Life Changing Adoption Has Helped Michael Hertzberg to Live Hockey Dream

When Michael Hertzberg was just an infant, his life was changed forever. He was living in an orphanage in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was 10 months old when he was discovered by a loving family living in Pittsburgh. This proved to change his life for the better.

(Photos courtesy of Arcadia University Athletics)

The couple was Mari and Alan Hertzberg, who found Michael through a local adoption agency and fell in love with him while watching VCR tapes in order to learn about this baby boy who needed a family. More than 23 years later and Hertzberg has taken his parents on a wild ride that’s been his exciting ice hockey career.

The 2018 Sewickley Academy graduate has had the unique opportunity to play hockey at the youth travel, high school, junior, and now the college level over the years. Hertzberg currently plays hockey at the NCAA Division III level in his home state at Arcadia University near Philadelphia. Arcadia is new to the hockey scene and has only existed since the 2021-22 season.

Hertzberg has been a core part of all three seasons for the program as a forward and hopes that in the coming years, the program can build something special. However, it’s certainly a difficult challenge as the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) and Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) are premier conferences in Division III men’s hockey. But things worth waiting for take time.

Hertzberg’s career has taken time to get to this stage with many transitions and changes to continue building on his career. His hockey career began as a youngster playing AAA hockey and also playing varsity hockey as young as in the sixth grade at Sewickley Academy before the institution formed a middle school program in his seventh and eighth-grade years. He eventually played four more years of varsity hockey and helped the Panthers to their first playoff appearance in school history as a junior and playoff victory as a senior. He remains one of the best players in Panthers boy’s hockey history.

While playing for Sewickley Academy during the high school season, he also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, one of the top AAA youth travel organizations for both boy’s and girl’s hockey in the country. “Playing for the Pittsburgh Hornets/Pittsburgh Penguins Elite growing up accelerated my development as a hockey player by practicing against some of the top players in the area and playing against some of the top players in the nation,” he said. “It also got me exposed to scouts of top-notch junior and college teams when we would travel to hockey ‘hotbeds’ for showcases. I have had some great coaches in all of the programs I have played for, and I am grateful for their tips and encouragement throughout my career.”

Another unique opportunity he had was the chance to be selected for the 15U USA Hockey National Development Program Camp. Despite not playing AAA hockey that season, he was able to still be selected, which is an achievement that doesn’t happen too often because of players’ lack of development and experience. Being selected for this camp and being invited for a Bauer International Tournament in his birthplace of St. Petersburg, Russia are some of his favorite memories from his hockey career. Back in 2011, he had the chance to visit his birth country and even scored the tournament’s first goal against his would-be hometown team in CKA St. Petersburg. On his trip to Russia, he also played with and against players who are now in the NHL and even visited the orphanage where he was cared for the first 10 months of his life. The entire experience of playing abroad and learning more about his heritage was very surreal and empowering.

At 16, he was drafted to the hometown Pittsburgh Vengeance of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), but declined to play for them. He was a first round selection for the team and played with the junior organization for his first junior season when the Vengeance joined the USPHL. For perspective, Hertzberg was playing high school and AAA simultaneously while maintaining a 3.6 GPA. Unfortunately, he sometimes had to prioritize because of games and practices conflicting with each other. But overall, the experience helped him to be selected to play junior hockey in New Jersey for the New Jersey 87’s of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). In his two seasons with the organization, Hertzberg played in 61 games, scored 17 goals, and recorded 12 assists.

Similar to his own journey, his path to college hockey took time. Michael is currently 24 years old and after three seasons of junior hockey, it was time to join the college ranks and begin his full-time college education. He earned college credits while playing junior hockey and it helped him to finish his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in three years and also begin his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) beginning in July of this year. The 2024-25 school year will mark his last college hockey season before embarking on his professional career, hopefully in Europe.

Hertzberg chose Arcadia University for the chance to remain close to the Jersey Shore and also be a part of building this new hockey program at Arcadia. Many of his teammates and connections made from the EHL hockey remain in the Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey area, which also made attending a college in this region of the country attractive. In his three seasons with the Arcadia Knights, he’s played in 56 games, dished out 11 assists, and scored two goals.

As Michael continues to live his hockey dream, he always carries the deepest appreciation for the hockey community that has embraced him at every stop in his career. He also remains thankful for the coaches who helped him to steadily improve over time and for his parents, who have made this entire pathway possible with their guidance and motivation.

A decision over 23 years ago brought Michael Hertzberg to the United States. But more than that, it’s brought so much meaning into the lives of his parents, Mari and Alan. More than anything he achieves on the ice, the family that was built through this adoption has been the most heartwarming part of his story. But as hockey continues for this Russian-American, there are sure to be more heartwarming moments to come.