Six seniors choose junior hockey for next year

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Drew Clark

Six BSM seniors pose together before they head off for junior hockey next year.

Drew Clark, Writer

Next year, six BSM seniors will leave behind their legacies as they head off on different paths trying to create new legacies in junior hockey.

Played across the United States and consisting of ages generally ranging from 16-21, the junior hockey route may be unusual for the average high school graduate, but this experience is something these seniors are all excited about. Many previous BSM hockey players have taken this route with the intention of playing college hockey and then achieving their dream of playing in the National Hockey League. ”I chose this route because ever since I was a little boy it was my dream to play college hockey and playing junior hockey is the only way for me to achieve this dream,” Carson Limesand said.

Jackson Bisson has already started his junior hockey career. He started playing with the St. Cloud Norsemen in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) after this year’s high school hockey season. The NAHL is made up of 27 teams, with an additional three teams––the Anchorage Wolverines, the El Paso Rhinos, and the North Iowa Bulls––being added next year. “It is definitely a change, having to live away from home and be on your own is different. Everything is about hockey. You wake up, practice, have team meetings, work out, and do it again the next day. I really liked meeting new people and traveling with the boys. It is definitely a good experience, and I’m excited to do it again next year,” Bisson said.

There are many good things and experiences that come from junior hockey. Traveling the country, playing hockey daily, and living with a billet family. A billet family is a family who is bringing in these players to stay with them throughout the season. Although these players are taking anywhere from 1-3 years off of school, they are continuing to chase their dreams. “I am most excited about being done with high school and only playing hockey for the next couple of years,” Mortenson said.

The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the highest tier for junior hockey in the U.S. and is made up of 14 teams which are all located in the midwest. The NAHL is the second-highest-ranking junior hockey league. Senior goalie Limesand plans to play in the NAHL for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs located in Alaska. If available, Limesand will look to make an USHL team. “I am most excited for the long season and not having to worry about school,” Limesand said.

Senior defenseman James Callahan plans to play for the Springfield Jr. Blues in Illinois unless he is able to make a USHL team. “My goal of playing junior hockey is to get better every year and have a lot of fun. Hopefully in the end getting a D1 scholarship to play hockey,” Callahan said.

Senior forward Jackson Bisson plans to continue playing for the St. Cloud Norsemen in the NAHL unless he is able to make a USHL team. “I want to play college hockey and in order to do that I have to develop more in juniors,” Bisson said.

Senior forward Grant Ellings plans to play for the New Mexico Ice Wolves unless he is able to make a USHL team. “To move on as I have played five years of high school hockey, I loved it, but I am ready for something new,” Ellings said.

Senior forwards Jonah Mortenson and Asher Conolly are unsure where they will be playing next year with the hopes of either playing for a NAHL or USHL team. “I chose this route because I want to play hockey in the future,” Conolly said.