His nickname is “Konnie,” but that doesn’t mean he has any girlish mannerisms.

On the Central Hockey League ice, opponents know Konrad Reeder as a gnat-like, fast-skating right wing, capable of turning a game around with one quick steal of the puck and a breakaway.

“In terms of broadcasting,” says New Mexico Scorpions broadcaster Adam Minnick, “he’s exciting to call for. He’s wide-open with speed, he makes guys miss … just fun to watch from up-top. “He makes things happen. He plays bigger than he is,” Minnick continued. “He’ll go into the corners and try to knock the puck loose. He gives effort all the time.

“Off the ice, he’s one of the nice guys you’ll ever meet,” Minnick added. “He’s one of the (Scorpions) people request. He’s very, very good with the kids, even with the adults; very well-spoken.”

A native of Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada, Reeder just turned 26 on Nov. 22.

An academic All-American while playing at St. Cloud (Minn.) State University, after spending two seasons (2000-02) with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, comprised of players ages 16 to 21 who were trying to move to the collegiate or professional hockey level.

After four seasons with St. Cloud State, where the Huskies were 7-1-1 when Reeder scored a goal in his senior season en route to the NCAA tournament, he signed with the Colorado Eagles last year.

Cut after just two games, he was signed by the Scorpions and quickly became a fan favorite, finishing the season with 17 goals and 21 assists in 43 games, with a team-high 28 points in the CHL playoffs.

Minnick said he may never forget something Reeder did during the Scorpions’ playoff series with Arizona.

“He made a gesture to be quiet to the Arizona bench and that was the front page of the Arizona paper,” he recalled. “It was just plastered all over their locker room for game seven as motivation.

“Konnie likes to talk on the ice; he likes to have fun out there,” Minnick said. “He’s a gamer.”

Bad move? Not necessarily.

“I play with a lot of emotion; I think it’s something I have to do,” he said. “I’m not the biggest guy on the ice so I have to play with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I think it gets me more into the game. … I wasn’t doing anything to show them up at all.”

As it turned out, the motivational tool was dull: New Mexico beat the Sundogs, 3-2, to advance to the next round against Laredo.

Since the 2006-07 season ended, life has changed for Reeder.

Oh, he’s still a fan favorite and still wearing No. 21 and still finding the back of the goal regularly, but now he’s not only married but a daddy.

His wife of six months, Katie, and newborn son Wyatt are always on his mind, and Reeder said he doesn’t replay just-completed games in his head anymore. Road trips are lonelier, although those tedious bus trips into the heart of Texas and back allow him to catch up on his sleep.

And maybe dream about a career in the NHL.

After all, that once was the dream, not only for Reeder but probably all of his teammates.

“That was probably everyone’s dream,” he said. “Actually, my dream, really, was being from such a small town, to get a college scholarship and to play at a university and get a degree and I accomplished that.

“Now, it’s just kind of more of less getting to play the game I love,” he continued. “Obviously, along the way I’m sure there were a few dreams about playing in the NHL, but I’m happy with the way things have turned out.”

Sporting dual citizenship, Reeder may be here to stay. He loves the game of golf, and he worked at Santa Ana Golf Course in the summer.

He and Katie like the City of Vision — “We’ve had nothing but good experiences, here; we love it,” he said.

But, the reality is, “At this level, you’re not making a ton of money, so it is a definite sacrifice that she has made, too, for sure,” Reeder explained. “We haven’t talked about it as a definite but, yeah, it’ll hopefully be a few more year. If I can move up, great; if not, then it’s time to get a real job.”

Katie is a teacher but her husband said, “Right now she’s going to be a full-time mom and she does a great job at that.”

Being a dad is “an amazing experience, the best thing,” Reeder said, already looking forward to the day he can see his son lace up his skates.

“It is a big commitment and you have to love the game, otherwise, you’re in the wrong thing, because you’re away from family quite a bit. We’re doing a lot of community stuff,” he said.

“Traveling? It’s not glamor-ous; you’re in a bus for 15, 16, 17 hours sometime. Last trip was 17 hours, one way,” he recalled. “If you don’t love the game, you’re in the wrong sport.”

Fortunately for Scorpions fans, Reeder’s in the right sport and, hopefully, in the right spot to lead the team back into the playoffs.

“I think the fans like me because I play the game hard every night. I think they respect that and we’ve got a bunch of great fans, loyal fans, and they’ve all been great to me.”