Hockey parents sacrifice a lot. But not like Mairri McConnell. Hockey-playing youngsters sacrifice a lot. But not like Mairri’s sons, Zayde and Zaccharya Wisdom.
Zayde and Zacch scaled a mountain of odds to both become NHL draft choices – Zayde by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2020, and Zacch by the Seattle Kraken in 2023.
Why a mountain of odds, for two kids from Toronto? Besides the usual, for two reasons: families of draft picks are typically White and wealthy. Mairri McConnell’s family was neither of those.
Wisdom A Smart Choice For Colorado College
To flash-forward in our story, Zacch Wisdom just completed his second year as a forward at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, where he earned a scholarship. In 36 games, he scored eight goals and 21 points. “I fell in love with how it felt to score goals,” he says.
“(Wisdom’s) such a character, everyone loves him,” said goalie Kaidan Mbereko. “The guys really gravitate towards him, which is amazing when you consider he is a young guy but who seems to have been here for so long. He is becoming a leader on the team.”
Since Wisdom arrived, the Tigers have compiled their two best regular seasons in more than a decade. This year’s victories included upsets of #3 Western Michigan and #6 Denver, schools which faced off in one of the 2025 Frozen Four semifinals.
“If you look at his weight on the line chart (6-foot-0, 175 pounds) it is not 200, but he is hockey strong,” says coach Kris Mayotte. “You watch him win puck battles, engage physically, possess pucks longer than most can and hold onto it in those tough areas. Then it is his speed, his tenacity and his willingness to get inside the dots. He has the makings of a really good one.”
Wisdom speaks glowingly about his teammates, his coach, and central Colorado, except for one detail. “You can’t get good poutine.”
‘You Wonder Why We Were Struggling So Much’
On a clear day, Wisdom can see 14,000-foot Pike’s Peak out of his apartment window. Climbing the summit in his shorts on a cold day wouldn’t be any harder than his hockey journey.
“The neighborhood we grew up in, there were a lot of bad things we could have gotten into,” Zacch recalls. “But we held each other accountable, and the love for this sport kept us on a straight path. And the love for our mother kept us on a straight path.”
And a mother’s love for her hockey-playing sons.
Mairri McConnell worked multiple jobs. She worked double shifts at all hours. She drove a tow truck with her boys asleep in the cab at 3:30 in the morning, so she could drop them off at school.
If the choice was buying skates and sticks or keeping the electricity on, she chose the hockey gear. If the choice was instructional camps or filling the car with gas, she’d walk to work.
“It was tough,” Zacch says now. “As a little kid, you wonder why we were struggling so much. Why we can’t eat the same meals as some other people. Why don’t we have the same things as other people. Watching her work day in and day out and struggle was tough for me as a little guy. You want to help, but you can’t really. There’s not much you can do as a young guy like that.”
Wisdom Faced Doubts Because Of Skin Color
Poverty was only one hurdle to a future on the rink. Growing up Black, even in hockey-mad Toronto, meant idiots and bigots wouldn’t accept his dreams.
“I wouldn’t say it gets lonely,” says Wisdom, who then revised his answer about being Black in a White-dominated sport. “But it kind of does. We’ve had people say we can’t do it. It’s still not as diverse as it could be. But it’s definitely gotten a lot better.”
What did help was interaction with Black NHL players like Wayne Simmonds, whose camp he attended, and who invited him to reach out whenever he needed to. “It’s huge having players that look like me. It helps you understand that people like myself, people of color, can play in the NHL and it’s not impossible. I think that’s the biggest thing, knowing that it’s possible.”
Another positive influence was seeing older brother Zayde get drafted five years ago. Zayde is finishing his most productive season with the Flyers’ AHL farm team in Lehigh Valley, PA.
Draft Day Went Better Second Time Around
When Wisdom heard his name called by the Kraken in the 7th round, 212th overall, of the 2023 draft, the emotions were a mix of joy and relief. Moreso, because his name hadn’t been called the year before.
“After my first draft when I didn’t go, that was a little hard. That second draft, you get picked up, it was like a weight was lifted off the shoulders. I started crying. I saw my mom crying. My brother got emotional – and he doesn’t get too emotional.
“It was a good moment for the family. It felt like everything I have done was for a reason. It makes me happy to see I have come this far, and reminded me to keep on working.”
About that work ethic: “It’s 24/7. It doesn’t stop, even in the summer. If you want to pay the bills with this sport, it’s got to be a full-time thing.” Zacch has a personal motivation beyond bill-paying. “My mom, she has done everything for me. No words can describe what she means. To my brother as well. It’s such a close bond. She is 100 percent my hero. She deserves the world and I’m working hard so one day I can hopefully give it to her.”
So far, so good. On the ice, he scored four goals in one game his freshman season with Mairri in attendance. Off the ice, he’s a member of the conference all-academic team for two years running. “College hockey helps you develop as a player and a person. You get a degree on top of it. I think it was just the best route I could take.”
Besides the closeness of Wisdom’s family, the one silver lining in the hardship of his upbringing is that he clearly possesses (sorry, folks) wisdom beyond his 20 years. “There’s going to be hard days there’s going to be good days. Those hard days, you’re going to look back on and just appreciate because they helped you grow as a person. So just keep going and enjoy it.”
Background and quotes for this story came in part from:
KKTV
KRDO
College Hockey News
Everything College Hockey
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Colorado Springs Gazette