Huskies Hockey Insider

Bemidji State men's hockey head coach Tom Serratore discusses how his team played in the first half — strengths, things it needs to work on, playing St. Cloud State, how former Huskies assistant coach Mike Gibbons came back for another season and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten

If you had asked St. Cloud State men's hockey fans before the season which player would lead the Huskies in scoring at the holiday break, it is fair to say that Kevin Fitzgerald would not likely have been the first pick. But the graduate student has 21 points (already a career high) through 16 games. Fitzgerald talks about his fast start, takes a look at where the Huskies are, discusses teammate Jack Peart, how he got started in hockey, playing Tier III junior hockey, being a walk-on for SCSU. Discover all this and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Podcast Timestamps:

Final exams, degree he is working on and teammates in classes to open

4:05 hearing from people "you play on the hockey team?!"

5:05 his quick start to the season

6:45 Matt Cullen coming in to teach session on faceoffs, how Cullen treats others

11:05 assessing the Huskies at the holiday break

17:35 Jack Peart being named to USA roster for world championships, having him as a teammate

23:10 playing pro an option?

25:15 starting out playing hockey, his winding junior hockey career

27:50 playing junior hockey for the Aberdeen Wings

30:10 how he ended up walking on at SCSU

35:00 playing in 38 games as a freshman walk-on 

Former Gophers All-American and TV analyst Pat Micheletti breaks down last weekend's NCHC series split between North Dakota and St. Cloud State. He also takes a look at the the Huskies 16 games into the season. He also discusses the play of Kevin Fitzgerald, Veeti Miettinen, Jack Peart, Micah Miller, Seamus Donohue, David Hrenak more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

In a trial format, Mick Hatten discusses the St. Cloud State men's hockey team with WJON-AM's Dave Overlund on this week's episode. The Huskies are preparing to play the University of North Dakota in a series at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Hatten discusses the team, the rivalry with UND, Jack Peart and more on this episode.

The No. 5/6-ranked St. Cloud State men's hockey team has a bye week, but head coach Brett Larson said his team will not be taking it easy in practices after getting swept last weekend at Western Michigan. Larson discusses the series against Western Michigan, some lineup changes, recruiting, gives an update on Sam Hentges and the former USHL head coach gives some perspective on the Omaha Lancers situation with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Forum Communications announced this week that it is partnering with athletes to expand The Rink Live brand as the go-to destination for North Dakota and Minnesota hockey coverage.

In the 2020 NHL draft, Jake Sanderson was selected fifth overall by the Ottawa Senators. Welcome to The Rink Live Team Jake. A sophomore studying kinesiology at the University of North Dakota, Jake is an assistant captain and plays defense for the Fighting Hawks. This season, he leads the team in points.

Goalie Maddie Rooney backstopped the U.S. to the 2018 Olympic gold medal. Welcome Maddie to The Rink Live Team as the U.S.  aims to repeat as gold medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics in February.

Forum Communications is excited to partner with like-minded athletes to expand The Rink Live brand as the go to destination for North Dakota & Minnesota hockey coverage.

St. Cloud State men's associate head coach Dave Shyiak has coached college hockey since 1995. He is in charge of the Huskies defensemen and he talks about where the defensemen are at, discusses newcomers Jack Peart and Josh Luedtke 1/3 of the way through their freshman season and playing at Western Michigan where he coached for six seasons. Shyiak also discusses the recruiting process, how they find players, how often they typically see players, how video and the pandemic has changed it and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Former St. Cloud State men's hockey captain and defenseman Geno Parrish discusses his former teammates who played on the 2001 WCHA Final Five team that will be honored Saturday and talks about his impressions on this season's top-ranked Huskies team to open. Then we get to the meat of this podcast: he shares memories of playing with the infamous Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League in 2004-05. The Trashers are the subject of a Netflix documentary called "Untold: Crime and Penalties.

With St. Cloud State about to honor its 2001 WCHA Final Five champion men's hockey team on Nov. 13 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, the insider catches up with Mark Hartigan. Hartigan, the program's career leader in goals (86) and is fifth in points (165), was the WCHA Player of the Year and a top three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2001-02. He discusses his playing career, life since hockey, living in Fort McMurray, Alberta, and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten. There are two parts to this podcast due to some technical difficulties.

With St. Cloud State about to honor its 2001 WCHA Final Five champion men's hockey team on Nov. 13 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, the insider catches up with Mark Hartigan. Hartigan, the program's career leader in goals (86) and is fifth in points (165), was the WCHA Player of the Year and a top three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2001-02. He discusses his playing career, life since hockey, living in Fort McMurray, Alberta, and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten. There are two parts to this podcast due to some technical difficulties. This is Part 2.

