University of Minnesota Athletics
Helgeson Prepares to Fulfill Gopher Hockey Dreams
8/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Seth Helgeson has been a Gopher hockey fan as long as he can remember and now he’ll be wearing the Maroon and Gold as a freshman this season. Helgeson, a Faribault, Minn. native, played for Sioux City of the USHL the past two seasons. He recently spoke about his excitement to join the Gopher program for the 2009-10 season.
How have the pre-season workouts helped you?
“It really gets you acquainted with your teammates before the season even starts. I think it’s good so you’re not going into the season not knowing who the guys are. It really is a bonding experience for the team so the freshmen get used to everything and, at the same time, it’s good for the freshmen to take summer school. You’re not going to campus not knowing where you’re going because obviously it’s a pretty big campus. I think everything’s been going really well. It’s been a great experience. Coming in, thinking about the summer and going to school, I thought it wasn’t going to be that much fun, but I think overall it’s been better than I expected and I’ve enjoyed the whole summer and it’s gone really well.”
Have you always dreamed to play for the Gophers?
“I think everyone’s dream growing up in Minnesota is to play for the Gophers. They’re on cable and I watched every game Friday and Saturday. It got to the point when Minnesota didn’t have a professional team that the Minnesota Gophers were the team to watch. Those were the games you could get on a regular basis. Growing up watching them and doing it now is just a dream come true.”
Did you have any Gopher players you looked up to?
“When I was a lot younger, watching Keith Ballard. Even now, I still enjoy watching him in the NHL. (Also,) Jordan Leopold and Johnny Pohl. Those guys and the team that won the 2002 national championship was just a fun team to watch. A lot of players that are still playing today are players that I watch when I was young and it’s fun to see where they are now.”
Have you had a chance to meet some of those NHL players this summer?
“I have and that’s the coolest thing about it. You’re working out and all these guys come in that you watch on TV. That’s a really cool experience. It’s fun meeting the guys and seeing what they do to prepare for an NHL season and what it takes to make it to the NHL.”
Have the workouts been tougher than you expected?
“I came in knowing that it was going to be tough. They are tough and it can be a grind coming in five days a week, but at the same time, they’re all set for a specific thing and Cal (Dietz) really knows what he’s doing and you can tell. I knew they were going to be tough, but I was ready for them and they’re going really well.”
How did you enjoy the New Jersey Devils prospects camp you recently attended?
“It was quite the experience. The biggest thing was I got a ride with Scott Stevens, a Hall of Famer, to the rink one day. That kind of opened my eyes and made me really think about what was going on. It was a great experience. I got to meet a lot of good people and high-end people in the organization. It’s a world-class organization and they really know what they’re doing. They really treated us well. We got to go to Yankee Stadium and watch a Yankee game, which was pretty fun. It was a good experience to go out there and see what it was like. It was a fun time and going out there with Mike Hoeffel was good. He was my roommate, so I kind of knew a guy that was already out there. I was glad I went out there to see what I’m going to be doing in the near future, hopefully.”
How is school going for you so far?
“Summer school is going well. Class is done Wednesday, so I’m pretty excited about that. Overall, it’s gone well. It kind of gets me prepared because obviously I was in high school and wasn’t really prepared for the college classes. I think the summer (school) is really going to help me next year. Just getting me prepared for tests and studying. It’s gone smooth. Obviously there’s some bumps in the road, but it’s fine.”
Is your family excited to see you play for the Gophers?
“They are really excited. They’re huge fans. I’ve got a younger brother and younger sister. My younger brother plays hockey too, so he likes watching the Gophers. They’re all pretty excited. They’ve been the big fans for me. I’ve obviously been away from home the past two years, so they’re really supportive. They’re looking forward to the season. They’re already talking about it, planning trips, who’s going when, where they’re going. It should be a fun year for them. It’s going to be nice for them to get away for a while and they can really go to any place in Minnesota because they’re all really close.”
Are your friends already calling you for tickets?
“My two best friends are coming here next year and they’ve already got season tickets. A lot of friends of mine are scattered. A lot are going to Mankato, a lot are going to Duluth and I know a lot of people who go to St. Cloud, so there’s going to be fans at every place we go. It should be fun. They’re so excited for this season and they’re already talking about making road trips with it, so it should be fun.”
