FARGO — A year ago, Grant Cruikshank was helping the Gophers men's hockey team reach its first NCAA Frozen Four in eight years. On Saturday night, Cruikshank will try to do his best to prevent the Gophers from returning to the national semifinals.
The fifth-year senior center and his St. Cloud State teammates face Minnesota in the Fargo Regional final, aiming to reach the program's second Frozen Four in the past three years. Cruikshank enters the game as the second-line center for the Huskies, and his 23 goals this season were tied for third in the nation through Thursday.
He doesn't expect any added nerves Saturday because this isn't Cruikshank's first rodeo when it comes to facing former teammates.
"It might be a little weird, but honestly, this year having played them earlier in the season, having played CC [Colorado College] five times, I feel like I'm pretty comfortable with it now,'' he said. "The first couple times I was playing my former schools, it was a little weird.''
"Former schools'' is correct. Cruikshank twice has used the transfer portal to change destinations. The Delafield, Wis., native played three seasons at Colorado College, collecting 30 goals and 15 assists. After a coaching change with the Tigers, he transferred to Minnesota, where he had seven goals and seven assists in 33 games in 2021-22. He then landed at St. Cloud State, where his game has blossomed.
Cruikshank quickly made an impact with the Huskies, amassing six goals and four assists in the season's first six games. He had a four-game goal-scoring streak in November, cooled off with a five-game pointless streak from late-January to mid-February, and now carries a four-game point streak into the regional final. He's had a goal and an assist in each of the Huskies' past two victories.
"It doesn't really matter who we play or what team's across from us,'' Cruikshank said. "We need to focus on ourselves. That's how we've been approaching every day and every game this year.''
Brodzinski family ties
