Central Intelligence
Stu Bickel (4), is an NAHL alumni.
There are more options than ever to play Junior hockey, including in the NAHL which has teams right out the back door for Minnesota college hopefuls.
By Brian McDonough
After graduating from Little Falls High School in 2005, the closest Mikael Lickteig was going to get to Division I college hockey was buying a ticket to a game.
“It was either go to school and not play hockey or go play Junior hockey,” said Lickteig. “I still had dreams of playing Division I and wanted to give it a shot to see if I could do it or not.”
Fast forward three years and an older, wiser, stronger Lickteig, now in his second season with the North American Hockey League’s Alexandria Blizzard, is on the cusp of fulfilling that dream — all without leaving the comforts of home.
“Quite a few schools are interested in me this year,” said Lickteig, 20.
What started 32 years ago in Michigan, the NAHL, the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior A non ‘pay-to-play’ league in the country, continues to solidify its presence among Minnesotans as a prime developmental league for Division I hockey, specifically in the league’s Central Division.
Comprised of two Minnesota-based teams — the Blizzard and the Southern Minnesota (Owatonna) Express — along with the Bismarck Bobcats, Fargo-Moorhead Jets, North Iowa (Mason City) Outlaws and Springfield (Missouri) Jr. Blues, the Central Division forges a strong Minnesota identity with overwhelming benefits for players and parents alike.
“The league has a good, centralized base in the Midwest, the Central Division especially,” said Outlaws owner Mark Motz, a North St. Paul native who also serves as the NAHL’s chairman of the board. “It allows players to be close to home and gives parents the opportunity to watch them develop and progress.”
Just ask the University of Minnesota’s Stu Bickel (Chanhassen) and Brian Schack (Lino Lakes), to name two.
Both skated for the Express before taking to Western Collegiate Hockey Association ice.
When it comes to recruiting in the Minnesota high school ranks, the NAHL knows its niche. Instead of poaching players prior to graduation, teams focus their efforts on the senior who needs another year or two of development before thinking Division I.
“They can stay at home, graduate with their class, enjoy a great high school career and then play a year or two of high-level Junior hockey before college,” said Grant McGinnis, assistant general manager of the Blizzard. “It’s a win-win deal.”
The NAHL is conquering some misconceptions in Minnesota high school circles, one of which is that if a player isn’t drafted or recruited by the United States Hockey League, then it’s goodbye Division I, hello Division III.
But not only have a number of players who finished out their high school years at home gone on to successful Division I careers as 20-year-old freshmen after toiling in the NAHL, but even making a Division III roster right out of high school isn’t a lock these days without seasoning in the Junior ranks.
“A lot of kids say if they don’t get in the USHL they’re going to play D-III hockey,
but most aren’t physically ready,” said North Iowa coach Dave Boitz, an Anoka native. “Most kids out of high school hockey have barely scratched the surface of how much they can develop as a player.”
In Alexandria coach-GM Brad Willner’s estimation, seeing is believing.
“A lot of players and parents don’t feel the NAHL is as good as USHL,” said Willner, a Richfield native who served five seasons as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State. “But once they see a game, they’re surprised at how good the level of play is. It’s a big step-up from Minnesota high school.”
Hibbing native Shea Walters, one of the NAHL’s top scorers who is already committed to Bemidji State, played two seasons in the USHL prior to joining the Outlaws. With the support of the Beavers’ coaching staff, the 19-year-old is getting the ice time and confidence he needs in North Iowa to make an immediate impact at BSU next season.
“As long as the level of competition is high and you’re getting ready for college, it doesn’t matter what league you’re in,” he said. “It’s not a cakewalk here, that’s for sure.”
And that development is spurred by an intense 60-game schedule complimented with daily on-ice practices. Add to that first-class amenities that rival many college programs, including private locker rooms, academic advisors and billet support, and all the pieces are in place for a legitimate run at college hockey.
“Right away, when I first came into this league, I was thrown around quite a bit,” said Lickteig, who played one season in Rochester with the Minnesota Junior League’s Minnesota Ice Hawks before joining the Blizzard. “You could tell that I needed to work on certain areas of my game, and these past 2-3 years have really helped me out.”
It’s those rags-to-riches stories that are starting to resonate loud and clear in Minnesota, and ones that are making the league’s Central Division the preferred choice among local college hopefuls.
“People around here are realizing how much of an impact this league can have on a player’s exposure and chances of making their goals become a reality,” said Jets assistant coach Aaron Kinslow, from Moorhead.
And it’s tough to rival the Central Division when it comes to exposure. Situated in the heart of the WCHA, as well as the Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin-based Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, scouts don’t have far to travel to evaluate NAHL talent.
“Not many places in the U.S. can match that kind of exposure,” Kinslow.
Now in his third year with Bismarck, Ryan Kayfes, from Maple Grove, is confident he’s getting the college attention he needs to advance.
“Not only is this league getting better, talent-wise, but you can tell more and more scouts are watching us play,” he said. “That and more and more players are getting Division I spots for schools they want to play for.”
The ease of travel not only entices college and professional scouts, but mom and dad also have the luxury of watching their son’s development in person, both at home and on the road. That and exhausting bus trips and hotel stays for the teams are kept to a minimum.
“Which is ideal, because we can make a lot of trips back after road games and sleep in our own beds,” said Kinslow.
A cozy place to consider as high school seniors begin to map out their college hockey plans.
Brian McDonough is the NAHL’s director of marketing and communications.