Taking the fast track to stardom

ST. CLOUD - Aaron Ness is sure he has them somewhere, the autographs gathered during his grade school years of players on the Roseau High School boys' hockey team.

As best he can remember, none of the players who signed for him went on to fame at the NCAA Division I or professional level, which has no bearing on why he decided to hang on to them.

As for those Roseau kids who have landed Ness' signature the past three years, they one day might appreciate more than the sentimental value attached to it.

Be it via word of mouth, occasional TV exposure, YouTube video or last year's state tournament at Xcel Energy Center, word has traveled from Minnesota's northern border to all points below: Ness, a Gophers recruit, is a rare talent.

"Aaron Ness is the best hockey player in the state,'' Roseau coach Scott Oliver said of his offensive-minded defenseman, who had helped the Rams to a 21-0 record entering Thursday's game against Thief River Falls. "And at the state tournament last year he was the best player at the state tournament. Hands down.''

Ness (5-10, 170 pounds) committed to the Gophers about a week after the Rams won the Class 2A state championship, picking the U over North Dakota and Wisconsin. Since then Gophers fans have anticipated his arrival like tweens awaiting the next Miley Cyrus concert tour.

Ness' quickness and offensive prowess are reminiscent of those of former Gophers center Phil Kessel when translated to the defenseman position. Ness is expected to be taken in the first round of the NHL draft, as Kessel was in 2006.

And, as Kessel did, Ness is accelerating his school work to graduate a year early. No need for a year of seasoning in juniors for Ness; he's ready for major college hockey.

Ness' family moved from St. Cloud to Roseau when he was 5. Because the school year already had begun, his parents decided to wait until the following fall to enroll him in kindergarten. It wasn't until late last summer that Ness decided to combine his junior and senior years and pass on a fourth year of high school hockey.

"I talked it over with my dad, and we agreed it would be beneficial for my career,'' Ness said. "I felt like I was ready to move on and take the next step.''

Ness attends eight classes during the day and 3 1/2 more online in the evening. He basically takes two of everything -- two English classes, two math classes, two science classes -- plus electives.

He attends school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Then it's off to practice for two hours, followed by two hours of homework. Most nights he's back at the rink after that for some pickup hockey with his friends.

"That's one of the most fun things you can do in hockey, fool around a little bit with your buddies,'' Ness said. "I'm probably on the ice 3 1/2 hours a day.''

"He's a busy kid,'' Jay Ness said of his son's academic workload. "I'm almost as proud of him for the way he's handling this as the hockey. It points to how driven he is.''

Jay Ness, who grew up in Roseau, played defense at North Dakota from 1982 to '85. He was talented enough to be selected in the seventh round of the 1982 NHL draft by Chicago. But a serious knee injury early in his college career cost him a step and a decent shot at a pro career.

Said Jay Ness of his son: "He's 10 times the player I was.''

Aaron was 8, his dad said, when he began to dominate on the ice. Jay was coaching Aaron's Squirt team at the time and decided to move him from forward to defense. He has played along the blue line ever since, and the dominance never has subsided.

Late in Roseau's 4-1 victory at St. Cloud Tech last week, Ness scored a shorthanded goal that drew a gasp from many of those on hand. After ragging the puck in the neutral zone with some nifty stickhandling, Ness finished things off with a dash down right wing, shielding his final defender with his left hand before scoring from in tight.

For Roseau goaltender Mike Lee, it was a sight that has become very familiar.

"What am I supposed to say?" Lee said. "You just stand back there and your jaw just kind of drops.''

Lee, a junior, has made a verbal commitment to play for St. Cloud State, meaning his longtime teammate soon will be rushing the puck toward him rather than away from him.

"I hope he goes pro before I have to try to stop him,'' Lee said.

Ness acknowledges he has long dreamed of playing in the NHL but does not allow himself to look too far ahead or to take anything for granted. His dad's experiences serve as a reminder.

In the meantime, the adulation is nice, Ness said, but the drive remains to continue to get better.

"I'll always have higher expectations for myself,'' Ness said. "I set my goals high and work as hard as I can to achieve them.''

Others have noticed. Roseau was in Cloquet for a game this season when the Pee Wee coach there asked Ness if he would take some time to speak to the kids. Jay Ness said he didn't hear about it until later when one of the parents mentioned how much the kids enjoyed the visit.

A quick thinker or two might even have gotten his autograph.