In the Spotlight
Nov. 19, 2002
by Nick Clark
It's late on a Wednesday afternoon deep inside the National Hockey Center when the Huskies start filing off the ice and into the locker room following a good late autumn skate.
One by one they pass, sweat dripping through their cages and steam rising from their shoulders. A few nod heads to acknowledge the handful of reporters waiting to talk to them, knowing that they might be called upon to answer a few questions about this weekend's series with Minnesota State, Mankato. The stars are all there. Ryan Malone, Jon Cullen, Joe Motzko, Matt Hendricks. You know, the guys whose job it is to score the goals. They are the ones usually doing the talking when it comes to the media. Then Mike Walsh makes the turn, heading past the small group that normally eludes him.
It has never been Walsh's job to score the goals, and with that, he hasn't had to talk much with the media. So the surprised look on his face when he is stopped is almost expected.
"What for, what did I do," he asks just before being told about a feature in the game program on him. "You can't be serious, talk to (Motzko), me, you got the wrong guy."
That's pretty much been Walsh's story in his four year tenure with St. Cloud State (of note, Walsh has 10 goals and 10 assists in his four seasons at SCSU). His rugged work on the ice has gone pretty much unnoticed by the casual observer. But ask any one of his teammates or coaches and they will tell you, Walsh's role is immeasurable to the success the Huskies have had over the past three plus seasons.
"He's an everyday workman type of a guy," said his coach, Craig Dahl, who has seen Walsh mature over the last four years into they type of person who exemplifies what the program is about. "Every team needs guys like that and every team needs guys that will except thatS you can look down anybody's lineup in many different sports and find guys like that and point to them as the reasons for the team's success or lack thereof."
Like the rest of the seniors in the Husky lineup, Walsh has been apart of the most successful stretch of hockey in the institution's history. He's played in three of St. Cloud State's national tournament games, and he even got an assist against Boston University when the Huskies lost to the Terriers to end the 1999-00 season.
Walsh was a freshman then, and in a lot of ways, a different person than the Mike Walsh who suits up every Friday and Saturday night now for the Huskies.
A lot of people make strides in college, both professionally and socially. Whether it be figuring out school, or even how to live away from home, kids grow up, boy's become men. Walsh isn't any different.
"When I came in here I was a lot younger and stupider," he said. "But my life has changed a lot now. I have settled down a lot. I don't go out as much. I have a girlfriend. You know when you're a freshman you screw up, have fun, you meet a bunch of new people, school isn't that hard yet, but you have to grow up someday."
Which he has. When Walsh leaves St. Cloud State, an economics degree will join the four years of hockey memories in his back pocket. He knows he could probably play somewhere after this year, but is ready to accept that the skates will most likely be hung up, at least competitively, at season's end.
But that's just Walsh being honest with himself. He knows full well what he wants to do with his life, and what his job is for the Huskies right now.
He's a senior, on the fourth line. No, it's not exactly the glamour spot he dreamed of when he left Blaine High School in 1997 and later played for the Twin Cities Vulcans of the USHL in 1998-99, but nonetheless, a role he fills admirably and takes pride in doing. "I just want to run a fourth line that can go out there and maybe put one in every once in awhile and give the guys that play all the time a rest," he said. "You know, what I really want is to be a fourth line (player) that can actually do something and just run it, teach the young guys. Usually the young guys come in on the fourth line and don't expect to be there. They all start there and eventually get better and better and move up, I just haven't moved up much."
"Guys like that don't think coaches appreciate them," said Dahl, who has coached his fair share of grinders over the past 16 years. "And we really do, we really appreciate it. And some of my best former players are guys that have been in that mold. You coach to watch guys like that, guys that have to work for it." The truth is, on some days Walsh would prefer a guitar (he lists the Dave Matthews Band as one of his favorite music groups) to his hockey stick. He admits the sport is his true love, but music has always been a big part of what's inside his 6-foot-1 frame. Which fits perfectly with Mike Walsh the hockey player. You may not notice him, but some of the best musician's are the ones we never hear of. The guys playing their six-string on the corner of some road.
Living in their "One Sweet World," and doing it the way it should be done.
WALSH FACTS: An economics major at SCSU...1997 grad of Blaine High
School and resident of Coon Rapids... son of John and Patti
Walsh...played junior hockey with Twin Cities Vulcans, where he scored
22 goals and 28 assists in 1998-99....named a USHL All-Star in
1998-99...20 goals and 20 assists during career at SCSU, including two
assists in 2002-03.
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