Story 9

Some hockey players have skill, some have heart and most have determination; but the most successful players have all three.

Zach Tolkinen, 20, has made his NCAA Division 1 (D-1) dream come true by committing to play defense at Quinnipiac University located in Hamden, Conn.

Tolkinen grew up in Lino Lakes, Minn. and hockey was an instant passion. He started skating at age 3 on the pond in his backyard and at many other outdoor rinks in the winter. Tolkinen began playing hockey for the Centennial Youth Hockey Association (CYHA) at age 7. He had a very successful youth hockey career participating in an ‘A’ peewee state tournament (12-13 year olds) and also played in an ‘A’ bantam state tournament (14-15 year olds). “My first year peewee coach, Eric Eclund, was one of my favorite coaches in my hockey career thus far,” said Tolkinen, “he was always positive with the guys and was a blast to play for.”

Tolkinen continued to play after youth hockey for Centennial High School. He played junior varsity his sophomore year, but made vast improvements that summer and made varsity as a junior in high school. His father, Gary Tolkinen, is the assistant coach on the Centennial boys’ varsity team. “It was a great honor to play for my dad. He influences my career the most and really pushed me towards becoming a better hockey player,” said Tolkinen.

“I loved playing high school hockey. It was a special experience to have the support of the school and your peers, which is something kids who play midgets don't get for the most part. I was able to stay at home and play a very high level of competitive hockey,” stated Tolkinen about his high school hockey experience.

Following his high school career, Tolkinen went on to play junior hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the Owatonna Express. In his rookie season in the NAHL, he played in 37 games and had five points. Owatonna, however, released his rights at the end of the season, making Tolkinen a free agent. After weighing his options and trying to find the most comfortable team, Tolkinen decided to play his second year of junior hockey in Fairbanks, Alaska, for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL.

When asked about why he chose the Ice Dogs, Tolkinen said, “The head coach of the Ice Dogs, Josh Hauge, had come to watch me skate in the summer and talked with me afterwards, as well as frequent phone calls. I liked the up and down style the Ice Dogs played and the way they wanted to get their defensemen to get up in the play offensively. Another huge part of my decision was the amount of players the Ice Dogs moved on to NCAA Division 1 hockey. Probably the biggest reason, though, was that I trusted Coach Hauge and I heard he was a good man. I wanted to play for a coach I could trust and one that wanted me to play for him.”

Tolkinen has had a very successful year with the Ice Dogs thus far, playing in 56 regular season games and 6 playoff games (so far) and has scored 13 goals and has 28 assists for a total of 41 points. “I contribute my success this year to hard work and dedication in the off-season,” said Tolkinen, “and I also have been fortunate enough to play well and be put in positions (by my coaches) to succeed.”

Tolkinen’s hard work and effort also made one of his athletic dreams come true; to sign with an NCAA Division 1 hockey team. Tolkinen committed to play his next year of hockey at Quinnipiac University. He also had contact with other D-1 schools such as: University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota-State Mankato, Michigan Tech University and Dartmouth.

“I chose Quinnipiac because it has the combination of top tier academics and hockey that I was looking for in a school. The school is on par with that of an Ivy League school, but it had a less arrogant feeling, and the hockey team is young and very talented, and was ranked in the top 3 nationally at one point this season,” said Tolkinen.

Tolkinen has worked hard and achieved one of his many goals in life. “It is a great feeling knowing you accomplished a dream you had since you were a little kid. I'm excited to see what my future in hockey holds,” said Tolkinen with a sense of satisfaction in his eyes. The Ice Dogs are currently still in the NAHL playoffs, but he is excited to get to Quinnipiac next year to continue his hockey career.