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St. Cloud State University
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Former Husky finds success fast
By Ryan K. Dale
Published:
Thursday, February 6, 2003
Tyler Arnason brings the puck up during the third place game of the 2000 WCHA Final Five. Arnason is currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and is considered one of the NHL�s top rookies.
Tyler Arnason spent three years at SCSU in preparation for the National Hockey League.
It isn't too often that a player comes out of college and goes right into a professional lineup in his first full year in the league. Most players spend years riding busses and grinding it out in juniors or the minor leagues before they're ready for the pro level.
Arnason was one of those rare cases that made it so quickly. He took the skills and experience he gained playing for the Huskies and stepped right into the Chicago Blackhawks lineup almost a year ago (Feb. 13).
The Blackhawks knew how talented Arnason was when they drafted him. They selected him in the NHL Entry Draft in 1998 with the 183rd pick. Everybody, including Arnason, knew he needed time to further develop his skills.
So Arnason spent three seasons playing for SCSU. He grew as a team leader and matured more than anyone could have expected. In his three seasons he played 118 games with the Huskies, scoring 131 points. Most goal scorers shoot first and pass later. Arnason is a smart player and passed when he saw a teammate open, and shot when he saw a good opportunity.
"I knew if I wanted to make it to the next level, and reach my goal, I would have to get better and improve as a team player," Arnason said. "It was a great experience (playing at SCSU) I learned a lot and made some really great friends. I'll never forget it."
Before Arnason left St. Cloud he helped bring a team that was on the brink of success to the next level. In 1999 he was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team, was sixth in the WCHA in scoring, helped the Huskies to the Final Five Championship, was named MVP of the Final Five and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
The success of Arnason at SCSU is directly related to the teammates he played with. When Arnason came to St. Cloud they had a very young team that came from all over the world and they had to learn to grow together. The team had very promising talent with Mike Pudlick, Nate Dicasmirro and Mark Hartigan.
They were a special group of players and friends. Arnason still keeps in touch with them and follows their professional careers. Hartigan actually plays for Atlanta's AHL team based in Arnason's new home of Chicago.
"It's nice being close to Harti (Hartigan), we talk all of the time," Arnason said. "But, as big as that town is, he might as well live in another country."
Hartigan lives on the opposite end of Chicago as Arnason, and their home rinks are miles apart. That's what happens when you make it in the big city, the small towns disappear.
"It's not like before when we lived in St. Cloud," he said. "I just can't drive down the road to his apartment. Now I get lost driving to the arena."
The size of the two cities is the biggest thing Arnason notices when he compares the Windy City with St. Cloud. He was asked to describe Chicago and he responded with, "Huge, it's all concrete, bricks, streets and businesses. Nothing like Winnipeg or St. Cloud."
Arnason officially calls Winnipeg, Canada home. Arnason's father played with eight different NHL teams and was traded by the North Stars to Oklahoma City just four days before Tyler was born.
After leaving the Huskies following the Final Five triumph, Arnason stepped right into the Blackhawk organization. He ended the 2001 season in Norfolk of the AHL and began the 2001-02 season playing for the Admirals. Once again Arnason showed his ability to take control of a game and become a team leader.
He scored 56 points in 60 games, and in Arnason-like fashion, evenly distributed the 56 points with 26 goals and 30 assists. Even though he only played in 60 of the Admirals' games, he finished third in the league in rookie scoring, played in the AHL All-Star game and won the coveted Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Trophy as the AHL Rookie of the Year.
Due to his success in Norfolk, the Blackhawks saw that Arnason had matured and improved his skills enough to make it to the big time. He was called up Feb. 11, 2002 and made his debut against Florida at home. He recorded his first NHL goal Feb. 26 at Philadelphia. Arnason brought the puck up the ice, made a deke move and beat veteran goalie Roman Chehmanek on the glove side.
"It was complete shock, I couldn't believe it went into the net," Arnason said. "All the veterans were giving me crap after the game."
He played in Chicago's final 21 games, scoring three goals and netting one assist. It was his first taste of professional hockey and he was hungry for more.
After the season, Arnason made his annual journey back home to Winnipeg. He knew where he wanted his game to be when the 2002-03 season started, and knew what he had to do to his body in order to get to that level. Arnason had trouble in college keeping his weight down and it caught up with him when he made it to the pros.
"The guys were so much quicker, faster and stronger," Arnason said. "I was getting tired and wasn't in shape to play at that level. I knew I had to do something."
Another man who knew Arnason needed to get in better shape was Bryan Sutter, Chicago's head coach.
"He's grown up and realized what he needs to do," Sutter said. "He lost over 20 pounds and dropped his body fat some five or six percent. That's unheard of. I have never heard of any player in my time in this league that has been able to do that."
"Arnie (Arnason) came into training camp as the top player on this team."
That's a big statement when you consider the Blackhawks have such talented players as Theo Fleury and St. Paul native Phil Housley.
"If he keeps playing how he has the last couple of weeks, he could be the Calder Trophy winner," Sutter said.
The Calder Memorial Trophy is the NHL's version of the Rookie of the Year.
Even if Arnason doesn't win the award, it's something special just to be mentioned as a front-runner. He has played in 52 games this season, scoring 14 goals and adding 12 assists. He leads all rookies in scoring. The statistics that prove that Arnason is on top of his game are his five game-winning goals and a plus/minus rating of plus-11. The Blackhawks have won 22 games, and he has the game-winner in almost a quarter of them.
Arnason recently returned from south Florida where he participated in the NHL Young Superstars Game. Arnason's West team lost 8-3, but had an assist in the game filled with the future of the financially-troubled league. He said the experience was like a dream.
"It was crazy, I mean (Paul) Kariya is sitting to my right and (Mike) Madono was to my left," Arnason said. "These were the people I imitated as a kid and the ones I watched on television growing up."
ESPN somehow talked the usually quiet Arnason to be suited with a mic for the television audience to hear the sounds of the game. He was asked how they could talk someone as quiet as him to be miked for a game.
"I think I was the only one who spoke English," he said. "I told them I don't talk much during the game, not like some guys in this league."
Arnason's next concern is on catching the rest of the teams in the Western conference, including the Minnesota Wild, and reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs. Currently, the Blackhawks have 56 points and are in ninth place in the playoff standings.
So how about the Calder Trophy?
"I don't like to think about that right now, it would be nice if it happens, but I'm more concerned about catching the teams ahead of us and getting into the playoffs," Arnason said.
For the first time in his short college hockey and professional career, Arnason is trying to prolong the time before his annual trip back home to Winnipeg.
"I just want to enjoy my rookie season for as long as I can, get better and make the playoffs," Arnason said.
