News

By Andrew Vitalis
Let’s Play Hockey

Although they didn’t know it at the time, the seeds relating to the 2016-17 Hudson High School boys’ hockey team were planted back in 1992. The story is long, yet uniquely connected. 

The story probably begins when now-current Hudson head coach Brooks Lockwood moved to Hudson from Minnesota. Thrown into the Hudson hockey system as a Mite, Lockwood linked up with Mite teammates Ben Bosworth and Davis Drewiske. Lockwood can’t quite explain it, but the trio gelled immediately, especially Lockwood and Bosworth. 

The group of pucksters rose though the Hudson hockey ranks together, and with their Raider teammates, Hudson skated onto the high school hockey map in 2001 when they won their first state title in school history. During that 2001 state tournament, all three players contributed early and often as the Raiders rolled to easy wins, scoring 16 goals during the state tournament run. To date, the squad ranks among the best scoring teams in state tournament history. Soon after, the three players graduated (Lockwood and Bosworth in 2002, Drewiske in 2003), but that does not mean their skating success came to an end.  

Drewiske went onto to skate one season in the USHL before moving to Madison to star for the Wisconsin Badgers. From there, the agile defenseman jumped to the AHL, then NHL. When it was all said and done, Drewiske played five seasons in the NHL, racking up 135 games with the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens. He retired after the 2015-16 season.

Lockwood and Bosworth also took their game to the next level. As a matter of fact, both players linked up as college hockey teammates while playing Division III hockey at UW-Eau Claire. Prior to taking the leap from high school to the college game, Lockwood had a chance to work for Dean Talafous at Total Hockey, a hockey training center founded by Talafous and his son Pete Talafous. Dean Talafous, a hockey legend and former college and NHL great, raised his son Pete in Hudson and despite traveling around the world as a college coach, made certain that he and his son were, and would always be, a part of the Hudson hockey community. Pete Talafous went onto skate for Alaska Anchorage and then Wisconsin. While at Anchorage, Pete was coached by his father. Still today, Pete is the all-time leading scorer in Hudson high school hockey history.

After Lockwood’s playing career, two things happened and they both involved Bosworth. In 2010, Lockwood took over as the River Falls boys’ varsity head coach. Going with him as an assistant coach was his former high school and college teammate, Bosworth. Lockwood also started his own landscaping business. His business partner?  Bosworth. 

The pair worked the bench for River Falls together for several seasons, but the goal was always to get back to Hudson. Ironically enough, at the same time, the Hudson Raiders boys’ program – while never down and out – was experiencing a stretch of seasons where they struggled to make it back to the Wisconsin boys’ high school mountain top. It had been since 2004 that the navy and white had been to the state tournament. Lockwood hoped the day would come when he could return to his alma mater, and if/when he did, he had a plan. In 2012, the plan was set in motion. Lockwood took over the reins for Hudson at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign, and by his side was … you guessed it, Bosworth.

It wasn’t a plan geared towards wins and losses. Hudson had always been one of the best programs in the state and wins went along with that. Instead, the plan was focused on winning “big games” and taking that next step as a program. Lockwood believed that Hudson needed to not just be a good program, but rather a championship-caliber organization that developed players and kids who were destined to succeed on and off the ice. In short, Lockwood and Bosworth starting building the foundation from the inside with the ultimate goal of making it back to the state tournament and staying there.  

There were two main hurdles that Lockwood and Bosworth felt needed to be addressed. The first was Superior. One of the main reasons why the Raiders had not been able to punch their state ticket since 2004 was because of programs in their way, and no program had become more of a thorn in their side than the Spartans. 

The second obstacle Lockwood and Bosworth wanted to address went far deeper than wins and losses. Since being a part of the program and then watching it from afar, both Lockwood and Bosworth periodically saw high-end talent rise through the Hudson organization, and often times, that talent left the program for greener pastures. 

One of the most notable players who decided to stay, despite numerous offers to leave the program, was Pete Talafous. Lockwood in particular wanted to make a statement early and often. He wanted Talafous to become the norm rather than the exception. He wanted Hudson hockey to become the model when it came to player development rather than a starting point. Lockwood and Bosworth figured that if the hockey culture changed from the inside, the play would take care of itself, and if the talent not only improved but stuck around, the Raiders would also shed the Superior monkey off their back in the process.

