Minnesota Hockey reached out to four Mr. Hockey candidates who chose the Minnesota State High School League this winter over junior hockey to learn what went into their decision.

From the metro to the Iron Range to the prairies, every Minnesota hockey player’s path is unique. Yet, there are many similarities in why athletes love Minnesota’s community hockey model, including playing alongside best friends from elementary school, waking up close to family, and an unshakeable sense of community pride that comes with putting on the hometown jersey.

Emphatically, all four players enter the season with the expectation to go to the State Tournament this March in chase of a state championship and the immortality that goes with it.

By the end of the season, two teams will have the conclusion they’ve always dreamt of. One or two of them might be led by one of these guys.

Nate Garski, for as long as he can remember, has wanted to be a Thunderhawk.

The Grand Rapids senior forward grew up idolizing the legends who came before him. He was six-years-old when he watched Avery Peterson win Mr. Hockey in 2014, and 13 when Jack Peart won the award for Rapids in 2021.

To him, there was (and still is) nothing cooler than the reemergence of the “Halloween Machine” run of 2017, when his heroes last put Grand Rapids atop the mountain of Minnesota High School Hockey. It lit a fire with Garski and his friends, and they’ve been working towards repeating it since.

“When I was younger, I always wanted to be someone like Blake McLaughlin or Gavin Hain,” he said. “So yeah, now to walk in those shoes, it’s pretty cool. Being on the high school team is an honor.”

With so many legends before him to wear the iconic “GR” sweater, hockey is deeply rooted. So when it came time to decide where he might spend the winter of his senior season, there wasn’t any decision to be made.

On November 1, he played his 14th game of the fall for the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League and headed home to Grand Rapids. There is work to be done.

“It means a lot to play with your buddies and represent a town that has a lot of tradition,” Garski said. “I’m just trying to repeat that tradition, and hopefully bring home a state championship again. That’s what I’ve wanted for as long as I’ve played hockey.”

Garski says there are many special things about Grand Rapids, from the quality of coaching to the abundance of outdoor rinks. But really, it’s the culture and the community support that drives a program like Grand Rapids, and turns a group of young men into local celebrities chasing folk hero status.

True to his roots, Garski plays a heavy game representative of Iron Range Hockey. Unselfish and at his best when he’s working through the dirty areas, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward earned regular time in Bismarck, and feels fortunate to have that opportunity to grow. But it’s good to be home.

“It’s important to enjoy it,” Garski said of the high school experience. “Realizing that you know that after this year, it becomes a business, and people are fighting for their lives in juniors. There are fun parts to it too, but it’s a business, and all it takes is maybe one week of struggling, and you could be sent home.”

As Grand Rapids begins its pursuit of its second Section 7AA title in the last three years, Garski and his 12 senior teammates will do their best to make their community proud.

“There are a lot of things that are special about high school hockey,” Garski said. “Playing with the boys you grew up with. The whole community comes out and supports you, and we sell out every night, 3,000 people. It’s a special place for hockey with so much tradition, and I am happy to be a part of it.”

What Coach Grant Clafton says about Nate Garski coming back…

“He’s a hockey junkie, and he’s paying it forward,” Clafton says. “I think it’s huge for our community and for Minnesota State High School Hockey when guys like Nate and the other ones who make the decision to come back. It continues to build the legacy of high school hockey.”

Jackson Knight was averaging nearly a point per game for the Minnesota Wilderness of the NAHL, but now he’s back in Orono, looking to help lead the Spartans to their fourth straight trip to the state tournament.

He brings with him 54 goals and 105 points over the past two seasons as a Spartan. “I grew up here, and I watched other kids wear the logo before me,” Knight said. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of it.”

Knight remembers his first varsity action as a freshman. It was nerve-wracking, but playing with senior captain Bradley Walker and observing him helped Knight find his groove. That year, Walker scored 20 goals and 50 points to lead the team, while Knight had one assist in 13 games.

In Knight's sophomore year in 2022-23, he led the team in scoring (21-22-43), as well as to a state tournament consolation finish. Last year he scored 33 goals with 29 assists for nearly two points per game en route to third place at state.

It seems like a natural progression for this group of nine seniors on the roster, a tight-knit group looking to deliver Orono its second championship banner to Morrison Arena.

It’s the way they’ve always imagined it. 

“I grew up playing with these guys my whole life, and now we’re going to graduate together,” Knight said. “It’s fun being so close, going to school together and hanging out at other events at school, at the rink or at each other’s houses. It’s an important time, and I know we will have these friendships the rest of our lives.”

