Junior hockey is unique to men’s hockey and is very similar to redshirting as a football player. Instead of going to college right after high school, many players take a gap year or two before choosing what college they would like to attend. There are many different leagues you can choose from; the more popular ones in the United States are known as the North American Hockey league (NAHL) and the United States Hockey League (USHL). Regardless of what league you are playing in, the competition is much more intense than in high school, with players from 18 to 21 that has many of them committed to playing at a D-1 college already. 

At Benilde-St. Margaret’s a few of our high school players are playing juniors after the high school season ended. Among those players are sophomore Gavin Reed, sophomore Drew Stewart, and Senior Captain Tristan Sarsland. 

Sophomore, Gavin Reed is playing in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks located in Michigan. “I start my day by usually getting up by 8:30 to get some breakfast, then we leave for the rink at 9:30 for a skate at 10:00”. Next, the gym is open for us to work out, [and] we work out for about an hour and a half. We get food, then practice at 2:00-3:00, then you can stay out there to skate longer. And then meetings go on through the day and you get home around 5:00,” Reed said. He brought his Xbox to play games in his downtime with friends back in Minnesota and plays golf with his teammates on the nice days. “This experience is helping me become mature and it is a great learning experience in many different ways, I have not only become a better hockey player but […] also a better person,” Reed said. He plans to stay with the team through the end of May.

Senior Tristian Sarsland traveled up to Fairbanks, Alaska to play with the Ice Dogs. The Ice Dogs are in the NAHL and have clinched a spot in the Robertson Cup playoffs. “I wake up around 7:30 am, get ready, and head to the rink,” Tristan said. “I enjoy being up in Alaska with the views of the mountains, and Northern Lights,” Tristan said. Tristan has to balance school work around the views saying, “It hasn’t been too bad, sometimes it gets hard to learn online, but overall I have been doing well.” Tristan said the experience has helped him become more independent while playing good hockey, and he could be with the team for five more weeks depending on how they do in Playoffs. 

On the boys’ hockey team, two other players have signed with a team in the North American League, (Adam Marshall with the Bismarck Bobcats and Ben Thompson with Springfield Jr. Blues) and are planning on joining the team next year around September when the season starts.