We’re experiencing a renaissance of Maine superstars. Last week, Mainers made headlines in multiple sports, serving as a reminder that not all big names come from big cities.
Oliver Wahlstrom was back at TD Garden on Saturday night, taking the ice for his first home game as a member of the Boston Bruins.
It was a homecoming for the 24-year-old born in Portland and raised in Maine, the son of former UMaine Black Bear Joakim Wahlstrom, and who grew up cheering for the Bruins. He had the Garden faithful cheering after a 3-1 win over the Sabres.
Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Cooper Flagg was celebrating his 18th birthday with a 13-point effort as Duke rolled over Georgia Tech, 82-56.
This all happened as Max Murray of Kennebunkport wrapped up possibly the greatest week by a Maine soccer player. On Monday, Murray was on the field when the University of Vermont won the NCAA Division I title with a win over Marshall in overtime. Four days later he was selected in the MLS Super Draft.
Flagg is the youngest of the three and has a chance to be the biggest star of the group. Maybe the biggest in Maine history. Incredibly, he could still be a senior at Nokomis High in Newport instead of a key player on a No. 5 Blue Devils team dreaming of a national championship. He is the projected top pick in next year’s NBA draft.
Wahlstrom, a first-round pick himself, is still only 24. He has already built an enduring legacy on Causeway Street. Wahlstrom was only 9 when he donned his Portland Jr. Pirates jersey and took part in NESN’s Mini One-on-One competition, scooping up a puck and scoring a lacrosse-style goal that went viral, and earned him appearances on ESPN and other national networks.
Ten years later he was back at the Garden as a Boston College freshman, notching the winning assist in a first-round Beanpot win over Harvard and scoring a power-play goal in the Hockey East championship game against UMass.
Murray is 22 and joined the first-round party when he was chosen 17th overall by New York FC, which went to the conference semifinals last year and believes the 6-foot-5 Murray can help it take the next step. Murray is a versatile player who started his Vermont career as a striker, then switched to defender.
Growing up, Murray was a multi-sport star. He was an All-State basketball player at Kennebunk High and one of the best soccer players in the state.
With Flagg at Duke, Wahlstrom in Boston, and Murray headed to New York, Maine should be well-represented in the big leagues for years. Three athletes, all under age 25, will carry a little of this state as they continue to develop at the highest levels.
Think of how many Mainers started running after Joan Benoit Samuelson paved her way to gold. Or followed Seth Wescott up into the mountains? How many girls across the state wanted to be the next Cindy Blodgett?
Now there’s a new generation of talent with its roots right here in Maine. And the next generation of stars from the state have a bumper crop of role models to emulate.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN.