Ex-Gopher Bjugstad plans big reunion upon brief return to Twin Cities
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Nick Bjugstad's wallet will be a bit lighter after he leaves Minnesota. Good thing he recently signed a contract extension.
The former Gophers star had plenty of tickets to buy for Thursday night's game at Xcel Energy Center. Bjugstad, a Blaine, Minn., native who is now in his second year with the Florida Panthers, said he had to get tickets for about 160 family and friends who wanted to see him in action back in his home state.
"My mom got a package deal," Bjugstad said. "Mom came up big there. . . . I think most of them are together. Hopefully we see a lot of Panther red."
You'd think based on the large following that this was Bjugstad's first time playing at Xcel Energy Center. Far from it. It's not even his first trip here in his young NHL career. He played in St. Paul in November 2013 with the Panthers and had an assist in his first pro game in Minnesota.
Bjugstad was also a member of Gophers teams that played WCHA Final Fives and NCAA tournaments at the X. One of his fondest memories was beating bitter rival North Dakota 5-2 in March 2012 during the NCAA tournament to advance to the Frozen Four.
"It's something I'll always cherish with my buddies on that team," Bjugstad said. "It's fun to quiet the North Dakota fans. They're always into it. They're tough fans to play against."
Bjugstad actually made his NHL debut in April 2013, not long after he announced that he was foregoing his senior season at Minnesota to turn pro. He went on to play 11 games at the end of the 2012-13 season and scored his first NHL goal in his last game of the year against Tampa Bay.
His first full NHL season was a steep learning curve, Bjugstad admits. The 6-foot-6 forward scored 16 goals in 76 games, but the Panthers finished 29-45-8 as a team, well out of the playoff picture. For someone used to being on winning teams with the Gophers, that part took some adjusting.
Nick Bjugstad
Florida is now on the doorstep of a playoff spot this year, and Bjugstad is a big reason why. Entering Thursday's game against the Wild, the 22-year-old former Gopher leads the Panthers in goals (18) and points (33). Thanks in part to Bjugstad's offense, Florida is 24-17-11 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, four points behind eighth-place Boston.
"We think a lot of the kid, obviously," said Panthers first-year coach Gerard Gallant. "We think he's going to be a good first-line player for a long time."
On the other bench Thursday will be someone Bjugstad knows very well: Wild forward Erik Haula, who was Bjugstad's linemate with the Gophers. Like Bjugstad, Haula left Minnesota one year early after the 2012-13 season to turn pro. Unlike Bjugstad, though, Haula spent a bit of time in the minors before getting called up by the Wild.
Haula hasn't had the same individual success in the NHL that Bjugstad has found, scoring just four goals and adding three assists in 46 games with the Wild this year. Neither player will be too concerned with each other's individual stats, though, when they face off Thursday night.
"We love playing against each other, love battling," Bjugstad said of Haula. "It's a good squad. They're hot right now. We're both kind of in the playoff hunt. We need these points."
Bjugstad finished his career at Minnesota with 54 goals in three seasons and earned second team All-America honors as a sophomore. He thrived by camping out in front of the opposing teams' nets and using his big frame to create havoc in front of goalies.
Since making the jump from college hockey to the NHL, Bjugstad has yet to spend a minute in the minors. In just his second full season he was rewarded with a six-year contract extension in late December that will reportedly pay him $4.1 million a year.
"Usually good things happen to good people, and Nick is as good as it gets," said Gophers coach Don Lucia. "I'm just happy for him that he's had the success. Nice to see him get a nice new contract for next year that will put him in pretty good position for the rest of his life. I think you'll see him continue to grow as a player."
If Bjugstad continues to thrive in Florida, that means he'll only have one trip per season back to Minnesota as the Panthers and Wild are in different conferences. Whenever Bjugstad does get home, though, he'll no doubt make the most of it, however brief the stop might be. He was able to have dinner with his family on Wednesday night and spent time with his former Gophers teammates. Gophers senior captain Kyle Rau picked Bjugstad up from the team hotel as they got to catch up for a bit.
And Bjugstad also had to play the part of tour guide for his Panthers teammates as they made their way to Xcel Energy Center for Thursday's morning skate. Bjugstad didn't mind the added responsibility.
He's just happy to be home.
"One of the guys said I should grab the mic on the bus today and give them a little tour because I was pointing out the new Vikings stadium, I was pointing out TCF Bank Stadium," Bjugstad said. "I get really excited to come back and give the guys advice, where to go eat and stuff. Mostly Chipotle, because that's all I ate in college. But I just love coming back here. It's a great place."
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