Mike and Janeen Bjugstad ended their search for a new house when they saw the one in Coon Rapids with a back-yard tennis court. Their children, Abbie and Nick, wasted little time getting comfortable. Nick, then age 5, set up hockey nets the first day.
Bjugstad has since grown into a 6-5, 190-pound force on the ice. He tallied 35 goals and 34 assists this season, led Blaine to its fifth consecutive Class 2A state tournament and was selected as the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year.
And he is not finished. Bjugstad, who would have been a junior this year, accelerated his studies in order to graduate in the spring and will play for the Gophers this fall. NHL draft insiders project him to be a first-round pick in June. But by all accounts, Bjugstad's humility eclipses his ability.
"He's the ultimate team player," Blaine co-head coach Dave Aus said. "Everyone knows the kind of rare talent he is, but he doesn't carry himself that way."
Bjugstad grew up playing in-line skate hockey on his back-yard court with future Blaine teammates Danny Harper, Taylor Richart, Gavin Tufte and Eric Scheid -- and Cal Decowski, who would become an Andover standout.
"We put lights out there," Bjugstad said. "As long as we could see the ball we'd play as late as we could."
Bjugstad also used the court as a shooting range until he became a teenager and neighbors complained of pucks that would ricochet into their pool or onto their deck.
Bjugstad did not miss often this season. Highlights included a hat trick against Roseau, two goals and five assists against Anoka and five goals against Coon Rapids. In the Section 5 playoffs, Bjugstad scored twice in the third period against both Osseo in the semifinals and Maple Grove in the final.