Earning your way to the State Tournament is pretty fun too. Looking to punch his fourth ticket in four years, Knight should know.

“There’s nothing better than going downtown to (Grand Casino Arena),” he said. “Taking the trip with all your best friends is not something you ever forget.”

What Coach Mitch Hall says about Jackson Knight coming back…

“Everyone in the whole city is excited to see him representing the Spartans, and have another opportunity to lead his team to a state tournament. From top to bottom, it’s very exciting for our hockey community.”

“He felt that it was in his best interest to come back and play with his buddies, and still have that opportunity to play juniors after the (high school) season,” Hall said. “He’s obviously a player that can play at the next level, and he chose to come back here to further his development. I think it goes to show that you can play for your hometown and still reach your goals.”

For Carter Ernst, the plan was to play the whole season at Cedar Rapids of the USHL, but once November rolled around, the pull got to him. Ernst was a regular in the lineup for the Rough Riders, and posted five points in 15 games, but he felt like he was missing out on something. He and the teammates had been talking with increasing frequency, and the recruitment from back home was becoming louder.

“You’re never going to get this time back,” Ernst said. “Playing with your buddies that you’ve grown up with, there’s nothing quite like it. Might as well make these memories while you can.”

On Nov. 3, he made his decision and put his USHL career on hold until March.

Ernst, a University of St. Thomas commit, says the biggest thing he appreciates since being back is the atmosphere. Junior hockey is a business without sentiment. At Hasse Arena, there is a joy to it that he knows he wants to be a part of.  To play for your school, your community and the love of the game is irreplaceable. Every bus trip, every practice, every meeting with his brother Cougars, Ernst soaks it in. 

“There’s time to be loose,” Ernst said of the difference. “At practice, you’re allowed to joke around a little bit more with your teammates and the coaches. In juniors, you’re always ready to go, no matter what.”

Ernst scored 27 goals and 61 points last year as a junior for a South team that handed top-seed and eventual champions Moorhead a major scare in the quarterfinals. It only validated his belief in South’s ability to compete with anyone, and the pull of another shot at the State Tournament weighed heavily on Ernst.

“Last year, we played hard but the puck didn’t bounce our way, and we lost momentum,” Ernst said. “I think that experience we will learn from when we get back there.”

What Coach Josh Storm says about Carter Ernst coming back…

“It’s an unbelievable testament to have your best players come back,” Storm said. “Everybody in the hockey community was asking about Carter all offseason from little kids to adults: ‘What’s Carter doing?’  I think the enthusiasm for the season began to change once we began hearing that Carter was coming back. The mindset changed, and everybody was energized and ready to go to work to get better every day.

“I can’t wait to see what our home rink looks like this winter with all the little players watching Carter and being his biggest fans.”

The defending state champions Moorhead have reloaded and are ready to defend their title. They have captain Tyden Bergeson to thank for that.

Bergeson was the linchpin that set in motion the return of all the key returning pieces for the Spuds from the junior ranks. Once the Spuds’ leader made his move, putting on hold an incredibly successful start in the USHL for Madison (11 goals and 5 points in 16 games), the others followed him home.

The Spuds are back together, unbeaten, top-ranked, and free.

“We’re super tight,” Bergerson says. “We’re at the rink two-and-a-half hours before practice every day, shooting hoops in the locker room, or just hanging out, or just getting out on the ice early. It’s like a band of brothers.”

Bergeson scored 25 goals and 51 points last year, along with 20 goals with 37 points as a sophomore. The detail-oriented winger does all the little things and doesn’t have to have the puck on his stick to impact the play in significant ways. At Moorhead, a team bursting with talent that plays an aggressive schedule, Bergerson will be expected to lead and problem-solve. That’s something NHL scouts crave with increasing fervency.

“You’re out there a lot in all different kinds of situations,” Bergeson says of playing high school. “The puck is on your stick a lot, and having the confidence to go with that and lead is really big.”

It’s good to be home, back to a community still basking in the afterglow of it’s first state championship. Despite a reputation for developing hockey players about as effectively as anywhere else, the Spuds were an elusive 0-for-8 in state championship games until last year.

A Spud since he could skate, Bergeson wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.

“It means everything to wear the jersey,” Bergeson said. “From the alumni to the little kids, the support is tremendous.”

What Coach Jon Ammerman says about Tyden Bergeson

“People are paying attention, and I hope they understand that these are high-end talent and they realize that this is a great place to develop as a hockey player. I’m not just saying Moorhead, I mean Minnesota.

“They went and had their experiences, and they will continue to have those,” he added. “But they knew they had the chance for something special, and we’re happy to have them back.”