Blaine center Nick Bjugstad said he will sign sometime this week with the Gophers. The spring signing period begins Wednesday.
"I'm considered a senior," said Bjugstad, who has taken some college classes already at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. "My transcripts have been faxed to the U. When it's official, it will be very exciting to me."
Bjugstad is playing tennis for the first time this spring and enjoying it. He and his partner are 3-0 so far.
"I played tennis when I was growing up, but never competitively," he said. "It helps me with my endurance and footwork. I really like [being on the team]. It's a different group of guys."
He said he is skating now and then, but is basically taking a little break from hockey.
Bjugstad he will start working hard again as the NHL Combine approaches. It runs from May 24-29 in Toronto and only the top 100 or so prospects for the NHL draft are invited.
He was hoping to be invited to paly for the U.S. team in the IIHF under-18 world championships going on now in Belarus but was not.
"They took some guys from the junior league," Bjugstad said. "I obviously was not the right fit. They watched me in the state tournament. I was disappointed. I would have loved to have made the team."
