University of Minnesota Athletics
Reunited: Junior Forward Garrett Smaagaard
12/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The resurgence in Smaagaard's game this year can be attributed to a rekindling of the comfortable relationship he felt with the sport of hockey throughout his high school years. During his senior year at Eden Prairie, the once strong connection between Smaagaard and hockey took a tumble. Literally. While he was busy off playing another game, football, he suffered a knee injury in the state championship in November of 2000. While he made a promise to hockey for his entire collegiate career, he had to spend time away from his love for the whole senior season. It's hard to maintain the spark when there's such limited contact. Without the daily interaction, the relationship took a dive.
Although he was able to maintain his commitment to hockey, entering the University of Minnesota fall of 2001, the comfort that had always been there between Smaagaard and the puck was missing. In game situations, he just didn't have the edge he used to. Just like any man scorn, his confidence was low.
Smaagaard spent the next two seasons in an on-again, off-again relationship with hockey. He did maintain commitment though, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Every day he came, bound and determined to get hockey back. "It's a little difficult when you go to the meeting Saturday morning and you figure you're not going to be in the lineup, it's kind of tough to then prepare for the game that night. But you have to show up and believe you are ready to play," Smaagaard said.
The forward didn't feel good turning his back on hockey for a whole season. He spent the next two years working every day at the rink, proving to hockey that his devotion to the sport remained true. And while the knee injury caused him to miss an entire season, he didn't use it as an excuse for the rough times he experienced during his first two collegiate years.
"It's not the leg itself that had anything to do with it. It was fine in the beginning of the year. It was fine when I came in freshman year. It's just the feel of the game again," Smaagaard said. "When you miss a whole year, you're just not used to game-type situations, especially in this high of a competition level. It takes a lot to get that back. And then to transition it to a college level like this, that's going to take even longer than a year. I'm still learning with this high of a level of game in my junior year, but definitely missing a year took a while to get back the speed and the feel for the game again."
This season, Smaagaard and the puck are like one again. He feels at ease skating around with it, no longer in a nervous rush to pass as soon as it hits his stick. They have fun together, just like old times. The magic between the two is back. As his relationship with the puck as grown into what it was before, and because he is no longer anxious about his every action around it, Smaagaard's self-assurance has returned when he is on the ice.
"I've been playing with the same style that I've played with all throughout," he remarked. "I've kind of gotten more of my confidence back. It started last year, playing well at the end of last year. It's kind of turned over into this year. I play the same way as I always have. I just work hard. I had success early in the year and it's just kind of been a snow ball effect."
With the daily commitment that Smaagaard showed to hockey over his first two seasons with the Gophers, eventually he was rewarded with more attention. During his freshman and sophomore years, he appeared in 21 and 19 games, respectively. Heading into the Dodge Holiday Classic this weekend, he has already played in 14 contests. And he hasn't just played, he has been a member of the first and second lines and has even made a handful of starts.
"The confidence difference is where you don't know you're in the lineup one night and the next night you are, compared to when you know you're going to play Friday and Saturday night. It's kind of a big difference when you know you don't have to put so much pressure on yourself to make a play here, make a play there. When you know you're going to be playing both nights sometimes it's easier to just step up and play the game."
Hockey has started to reward Smaagaard for all of his time and dedication. He admits that while he's experiencing a revival of his game, a couple of lucky bounces have aided him in increasing his point total. But that's what will happen when you show the game of hockey that you are 100 percent committed. And it still takes skill to put points on the board, to take those "lucky bounces" and make something happen. Entering his junior year, Smaagaard had three goals and nine assists for 12 points. Through his 14 games this season, he has 1-10-11. Almost doubling your career point total in less half of a season takes terrific talent.
"To stay in, which I want to be, obviously, you have to go out night in and night out and work hard," Smaagaard said. "If I take off a shift or two, [the coaches] are going to see that, and that's all it's going to take for them to take me right out and put in someone who is going to work hard. I definitely think I have to do the same thing night in and night out to stay in."
Whether or not he stays in the top two lines and consistently sees time on the ice, whether or not his points keep increasing series by series, the excitement between Smaagaard and the sport of hockey is back.
"I come out here everyday, whether I was in the lineup or out, and I like to have fun," Smaagaard commented. "I haven't produced a whole lot in the past, but now that I have it's nice. I still look at it the same way. I still come out here and have fun. It's nice to be productive, but if that doesn't happen then it doesn't happen. I always treat everyday the same way."
Smaagaard and hockey have experienced some bumps in their relationship. What pair hasn't? But now that he, the puck and game situations are not only reacquainted but back in the comfort zone, with a little push from commitment and confidence, this relationship is destined to stay on the right track.