The puck dropped when Lockwood and Bosworth returned and it’s been bouncing towards the net ever since. In their first season, the Raiders skated to a 20-6 record, but lost to Superior in the section finals. The next year (2013-14), Hudson finished the season 19-4-2. Their fourth loss that year was their final one, a loss to Superior in the section tournament. In 2014-15, the Raiders rattled off 20 more wins (20-7) overall, losing to who else (Superior) in the section tournament. The Spartans ended up winning the championship that season.  

Then came last year. Two things happened last season that catapulted the Hudson program to another level. First, the Raiders finally broke through the section field and advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 12 years. Hudson skated all the way to the state title game before falling to Appleton East 2-1. In just four short years, of the two main goals Lockwood and Bosworth set for themselves when first taking over, one had been accomplished.

“When we got here, I think it was just a confidence thing,” Bosworth said. “It has always been a strong program, but there were some years where it wasn’t working out. They had a tough time getting past some games. We had a hurdle to get past Superior who we lost four consecutive finals to. We just couldn’t get over that hump. I think just sticking with it and working hard and doing the process right, we’ve started to win those types of games now. Getting back to state was the ultimate hurdle to jump and we were able to do that. Those things just keep building on each other and we just need to continue to do things the right way.”

“Early on when I first got here, we needed some big wins and some good practices so we could start getting better throughout the year and then hopefully the young kids saw that and started to understand that there is a certain compete level we expect – a certain style of play that we want to play that is fun but also aggressive and is a championship level atmosphere and those kids then hopefully see that and stay,” added Lockwood.

The second thing that happened last season addressed Lockwood’s second goal: building player development. Enter Dean Talafous.

“Brooks and I, even before I came onto the staff, we would meet occasionally at Dunn’s Brothers Coffee just to talk hockey,” Talafous said. “Then almost two years ago, he asked me if I would be interested in helping out and the timing was just right. I was retired, I had time on my hands and I had always followed the program. I’ve always thought a lot of Brooks and Ben Bosworth. I have known them for quite a while. I know how difficult coaching can be. There is a lot of outside pressure, it’s about winning. I thought if I could play a part, help out a little bit, I thought I could help. I appreciated that Brooks asked me to come back on the ice. I thought it would be really good for me to get back on the ice and start working with the players.”

It was a perfect match. Not only has the Hudson program jumped back into the state spotlight as a program, but players within the association, and outside of it, instantly began to take notice. In the past, based on resources and exposure, high school programs just to the west of Hudson had been highlighted for their ability to develop players. Now all of a sudden, the Raiders had a coaching staff and program of their own filled with college and professional playing experience. They had the pieces in place to develop that championship style of play Lockwood envisioned four years prior. Well, they had most of the pieces anyway. One more piece was on the way.

Drewiske was retired as a player which meant Lockwood and Bosworth weren’t going to waste any time recruiting their good friend. Drewiske agreed, which meant that when Hudson started their 2016-17 campaign, the Raider players also had a former Hudson grad and NHL defenseman on their side. Now the pieces were in place.

“Credit to Brooks for getting everyone involved who can help the program and help the kids get to where they want to be,” Bosworth said. “To have a guy like Dean, it’s just such a benefit to Brooks and I as coaches and the kids really benefit from it, too. Then Davis, he brings such freshness to the game and how the game has changed over the years in terms of how it’s played and how it is coached. I think it’s great for the kids to get a little bit from everybody, and I think we do a good job of collaborating so we don’t overwhelm the kids. It’s great because we can learn a lot from each other and the kids can pick up a little here and there. We can push them in different ways.”

“Dean has had so much experience, whether it’s when he was in player development or head coach at a Division I or Division III program,” Lockwood said. “With Davis coming in with his experience and more recently playing in the NHL, there is so much consistency that comes from their experience in terms of the way you prepare, the way you practice. Championship teams always practice the same way. There are a lot of similarities that both of those guys preach, that Dean always talks about. Over the years there are a lot of things that has changed, but that consistency when it comes to competing and practicing hard, that type of stuff just doesn’t change and has to be constant.”

“You just try to create a program, a culture that operates at a championship level,” Talafous said. “From the way we practice to the level of intensity on the ice, the way we improve as players every day, the way you handle yourself in the dressing room, the way we respect the game and each other, the discipline we demonstrate on the ice.  You run it like championship programs run it.”

