Hinsdale’s Kevin Fitzgerald is on cloud nine playing for the top-ranked college hockey team in the country
When you’re a college hockey program in Minnesota, you generally don’t have to look too far to find your incoming freshman class. The St. Cloud State Huskies are the top-ranked team in the country and the roster is full of elite NHL prospects and college players. If you look up and down their lineup, most players hail from Minnesota, Canada, or Europe. But not all.
Freshman Kevin Fitzgerald is from Hinsdale Illinois. He played his AAA hockey with the Chicago Steel who he won the championship with in 2013. Fitzgerald also played hockey at Hinsdale Central High School until he joined the North American Hockey League in 2014. He played with the Topeka Roadrunners, Vermont Lumberjacks of the EHL, and most recently with the Aberdeen Wings. Last year with the Wings, Fitzgerald was almost a point-per-game player. In 60 games, Fitzgerald scored 22 goals and 37 assists.
This year, Fitzgerald is in his freshman year at St. Cloud State and his success at the NAHL level seems to be translating to the college game. In seven games, Fitzgerald has two goals and three assists. He currently plays on a line with Los Angeles Kings prospect Mikey Eyssimont and Montreal Candiens prospect Ryan Poehling.
#1 St. Cloud State men’s hockey drops 4-2 decision at #3 Denver https://t.co/xKWZoAYFhT
— SCSU HUSKIES (@SCSUHUSKIES) November 11, 2017
Friday night, the St. Cloud State Huskies fell to the University of Denver Pioneers 2-4 in a game featuring two of the country’s top college hockey teams. The-Rink caught up with Fitzgerald after the game to talk about his experiences at college and his Illinois roots.
Photo courtesy of NAHL.com
Interview with Kevin Fitzgerald of the St. Cloud State Huskies
Talk about tonight’s game against the University of Denver and what adjustments you guys need to make for tomorrow night.
Denver is a good team obviously, but I feel like our start needs to be better. We talked about it in the locker room. We just have to come out with fire and make it hard for them. We have to out-work them tomorrow.
What do you think has made the Huskies so successful this season considering this is just your first loss after going 7-0?
It’s definitely our leadership. We’ve got guys showing new guys like myself, the freshmen, how to do things. I also feel like our skill and our depth make us a threat when we work hard and create plays.
How did you decide to play your college hockey at St. Cloud State and what has your experience been like so far?
First off, my experience has been unbelievable. I knew it was going to be a great time when I committed here, but I could never imagine something like this. The guys are incredible. Everybody from the staff to the teachers. St. Cloud State is a great place to be. What attracted me to it was obviously their hockey program, it speaks for itself. Also the tradition of the team having been so good for so long. When I got the call from coach Motzko I was ecstatic.
Growing up in Illinois, you had success at the amateur level when you won a USHL championship with the Chicago Steel in 2013. If a school like the University of Illinois or Northwestern University had a D1 hockey program, would you have considered it?
I mean, yeah. I know Nick Fabbrini really well, he’s the head coach at the University of Illinois. He spoke to me about “feasibility reports” of adding a D1 team and it looks like it may be in the works. It would be good for Chicago kids. There a lot of hockey in Chicago and a lot of good players. I feel like giving them a place to go would be really awesome. I’ve known Nick for a while, he’s a good coach that loves the game. I think that would be a good spot for kids.
Last question: Bears/Packers on Sunday, who do you got?
C’mon, Bears. Trubisky’s elite.