Matt Hendricks has been an assistant directory of player development for the Minnesoa Wild since June 2019. In his position, he is a liaison between the organization and players that the team has drafted. Hendricks discusses two Wild draft picks playing for the Huskies (Jack Peart and Sam Hentges), duties involved in his job, how much travel is involved and more. He also discusses his playing career from leading Blaine to the Class AA state title in 2000, playing on a talent-laden St. Cloud State team that won the WCHA Final Five title in 2001 and about his playing career on this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Allie Cornelius grew up in St. Cloud, dreaming of playing in the WCHA. When she graduated from Cathedral High School, she was the all-time leader in goals for the St. Cloud Icebreakers and ended up accepting an offer to play for St. Cloud State. She became friends with her three teammates from Finland and is trying to learn the language from them. Cornelius was also a soccer player at Cathedral. She discusses all these topics, her progression as a player and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

It is homecoming week at St. Cloud State and it will be a homecoming for University of Minnesota men's assistant hockey coach Garrett Raboin. Raboin played for the Huskies from 2006-10 and was an assistant coach for SCSU from 2012-18 before leaving to take his current job with the Gophers. He discusses the Gophers, answers some submitted questions from Twitter, playing for the Huskies, how he is helping honor Mack Motzko and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Hard to believe, but Nick Oliver is beginning his fourth season as an assistant coach for the St. Cloud State men's hockey team. Oliver talks about the excitement surrounding this weekend's nonconference series at Minnesota State University-Mankato, keys for the Huskies, discusses last weekend's sweep over St. Thomas, assesses the four newcomers and gives you a couple of goal scorer terms that get used in the locker room. Discover all this and more in this podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

When the NCAA announced that athletes who competed in the 2020-21 school year could have another year of eligibility because of the pandemic, Emma Polusny took her time to make her decision. During that last school year, she finished two undergraduate degrees and helped the St. Cloud State women's hockey team triple its WCHA win total from the season before. The senior and Mound-Westonka High School graduate decided to return and pursue an MBA. Polusny discusses her academics, discusses this season's team, her time with the USA women's national team and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Because of some internet issues, the podcast is in two parts. This is Part 2. The Huskies open their season at 6 p.m. Friday with a nonconference game against Lindenwood at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

When the NCAA announced that athletes who competed in the 2020-21 school year could have another year of eligibility because of the pandemic, Emma Polusny took her time to make her decision. During that last school year, she finished two undergraduate degrees and helped the St. Cloud State women's hockey team triple its WCHA win total from the season before. The senior and Mound-Westonka High School graduate decided to return and pursue an MBA. Polusny discusses her academics, discusses this season's team, her time with the USA women's national team and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Because of some internet issues, the podcast is in two parts. This is Part 1. The Huskies open their season at 6 p.m. Friday with a nonconference game against Lindenwood at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Blake Winiecki did not know much about the ECHL when he left St. Cloud State to join the Florida Everblades. But having recently re-signed with the team for his fourth full pro season, he clearly enjoys playing for the team, which plays its home games in Estero, Fla., a suburb of Fort Myers. Winiecki discusses what it was like to back at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center last week for a pro camp, shares some of his experiences in pro hockey, talks about working in real estate, having a wife who is a former college hockey player and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.

Clark Kuster, in a way, came back home when he accepted a job as an assistant coach with the North American Hockey League's St. Cloud Norsemen. Kuster was a member of the St. Cloud State men's hockey team from 2015-20. Kuster spent last season as a defenseman for the Pensacola Ice Flyers in the Southern Professional Hockey League and was again a teammate of former Huskies forward Jake Wahlin. But about midway through this summer, he decided he wanted to start a career as a coach and got help from SCSU assistant coach Nick Oliver to hook up with the Norsemen. Kuster discusses his playing career, his start to his coaching career, the first few games for the Norsemen and more.

The Norsemen have their home opener at 7 p.m. Friday against the Bismarck Bobcats.

Blake Winiecki did not know much about the ECHL when he left St. Cloud State to join the Florida Everblades. But having recently re-signed with the team for his fourth full pro season, he clearly enjoys playing for the team, which plays its home games in Estero, Fla., a suburb of Fort Myers. Winiecki discusses what it was like to back at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center last week for a pro camp, shares some of his experiences in pro hockey, talks about working in real estate, having a wife who is a former college hockey player and more with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.