University of Minnesota Athletics
Budish Eager to Join Gophers After Knee Injury
7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
After sitting out all of last season with a knee injury, Zach Budish says he has no regrets about playing football and is ready to go for the upcoming 2009-10 Gopher hockey season. A freshman from Edina High School, Budish was injured in a football game last fall and was unable to play his senior year of hockey. He says playing for the Gophers has been a longtime dream of his and he’s looking forward to the season. Budish, a 6-3, 229-pound forward, was selected in the second round of the recent NHL Entry Draft with the 41st pick by the Nashville Predators.
First question, and you’ve probably been it asked a lot, how is the knee feeling?
“It feels fine. I’ve been skating for a couple months now. I’ve been able to do all the workouts here and pretty much doing everything. It’s just been a matter of getting strength back in my quad and hamstring. I’m still working on the quad strength, but it will be ready go by the season for sure.”
Did your performance at the NHL combine convince people your knee is fine?
“It did. A lot of teams were surprised I was even going to do the workouts. I felt I did pretty well on the bike test. My vertical jumping needs to get better. I thought I did well on the two bike tests there and I think that helped me out a lot to show teams I was fine.”
Any regrets about playing football in high school?
“Not at all. If I had to do it again, I’d do the same thing. Injuries are part of the game. I love playing football and playing on Friday nights. I loved football in high school, obviously. It’s a thing of the past now and I’m focusing on hockey. If my kids in 20 years were making the same decision, I’d tell them to play football too.”
Have you talked to Gopher teammates Taylor Matson or Mike Hoeffel about their similar knee injuries?
“I’ve talked to Taylor pretty much throughout the last six or seven months. He injured his a couple weeks after me, so he talked to me on Facebook. I was a little bit ahead of him at the time because I had surgery ahead, but he’s actually probably ahead of me now because I had a meniscus repair too which kind of slows it down. We talked and I talked to Hoeffel this summer as well.”
How long have you dreamed to play for the Gophers?
“Basically ever since I can remember. I remember one of my Christmas presents when I was like eight years old was a Casey Hankinson jersey from when he was a captain here. Basically I’ve grown up watching the Gophers, especially before the Wild came. This was the big show in town. One of my best friends growing up had season tickets and still does, so I probably went to five or six games a year and just loved it ever since.”
Will it be strange to have your friend using his Gopher season tickets to watch you now?
“It’s weird. When I was a sophomore in high school the seniors now were freshmen and they seemed so much older. Guys like (Mike) Carman and all the other seniors now. When I was a sophomore in high school I looked at those guys and thought never would I be there and now working out with them in the same locker room, it’s kind of weird.”
Do you have a favorite Gopher hockey memory?
“Probably the national championship when we won against Maine at the Xcel.”
The player who scored that winning goal, Grant Potulny, is now your assistant coach. Are you looking forward to playing for him?
“Obviously he was one of my favorite players because he was one of their top guys and go-to players and scored the big goal for them. I haven’t really met him too much, but I’m looking forward to having him as a coach.”
How are you adjusting academically?
“I’m taking two summer classes right now. Pretty basic. They’re only 20-person classes so it’s not much of an adjustment, but it will be weird for the lectures. Pretty much all my classes in high school were 30 people or less and I know some of my classes are lectures.”
Three of your high school teammates are also playing Division I hockey. How much to you talk with them and compare experiences?
“They’re three of my best friends, so I talk to them on a daily basis. We used to work out together in the summer and we skate all the time together so it’s helped me to have them and even the other guys who aren’t going D-I that are pushing you in practice and competing in off-ice stuff. I think that’s helped me progress.”
What was your experience like in Nashville at the Predators’ prospect camp last week?
“I learned a lot there. We were only there for a week, but I felt like I learned a lot. You kind of get the whole business aspect with the more professional side of the game rather than high school where you just play and go home. We had a bunch of meetings about media, nutrition, game preparation and proper workout techniques and probably had five or six speakers during the week. As far as on the ice, it’s a lot quicker than what I’m used to. I thought it was good for me and I thought I kind of learned where I’m at and found a few things I need to work on.”
