By Ben Deatherage
ESTEVAN, SK (Apr. 21, 2025) — For most, playing professional hockey would be enough. For Austin Daae, it’s just one half of the story. The Estevan, Saskatchewan native is just as comfortable skating across frozen rinks as he is sliding through the corners of dirt ovals. And in 2024, he added a big milestone to his résumé—Sunoco IMCA Stock Car champion at Estevan Motor Speedway.
“It was a good season,” said Daae. “I haven’t gotten to run for points in 7 or 8 years at least. Per usual, I got home late from playing hockey down south. I was still down there when the first night got rained out. I would’ve liked to race more, but I had hockey things going on. I was able to race every night at home and finally get a points championship.”
He picked up four wins at Estevan and added another at Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota. The competition in the region is never easy.
“Anywhere you go in North Dakota, you know you’ve got your hands full,” Daae said. “It’s never a cakewalk. Guys like the Flory family, Joren Boyce, and now young up-and-comers like Gabe Deschamp—it’s a tough group. Joren jumped into a Stock Car just a few years after I did, and I’ve gotten to know him well. It’s fun racing with him. Gabe’s been doing well in the (Karl Chevrolet (IMCA Northern) SportMod and now he’s getting the Stock Car figured out, too.”
A Racer’s Upbringing
Daae was drawn to racing early. His father, Kevin, spent time crewing for a family friend, Jim Harris, at Minot and Estevan. Austin watched from the stands—but it wasn’t passive.
“I wasn’t just there watching it,” he said. “I was studying it, paying attention to how the cars got around the track.”
He started racing a Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock at age 14, then moved into a Stock Car at 18—and won in his first season.
“The Stock Car felt pretty similar to the Hobby Stock,” he said. “But the tires and suspension were different, so the transition wasn’t too hard.”
The Other Half: Hockey
While many know him from racing, hockey has been Daae’s primary career for the last decade. A professional forward currently suiting up for the Columbus River Dragons in Georgia, he’s played across the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) and Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), with stints in Macon, Fayetteville, Louisiana, Port Huron, Berlin, Watertown, Birmingham, and Roanoke.
He began skating at three and moved away from home at 15 to chase the dream. He played junior hockey with the Saskatoon Blades, Prince George Cougars, and Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey League, then returned home for a final junior season with the Estevan Bruins before deciding to go pro.
“My last year of junior hockey I played at home in Estevan and did well, but I had to choose,” said Daae. “Play university hockey in Canada or go down south and grind it out in the minors. Eventually I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
He’s been playing professionally ever since. Just a few months ago, he skated in his 500th professional game. He also hit a career milestone with his 300th assist during the final regular season game this year, bringing his totals to 198 goals and 300 assists.
This will be his final season on the ice.
“Ever since COVID hit, it juggled up a bunch of things. I was with Roanoke at the time. A group of us came down to Columbus. It’s a great spot, and they treat us really well here. This is my fifth year with this team, and this is where I’ll end it.”
In Columbus, he met his wife, Kelsiee, and they wedded in late November last year. When he’s not racing or playing hockey, you’ll probably find him on the golf course.
“It’s nice to have decent weather during the hockey season—especially on the golf course,” he added. “Beats the minus 30s and 40s back home.”
These days he doesn’t root for a specific NHL team—but keeps an eye on players who came from his area or those he crossed paths with during his junior years.
Balancing the Seasons
The overlap of hockey and racing is minimal—but the workload isn’t.
“The seasons are set up just right,” he said. “Racing starts or has started when hockey’s winding down. When racing ends, hockey is already rolling. It’s been a pretty busy 10 years juggling between the two.”
Hockey has always been the priority, but racing is no less serious.
“I don’t take racing lightly either,” he said. “It’s a big passion for us. It goes hand in hand with hockey—on the ice or on the track, people see you competing, but they don’t always see the time and effort behind it.”
The Number and the Name
Daae sports the number 17 in both of his passions—a tribute to his dad, who wore it in his own hockey days.
“I’ve been pretty fortunate to have worn it in most places that I’ve been,” he said. “Some teams, the veterans or the older guys might have it already when you get there, but it’s stuck with me.”