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Courtney Walerius. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
Garrett Smaagaard, there's something here I would like you to meet. I heard that you knew it well a couple of years ago, so I thought you might want to see each other again. This is the puck. You two go and get comfortable with one another. See if you can spark some of that magic you had during high school. I think game situations will be showing up later, I'll let you know when they are here too. I'm sure you'd like to get reacquainted with them again as well.
The resurgence in Smaagaard's game this year can be attributed to a rekindling of the comfortable relationship he felt with the sport of hockey throughout his high school years. During his senior year at Eden Prairie, the once strong connection between Smaagaard and hockey took a tumble. Literally. While he was busy off playing another game, football, he suffered a knee injury in the state championship in November of 2000. While he made a promise to hockey for his entire collegiate career, he had to spend time away from his love for the whole senior season. It's hard to maintain the spark when there's such limited contact. Without the daily interaction, the relationship took a dive.
Although he was able to maintain his commitment to hockey, entering the University of Minnesota fall of 2001, the comfort that had always been there between Smaagaard and the puck was missing. In game situations, he just didn't have the edge he used to. Just like any man scorn, his confidence was low.
Smaagaard spent the next two seasons in an on-again, off-again relationship with hockey. He did maintain commitment though, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Every day he came, bound and determined to get hockey back. "It's a little difficult when you go to the meeting Saturday morning and you figure you're not going to be in the lineup, it's kind of tough to then prepare for the game that night. But you have to show up and believe you are ready to play," Smaagaard said.
The forward didn't feel good turning his back on hockey for a whole season. He spent the next two years working every day at the rink, proving to hockey that his devotion to the sport remained true. And while the knee injury caused him to miss an entire season, he didn't use it as an excuse for the rough times he experienced during his first two collegiate years.
"It's not the leg itself that had anything to do with it. It was fine in the beginning of the year. It was fine when I came in freshman year. It's just the feel of the game again," Smaagaard said. "When you miss a whole year, you're just not used to game-type situations, especially in this high of a competition level. It takes a lot to get that back. And then to transition it to a college level like this, that's going to take even longer than a year. I'm still learning with this high of a level of game in my junior year, but definitely missing a year took a while to get back the speed and the feel for the game again."
This season, Smaagaard and the puck are like one again. He feels at ease skating around with it, no longer in a nervous rush to pass as soon as it hits his stick. They have fun together, just like old times. The magic between the two is back. As his relationship with the puck as grown into what it was before, and because he is no longer anxious about his every action around it, Smaagaard's self-assurance has returned when he is on the ice.
"I've been playing with the same style that I've played with all throughout," he remarked. "I've kind of gotten more of my confidence back. It started last year, playing well at the end of last year. It's kind of turned over into this year. I play the same way as I always have. I just work hard. I had success early in the year and it's just kind of been a snow ball effect."
With the daily commitment that Smaagaard showed to hockey over his first two seasons with the Gophers, eventually he was rewarded with more attention. During his freshman and sophomore years, he appeared in 21 and 19 games, respectively. Heading into the Dodge Holiday Classic this weekend, he has already played in 14 contests. And he hasn't just played, he has been a member of the first and second lines and has even made a handful of starts.
"The confidence difference is where you don't know you're in the lineup one night and the next night you are, compared to when you know you're going to play Friday and Saturday night. It's kind of a big difference when you know you don't have to put so much pressure on yourself to make a play here, make a play there. When you know you're going to be playing both nights sometimes it's easier to just step up and play the game."
Hockey has started to reward Smaagaard for all of his time and dedication. He admits that while he's experiencing a revival of his game, a couple of lucky bounces have aided him in increasing his point total. But that's what will happen when you show the game of hockey that you are 100 percent committed. And it still takes skill to put points on the board, to take those "lucky bounces" and make something happen. Entering his junior year, Smaagaard had three goals and nine assists for 12 points. Through his 14 games this season, he has 1-10-11. Almost doubling your career point total in less half of a season takes terrific talent.
"To stay in, which I want to be, obviously, you have to go out night in and night out and work hard," Smaagaard said. "If I take off a shift or two, [the coaches] are going to see that, and that's all it's going to take for them to take me right out and put in someone who is going to work hard. I definitely think I have to do the same thing night in and night out to stay in."
Whether or not he stays in the top two lines and consistently sees time on the ice, whether or not his points keep increasing series by series, the excitement between Smaagaard and the sport of hockey is back.
"I come out here everyday, whether I was in the lineup or out, and I like to have fun," Smaagaard commented. "I haven't produced a whole lot in the past, but now that I have it's nice. I still look at it the same way. I still come out here and have fun. It's nice to be productive, but if that doesn't happen then it doesn't happen. I always treat everyday the same way."
Smaagaard and hockey have experienced some bumps in their relationship. What pair hasn't? But now that he, the puck and game situations are not only reacquainted but back in the comfort zone, with a little push from commitment and confidence, this relationship is destined to stay on the right track.
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Courtney Walerius. She welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu.
