The first week of school is always a chaotic one for regular students. But for new hockey recruit and student athlete Brock Boeser, life is even more hectic.

Brock’s journey is unique from most other athletes here on campus. Just this past June, Boeser was drafted 23rd overall to the Vancouver Canucks.

When asked about his decision to commit to UND his response was a concise list of “First, on the initial visit here, I had a great relationship with all three coaches,” Boeser said. “Second, the development style gives you everything you need to personally develop.”  

His final deciding factor was that he showed pride in Grand Forks when he mentions the hockey community here is amazing.

When presented with the hypothetical question of where he would love to play in the NHL; it was refreshing to discover he was heading towards the team of his choice, the Vancouver Canucks.

Aside from the obvious reason being that they drafted him, he commented on how beautiful the city is and how the style of hockey they play is very similar to the UND men’s hockey program.

While it is clear where Boeser is going in his hockey journey, the freshmen had to start somewhere.  He credits his Father for his inspiration. Brock’s Father, Duke Boeser, played hockey in his early years but more recently fights a battle all his own as he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  Seeing the strength his father has demonstrated in his battle has inspired Brock to be strong and play hard to make his father proud.

Hockey aside, what is in store for Mr. Boeser when he is not on the ice? Brock was indecisive when asked what exactly his major here would be, which is fair as most freshmen do not. He mentioned the idea of a business or marketing major is a great possibility.

Even though he may be a star hockey player in the making, Boeser admitted that the transition from high school to college had it’s challenges.

“Classes are longer, the teachers give more homework and the homework is harder.”

The one thing that did not bother him during this time was the move. He had spent some time living away from home in the previous years to play hockey in Waterloo, Iowa.

While hockey at UND is a large and time consuming process, Boeser tries to find time to relax and enjoy some of his favorite activities. He loves to hit the golf course whenever he can, and is a huge fan of Luke Bryan, One Direction and the show Gossip Girl.

Men’s regular season hockey is just a short forty-four days away, but Boeser, along with all of his teammates have been practicing and getting better every single day.

While there are still questions surrounding the new coaching staff, the one thing that is clear is that UND has added another talented offensive weapon, that hopes to contribute as soon as he hits the ice.

Allyson Bento is a sports writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]