Rock Lobsters’ rookie Joe Mack prepares for home opener, first professional season
Kira Doppel
Oct 25, 2025
The Athens Rock Lobsters return home after a strong start to the season, sweeping the Indiana Sentinels with a 10-0 shutout victory last Friday and 7-2 win Saturday, then narrowly defeating the Pee Dee Ice Cats this Friday 4-3.
The Rock Lobsters are entering their second year as a team, featuring a mix of new and returning players. Rookie Joe Mack, one of the newest Rock Lobsters, earned his first professional ice time against the Ice Cats and awaits his home debut against the Twin City Thunderbirds.
Mack was originally slated to join the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the Southern Professional Hockey League, a league one tier above the Federal Prospects Hockey League, which the Rock Lobsters play in. However, Athens head coach Garrett Rutledge contacted Mack roughly two weeks before the season began and convinced him to come to play for the Rock Lobsters instead.
“[Athens] just was a better fit for me,” Mack said.
Mack first fell in love with hockey at three years old when his father took him to a Plymouth Whalers game. He couldn’t take his eyes off the ice and later joined the mini might team known as the Little Whalers.
“Ever since then I started playing, and [my father] ended being my coach for a few years," Mack said. “I played nonstop and now I’m here.”
The Michigan native signed in the Ontario Hockey League, one of Canada’s premier junior leagues, at 17 years old and played for roughly three years. During COVID-19, he returned to the United States to play one season for the Shreveport Mudbugs of the North American Hockey League. He then signed with Lakehead University where he played for four years and earned his degree in business.
Mack has had to adapt his playing style from junior hockey to the collegiate level to now being in the pros, but feels confident in his ability to play many different roles on the ice.
“I think my role here will be all over the place, being offensive and defensive,” Mack said. “Just being the best two-way forward I can be. I kind of see myself being a full, all-over the place type guy this year — that's what I'm hoping for and that's kind of the reason I came here too.”
Though his time as a Rock Lobster is just beginning, Mack discussed some of his greatest accomplishments and his aspirations for the rest of his career.
“My proudest moment is my last year of junior hockey, we won the national championship [with the Mudbugs], which was the Robertson Cup,” Mack said.
In the championship game, Mack scored the game-winning goal in a 4-2victory over the Aberdeen Wings
“It was probably the most fun year of my hockey career, by far, so far.”
Mack was injured with a left-groin injury, and was therefore unable to play in the first two games of the season. However, after making minor contributions to the win over the Ice Cats, he looks to take on a bigger role as the season progresses.
Mack has many short-term and long-term goals, both individually and for the team, but he wants to do all he can to move up to the next level and to win a championship with the Rock Lobsters.
“To win a championship here, that would probably be a No. 1 personal goal of mine,” Mack said. “To win a championship for this city.”
This is Mack's ninth year moving away from home and said this was one of the easiest moves of his career due to Athens being such a cool place and the quality of the facilities.
“When I walked into the rink, everything was brand new,” Mack said. “It was probably one of the best arenas I’ve been in.”
Mack looks forward to his first game in Akins Ford Arena, and hopes to perform in front of an energized crowd.
“I’m excited to get started here,” Mack said. “I hope to see everyone show up on this home opener and I’m excited to show everyone what I got.”
