
Eden Prairie boasts a team beaming with star power. Players such as John and Luke Mittelstadt, younger brothers of Buffalo Sabres forward Casey Mittlestadt, have the instant name recognition. They are committed to play at the University of Minnesota, just as big brother Casey did.
Senior Jack Jensen, a Mr. Hockey finalist, is also headed to Minnesota. Sophomore Carter Batchelder has committed to Colorado College.
Then there's Garrett Smith. A third-line winger with four goals and 19 assists. Smith, the son of longtime Eagles coach Lee Smith, already has had a remarkable career considering the mountains he's been forced to climb.
Garrett Smith underwent brain surgery when he was 2 years old. There were no guarantees he'd reach age 3.
"When I had that tumor, my parents didn't know for sure if I was going to make it," Smith said last winter after scoring his first varsity goal, an overtime winner against Hermantown. "They didn't know if it was cancerous or not."
The year the tumor was removed, Smith broke his leg. He broke the same leg twice more, when he was 4, and then again at age 14. He didn't crack the Eagles varsity lineup until he was a junior. Now he's playing an under-the-radar role for a team hoping to win its third state Class 2A championship.
Smith scored two of his goals midway through the season in a 4-3 loss to Blake. He assisted on Jensen's opening goal in the Eagles' 3-1 section championship victory over Holy Family.
"I feel good for him because he has had to overcome a lot to become a player on a high school team," Lee Smith said last winter.