Lockwood and company have, and continue to, build a program that is prepared to compete at the state level for years to come.  This season the Raiders have exploded out of the gates by winning 10 of their first 12 games and are currently ranked No. 1 in the state, along with Wausau West. Senior Chase Blackmun leads the team in scoring with 21 points. Three more players – Cole Danielson, George Nuutinen and Aaron Grounds – have 13 or more points.  

Grounds’ hockey journey has been filled with ups and downs with a lot of miles in between. Grounds grew up in Janesville, N.D., before moving with his brother to Eagan, Minn, where both played for the Reebok Nationals (AAA). From there, the brothers moved to Fitchburg, Wis. Both played one season for the Madison Capitols AAA program. After the Capitols’ season, Grounds tried out, and made, Team Wisconsin where he met Blackmun and former Hudson puckster Trey LaBarge. With his dad still working in North Dakota, Grounds and his family wanted to find a new home closer to the Twin Cities area. After learning about Hudson and their coaching staff, the now-junior and his family chose to pick up and move to St. Croix County.

“It was actually one of the main reasons why I came,” Grounds said. “I met Brooks and I liked everything about him. I heard about Dean and how he was an ex NHLer and had lots of experience.” 

To say that Grounds is a diamond in the rough would be a drastic understatement. Despite having to sit out the varsity season last year (played junior varsity because of transfer rules), his talent has created a surge of excitement that spreads through the rink. After excelling with Team Wisconsin, Grounds was offered a scholarship to play college hockey this past summer for Ohio State and he accepted, becoming the first player in school history to commit to a Division I program while still in high school. When deciding whether or not to leave high school and play for the NAHL’s Bismarck Bobcats this past summer, Grounds spoke with Drewiske about the decision. Ultimately, Grounds chose to stay and is relishing every second of it.

“We have such a powerful coaching staff. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Grounds said. “They talk to Ohio State all the time and talk about what I need to work on, and they take that information and plug that it into the practices and the drills. They whisper into my ear about what I need to do better and when I need to be stronger or faster. They are always finding ways to help me pursue my dream.”

If you build it, they will come. To take it one step further, if you build it they will come … and stay. Blackmun is widely considered one of the best defensemen in the state of Wisconsin. The senior could have left the program a long time ago, but like Pete Talafous did so many years ago, Blackmun chose to stay. Having Pete’s father and Drewiske at his disposal certainly didn’t hurt. The Team Wisconsin blueliner is averaging close to two points per game this season and was just recently signed to a tender contract by the NAHL’s Janesville Jets.

“To have a Chase Blackmun who is going to move onto juniors next year and he can go to Davis who is a fellow defenseman and is a year removed from playing professional hockey, that is extremely valuable for him,” Bosworth said. “The big part of this for Hudson is keeping those kids here so they don’t leave to go to Hill-Murray or St. Thomas or some other school. I think creating that relationship at an early age. Brooks has done a great job working with the youth programs and getting to know the kids so they want to stay and be a part of the program. All of that is going to help kids want to stick around and play at a level of hockey that can benefit them before they move on. Having four coaches around who have done it, the kids can get a different perspective from everyone and use that experience. I think it’s a great benefit to those kids as they prepare for the next level.”

“Dean was one of the best players in Minnesota and had great success at Wisconsin,” Lockwood said. “He can talk to kids about it. He played in the NHL, so he can talk to them about how to prepare for the level they want to be at. Or just their experience playing junior hockey and how they were recruited, what coaches are going to be looking for or what a recruiter is looking for. Certainly from that aspect, to have those guys and those resources, that has certainly been beneficial. No matter what anyone does, what I always preach to the kids is that whatever you do, you do it 110 percent. If I’m going to do this, I am going to be involved. We are going to go to the youth practices and make sure to collaborate with the youth coaches and make sure that everyone from top to bottom is communicating. When we get into the practices, we want to make sure that no matter who it is, whether it’s a Chase Blackmun or an Aaron Grounds that comes to the program, that these kids are going to have the type of practice every day that is going to make them better. You can’t just always think about the end goal and what we want. Being the state champions is certainly something we’ve always wanted, but you have to get there by working hard every day.”

It all started with a plan. Now more than four years later the “plan” appears to have turned into something much bigger … a culture.

  

Andrew Vitalis can be reached at lphprep@yahoo.com