family:
3. As a kid, Adam attended temple at Jericho Jewish Center.
4. He had a bar mitzvah and the theme was, naturally, hockey!
5. Growing up on Long Island, Adam watched New York Rangers hockey games with his dad and grandfather.
Check out this photo of him repping his hometown team:
More on the Rangers later…
6. Adam started his hockey career playing for the Long Island Gulls of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League.
7. From 2014-2016, Adam played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
8. Adam was selected 66th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2016 NHL Entry Level Draft.
9. Before going to the NHL, Adam went to college! He attended Harvard University from 2016-2019, where he played for the Harvard Crimson men’s ice hockey team and studied psychology.
Check out this video where he discusses how his psychology major helps him on the ice:
10. OK, we have to admit, he looks good in an ugly Christmas sweater:
11. That said, Adam’s favorite Jewish holiday is Hanukkah and his favorite Jewish food is latkes.
12. Adam has represented the United States in a few tournaments.
In 2017 and 2018, he played for the U.S. at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning gold at the former and bronze at the latter. And in 2019, he played for the U.S. men’s national ice hockey team and the 2019 IIHF Championship.
13. While Adam was at Harvard, the Flames traded his NHL playing rights to the Carolina Hurricanes, who then traded them to the New York Rangers.
Adam made his NHL debut for the Rangers in October 2019 and scored his first ever NHL goal a few games later:
Now that’s a beauty.
14. Adam wears #23 for the Rangers and his nickname is “Foxy.”
15. Adam was awarded the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the 2020-2021 NHL season, signifying him as the best defenseman in the NHL. This made him the first Jewish player to win a major NHL award!
You can watch all his teammates congratulating him here:
Mazels, Adam!!
16. Here’s a compilation of Adam scoring a bunch of goals for your viewing pleasure:
17. In 2021, he re-signed with the Rangers — the $66.5 million, seven-year deal is the largest contract in NHL history for a defenseman leaving his entry-level deal!
18. He was named to the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, which will be held on February 5.
