Nick Bjugstad looked like a flopping fish out of water for half his first college hockey season. He was pretty harmless.

Lately that has changed dramatically. The freshman center for the Gophers has turned into a menacing shark. He was named the WCHA rookie and co-rookie of the week back-to-back.

The other co-rookie award winner, after last weekend's games, was Alaska Anchorage goalie Chris Kamal. That's especially interesting, considering Kamal and the Seawolves play the Gophers this weekend in a best-of-three, first-round WCHA playoff series at Mariucci Arena.

Which freshman stays hot could decide the team advancing to the WCHA Final Five.

Bjugstad started slowly, as he was warned he might. Scott Bjugstad told Nick, his nephew, to expect a hard adjustment period. Eventually, though, Scott knew Nick would start asserting himself.

"It took me a year and a half before I played all the time," said Scott Bjugstad, a high-scoring Gopher from 1979 to '83. Scott had 72 goals and 134 points in his last two seasons with the Gophers. Then he played in the NHL for all or parts of nine seasons.

"[Nick] is a lot bigger and better than me in a lot of ways," said Scott Bjugstad, who was 6-1, 185 in college. "But [Nick] told me he felt like he was a freshman in high school, playing against seniors."

Nick Bjugstad accelerated his studies in high school, graduating from Blaine in three years. He turned 18 last July but, playing on the Gophers' second line, he often found himself mano a mano against 23- and 24-year-olds.

"I was a little out of my comfort zone at the beginning of the year," Bjugstad said. "It is a big jump from high school."

Five games into the season, an unexpected setback occurred. Bjugstad was sidelined for a month because of mononucleosis. When he returned, coach Don Lucia moved him from center to right wing to lessen his playmaking and defensive responsibilities. Bjugstad's head seemed to be spinning sometimes, Lucia said.

During the holidays, Bjugstad missed two more games while competing for the U.S. team in the World Junior Championship.

"He was up against his age group [there]," Lucia said. "He had a successful world junior tournament and came back a more confident player. Now the points are starting to come."

In 13 games before the world juniors, Bjugstad had two goals and two assists. After his return, he has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 14 games.

"He is trying stuff he was not earlier in the season," Scott Bjugstad said. "Another big difference is, he is on a line with [Mike] Hoeffel, an unselfish senior who moves the puck and works hard. He is making Nick comfortable. And Nick is figuring out what to do with his strength and size."

Bjugstad is listed at 6-4 but probably is at least an inch taller. He weighs only 210 -- "next year I'd like to be 220."

Don't be fooled by the slim physique. He was one of the strongest players in the NHL scouting combine last May in Toronto. Florida subsequently drafted him in the first round of the NHL draft, No. 19 overall.

"He sees the ice well and for a big guy, moves really well," Scott Bjugstad said. "He is better on the smaller rinks. He is more of a playmaker than I was. I was more of a shooter."

Lucia sees a bright future for Nick, too. "I just like the fact he is a pretty well-grounded kid and there is no ego involved. But he is still an 18-year-old kid."

An excited kid. He showed up for practice Monday with a Mohawk haircut for the playoffs. Teammate Jacob Cepis was the barber.

"Coach didn't like it," said Bjugstad, who got a uniform buzz cut.

Another learning moment.

And now the second season begins.

"At any level for the playoffs, you have to step it up a notch," Bjugstad said. "I am sure that is the same here. I am really looking forward to seeing what the pace is like."

Since January, he seems to be keeping up well.