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Cullen bloodline still churning
SCSU captain Jon Cullen comes from a long line of talented hockey players
 Media Credit: Ryan Henry Captain Jon Cullen is tied for second on the team in goals (14), second in assists (19) and second in points (33) going into this weekend�s crucial WCHA series against the University of Minnesota.
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A hockey team's locker room lounge with a border that has a repeating pattern of an endless shelf of books in the same room as a 61-inch television is ironic.
Maybe it's a subliminal attempt to get the team to focus on school work after a long day's work on the ice. It's an attempt that couldn't be more in vain with the presence of the 61 inch monstrosity. Some players, that will remain nameless, can even be considered regulars, sprawled out on the leather couches frying their brain cells, before and after practice.
Senior captain Jon Cullen could testify that he's not one of them. He has a 3.4 GPA to prove it. Don't be fooled though, Cullen's number one priority, and love, is hockey.
"I just do what I got to do," the Alexandria native said as he plunged down on the leather couch after glancing over homework on a computer along the wall opposite of the TV.
To get a full grasp on the kind of player and person Cullen is, all you have to do is rewind back to Jan. 4 when the Huskies and Gophers skated to a 3-3 tie at the NHC.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Cullen was squirted with a water bottle by Gopher agitator Matt DeMarchi. Blows were exchanged between Cullen and the Gopher bench, which sparked many more on the ice. It took about 10 minutes to sort out the proper penalties. It was merely a case of the home team defending its captain.
After the game, DeMarchi, in a fit of frustration, refused to come out of the locker room to talk to the press. Cullen on the other hand was all smiles outside of the Husky locker room holding his two-year-old nephew Ben. As reporters approached, Cullen set him down and gave him a puck. Ben's face couldn't have lit up any brighter.
Family Ties
Ben Doherty (Cullen's sister's son) is the youngest of many boys with Cullen blood flowing through his veins. His cousins Matt (Anaheim Mighty Ducks, former Husky 1995-97), Mark (Minnesota Wild AHL squad, former CC Tiger) and Joe (a senior at CC) have all made their names widely known in the hockey world. Whether it's fishing or working out together, Cullen and his cousins consider themselves tight-knit.
The Cullen hockey bloodline can be traced back to a couple of twin brothers named Tim and Terry, who played for Concordia College. Tim is Jon's father and Terry is the father of Matt, Mark and Joe. The twins were only the beginning of an extremely close, yet competitive Cullen rivalry.
"My uncle (Terry) still tries to feed me beers the night before we play CC," Cullen said. "It's a fun rivalry, but we have a very competitive family."
The Cullen blood contains not only competition and athletic genetics, but also a love for the game that has helped raise a true Minnesota hockey family.
"I was raised to play hockey no doubt," Cullen said. "You get it in your blood when you're a little kid. I can see it in Ben right now. You put a stick in his hands and it's 'hockey, hockey, hockey.' I'm sure I was the same way. They get you playing hockey and you develop a love for it. It gets in your blood and it becomes such a big part of your life that it's hard to imagine being without it."
The Captain
At an honest 5-9 and 165 pounds, Cullen is not exactly the most intimidating of players on the ice. What he has lacked in size though has been more than made up for in heart. After all, the heart is exactly what he's been for the Huskies the past few years.
"You have to be such a well rounded athlete, and a lot of times size doesn't matter if you have all the skills and the heart," senior assistant captain Ryan Malone said. "On and off the ice you've got to look at the person he is. Maybe he doesn't want to do certain things, but he'll do it for the team's sake. He always puts the team in front of himself."
That's the biggest reason why he's had the responsibility of baring the 'C' on his jersey (along with Ryan Malone and Joe Motzko this season). Cullen is the only Husky in SCSU's D-I history to wear the patch in two consecutive years since Vic Brodt did in 1988-90.
Cullen has some skills as well. Along with winning the Sam LaPresti Award for being the most determined SCSU player over the last two years, Cullen has 109 career points (14th most in SCSU history), and is the 19th Husky to score over 100 points.
The reason that these achievements are so amazing is that Cullen has missed 21 games in the last three seasons combined. He's missed four this season, a season in which SCSU has been overwhelmed with injuries.
"He's battled through injuries like everyone else," Malone said. "All the great players always overcome the adversity."
College days ending
Cullen's senior linemate, and roommate Joe Motzko, walked into the lounge with a sly grin on his face. He was making his intentions clear from the start. There would be no friendly gesture or heartfelt remarks. He was there to embarrass his roommate in any way possible.
"Can I talk about him?" Motzko asked.
"Hey, I didn't say anything bad about you," Cullen said in a desperate attempt to protect his reputation. Cullen was referring to the feature interview on Motzko for the St. Cloud Times a week earlier.
"You ripped on me enough during the interview though," Motzko said.
Cullen nodded and paused as if he knew it to be the truth. After the two jawed back and forth about who was going to go home and cook, Cullen managed to shoo his linemate out of the room before too much damage was done.
As spring break of his senior year approaches, Cullen is hoping to find a way to continue following his passion after his collegiate days are finished.
Although his size may not help his cause, it'll be hard for pro scouts to ignore his quickness, along with an arsenal of carefully polished fundamental skills. The pros have become even more appealing after seeing his cousins Matt and Mark play in the league.
"It's fun to talk about that and all the old famous NHL buildings that they play in because that's something you dream about," Cullen said. "Listening to those guys and hearing what it's like makes you want to be there more."
"There's no question that I'd like to continue to play if I get that opportunity. Whether my body can handle it is a question. I'd just like to tell people someday that I gave it a shot."
Although it may sound like it, Cullen isn't necessarily in any rush to follow his dream.
He wouldn't admit it until Motzko left, but Cullen knew that Friday night, being senior night at the NHC, will take on special meaning and will carry some strong emotions with it.
"I'll miss my teammates obviously," he said. "Your teammates are your family and that's a tough thing to leave behind. Another thing is the fans and the atmosphere of playing in this building. It's just been so fun. There's nothing like scoring a big goal in front of 6,000 fans here."
When the lights go out on Friday and they introduce Cullen, for what may be the last time, the emotion as well as the decibel level, will be off the charts when every one of those 6,000-plus fans show love for their captain.
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