Out of 25 previous winners of the Minnesota Mr. Hockey award for the top high school hockey player in Minnesota, only one of them has ever become a true impact player in the NHL: Paul Martin.
However, Nick Bjugstad, the senior from Blaine High School and the winner of the 2010 Mr. Hockey award, will be looking to alter that trend.
The 6'4", 188-pound center finished the regular season with 29 goals and 60 points in 25 games for Blaine. He added five goals and nine points in five playoff games, including two goals and three points in their championship victory.
"Minnesota boys are kind of known not to be so nice, so I want to be tougher with my game and become more physical," Bjugstad said to NHL.com. "I need to get mentally tougher and take every shift with that mindset that I can do it. Then it becomes natural."
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Article written by Alan Bass