University of Minnesota Athletics
Men's Hockey Profile: Ben Gordon
1/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Since early childhood, hockey has been a major part of Ben Gordon’s life. From skating around on local outdoor rinks, learning the game of hockey from his dad, to entering his junior year as a Golden Gopher, he has learned how hard work has paid off.
What was it like growing up in International Falls?
International Falls is a big hockey community. I grew up spending a lot of time on the ice. It’s cold up there so I skated outdoors a lot. When I was younger, my dad was the high school hockey coach so I always skated with his team. It is a lot of fun to be surrounded in that type of environment that has such a rich hockey tradition.
What are your favorite memories about playing hockey as a kid?
I grew up with a good group of guys. We had pretty good teams all the way up through the program. We had a good run in high school and went to the state tournament. I just had a lot of fun playing with those guys, we were a pretty tight group. We enjoyed playing for our community and our town. It was exciting to get the chance to play with the same guys all of the way through.
Who is your favorite NHL player?
Obviously, I am a Minnesota Wild fan, but I would have to say my favorite NHL player would probably be Martin St. Louis from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
What do you want to work on most this season?
Throughout this season and the summer heading into my senior year, I would like to work on my quickness and my lower body strength. I would like to get a lot faster and become a stronger skater in order to move on to the next level. To be dominate at this level you have to be a strong skater and that is something I am going to strive for.
Who inspired you to play hockey?
Definitely my father. My dad was a good hockey player growing up and he is a very successful coach. When I was growing up, as far as I can remember I always had a hockey stick in my hands. I give my dad a lot of credit for that because he is the one that got me started. My mom was also very supportive. We are a pretty hockey orientated family, it just came naturally.
Could you do an impression of a non-skater?
I really do not know how I developed it but ever since high school, I would do it on my high school team and my junior team down in Lincoln, Neb. I started doing it here and the guys think it is pretty funny. I get a little sick of it sometimes but I guess it never gets old. The guys try to make me do it, I guess it is pretty funny. I don’t really know how I learned how to do it but I must have just stumbled across it one day.
Why do you love to play hockey?
I think it is the best game on earth. It is the only sport where you have to learn transportation before you can play. Everyone can run but not everyone can skate. I am not trying to take anything away from other sports but hockey is fast, exciting, and you have to be physically in shape to play. Growing up in Minnesota, I feel like it is something a lot of people do because of the area where we live in. Hockey was a big part of my family that’s why I love it so much because I was brought up around it.
Have you ever worn figure skates?
Yes, I have actually. I wore figure skates one time in high school. Our zamboni driver at the rink took my hockey skates out of my locker and put figure skates in my bag to be funny on picture day. So instead of getting upset about it like he thought I would, I just put them on and went out there and everyone thought is was pretty funny, he got a good laugh out of it. I won’t ever put them on again because I almost hurt myself, it was pretty difficult to do actually.
As a team what are you guys striving for toward the end of the season?
Our main goal is to get better every day; work hard at the rink and when we are away from the rink not take things too seriously. It is important to take things seriously when we are here at the rink. But when we are away from the rink it is also important to have some fun and hang around with the guys. When we are at the rink it is all business and where going to work hard and get better everyday and hopefully that will lead to good things at the end of the year
What do you like most about playing at Mariucci?
The tradition here at Minnesota is huge, it is just great to be part of that, when you skate out of that tunnel, the fans are cheering, their playing the Rouser, it gets your heart beating. It’s exciting and it never gets old. I could play here for 50 years and I don’t think it would every get old, it’s exciting every time you skate out there.
Who are your greatest supporters?
Definitely my family, we live over five hours away from here but yet my dad is out here every weekend for home series games. My mom tries to get down here to as many games as she can but it is a little hard because I have a younger sister playing hockey also. I stay in touch with my family pretty closely. My dad knows a lot about hockey so I can talk to him about it. No matter what happens during the game, they support me.
What is your most memorable sports moment?
There is not really one moment in particular. One would be winning the Clark Cup with my junior team in Lincoln, Neb. with former Gophers such as Ryan Potulny and Danny Irmen. Also becoming part of the hockey tradition here at Minnesota. My most memorable hockey moment of all would be going all the way up the hockey program from International Falls and having my dad be my high school hockey coach. I love my dad very much as a coach and even more as a dad. It has always been a tradition for me to play the game. I don’t know if he would have been pushing me as hard as I did to be at the level I am at today.
Not being the biggest guy on the team, how do you beat out the larger guys?
For us smaller guys we try to use our quickness to our advantage, be shifty and quick and just try to let the bigger guys pin you up against the wall and get the upper hand and be quicker and out think guys. I think being small can play as a disadvantage and advantage, finding holes and spots to fit through. It is just something I have learned to deal with my whole life. I don’t really see it as a disadvantage anymore because I am so used to it.
interview by Kristine Yorde, athletic communications student assistant
