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Captain Hendricks gets his turn
Over the last three years, Husky Hockey has hit a sporadically twisted road consisting of the highest of hills and the flattest of valleys.
The Huskies went from winning the program's first WCHA championship in 2000-01, to not qualifying for the Final Five in 2001-02 (first time since 1995).
Somewhere wrapped between those highs and lows, Matt Hendricks' hockey career can be found.
Hendricks came to SCSU at the beginning of the 2000-01 season fresh out of Blaine High School after leading his team to a State Championship.
The 190 lb. freshman had no clue what he was getting himself into.
"It was a big shock," Hendricks said of his inconsistent 12 point freshman season. "I had a lot of confidence in myself, and after my freshman year it really depleted."
Hendricks, still recovering from a broken leg, couldn't buy a goal after leading the team the first three weekends in shots. He finished with only three in the season.
"He had a great high school career but he was raw," said head coach Craig Dahl. "He didn't know anything about forechecks and things like that. He had to learn some things."
Learning was exactly what the former Mr. Hockey finalist did. In his second season Hendricks redeemed himself by finishing fourth on the team in points (39) and third in goals scored (19).
Last season, as a junior, Hendricks took only a small step back by finishing third on the team in points (36, tied with Malone), but lead the team in power-play goals (10) and total goals scored (18).
Dahl knew it was only a matter of time before Hendricks lived up to his billing.
"He's always had a great work ethic and that athletic body, so I figured he'd be an excellent player by the time he was a junior," Dahl said.
A monumental decision
Hendrick's extraordinary ability and potential has not necessarily made things easy for him. His first important decision came his junior year at Blaine when the Twin City Volcans junior team presented him with an offer.
Hendricks turned it down to finish his senior year. The decision paid dividends when he captured the eyes of nearly every university in the state after Blaine's state championship. Knowing he'd get playing time immediately, Hendricks ended up taking an offer from SCSU.
At the end of his junior year, the left-handed winger faced an even bigger decision when he had the choice to sign with the Nashville Predators, who drafted him out of high school.
"It was the most stressful decision I've ever had to make because I didn't want to leave my friends here," Hendricks said. "It was a lot of stress. Other people don't understand the things that go hand in hand with it. Some people think it's just money being handed to you so you should take it, but it's not about that. It's about looking into your future and saying what if I do this and it doesn't work out?"
Hendricks kept SCSU and Nashville in suspense throughout most of the summer. As he kept thinking it over and time kept flying by, Hendricks' wallet started running on empty. He ended up working three jobs to try and buy some time.
First it was laying concrete blocks for about a week, followed by husking at a corn farm for three weeks and finally he went back to Blaine to work at a sod farm.
"I was kind of all over doing odd-end jobs that nobody else wants to do." Hendricks laughed.
Hendricks also sought advice from former Huskies and current professional players Mark Hartigan (Columbus Minor League) and Brett Hedican (Carolina Hurricane's Defenseman).
Hartigan, along with Ryan Malone (Pittsburgh Penguins forward), had the option to leave before their senior year at SCSU as well, but both opted to finish their senior year.
"(Hartigan) meant a lot to me," Hendricks said of the 2001 Hobey Baker Finalist. "He boosted my confidence so much just by skating with him. He really helped with me with my mental game. He helped me stay away from the highs and the lows and find that confident medium."
Hendricks listened to the former Husky pros when they told him he wasn't missing out on much.
"Hedican told me there isn't much of a difference between playing in the American League (AHL) than playing in St. Cloud, and I'd be having more fun and would have a better chance of making the big club next."
Dahl agreed.
"You can't buy that experience that you're going to get from leading, being the man and actually dominating the game," he said. "When you do that you gain so much confidence and you learn so much."
Work then play
Hendricks has gained nearly 30 lbs of muscle since his freshman year at SCSU, which can be attributed to a disciplined work ethic.
"I hold high standards for myself and I won't be happy unless I meet those," Hendricks said. "A lot of things that go along with my standards has to do with my work ethic and I pride myself by that."
Another place where Hendricks prides himself is in the classroom. He currently has a 3.0 GPA as a biology major with an emphasis in wildlife management and eventually wants to apply his education to a job in the DNR; preferably the fishery unit.
Hendricks is known as a Minnesota outdoor fanatic.
When Hendricks isn't out on the rink, he can often be found on a frozen lake. Ice fishing became a part of Hendricks' life when he first moved to St. Cloud in 2000.
"I'd have a lot more fun with that now," said Hendricks who is often joined by his senior roommate Andy Lundbohm, husky equipment manager Jerimiah Minkel and assistant coach Brad Willner. "'Lundy' and I have a portable ice house that we set up all over Cold Spring. It's a nice way to get away from the rink and that's one of the reasons ice fishing has become more involved in my life."
No matter what the Blaine native decides to do with his life, Minnesota will probably be part of it.
"Only hockey or a job I really love could drag me out of this state," Hendricks said.
There is a good chance hockey will if he has the kind of season Nashville and SCSU are expecting from him.
Husky Schedule
-Oct. 17-18 vs. Wisconsin home at 7:05 p.m.
-Oct. 24-25 vs. Michigan Tech home at 7:05 p.m.
-Oct. 31-Nov. 1vs. Princeton home at 7:05 p.m.
-Nov. 7-8 vs. UMD away at 7:05 p.m.
-Nov. 14-15 vs. UND away 7:35 p.m. and 7:05 p.m.
-Nov. 21-22 vs. RPI away at 6:00 p.m.
-Nov. 28-29 vs. Alaska-Anchorage home at 7:05 p.m.
-Dec. 5-6 vs. Colorado College away 8:05 p.m.
-Dec. 12-13 vs. Denver home at 7:05 p.m.
-Dec. 27-28 Tournament away
-Jan. 2-3 vs. UND home at 7:05 p.m.
-Jan. 16-17 vs. Alaska Anchorage away 10:05 p.m.
-Jan 23-24 vs. Mankato State home at 7:05 p.m.
-Feb. 6-7 vs. Michigan Tech away at 6:05 p.m./4:05 p.m.
-Feb. 13-14 vs. Bemidji State home at 7:05 p.m.
-Feb. 20-21 vs. Wisconsin away 7:05 p.m.
-Feb. 27-28 vs. Colorado College home at 7:05 p.m.
-March 6-7 vs. Minnesota away at 7:05 p.m. and 2:05 p.m.
-March 12-14 WCHA 1st round playoffs TBA
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