It’s the mid-season of the summer, and while most people don’t think of hockey, those who participated in the World Youth Summer Show at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota think nothing but hockey. It’s perfect for playing hockey in a place like Minnesota in the summer, with over 10,000 lakes serving as the perfect skating rink in the winter.
This state of life, eating and breathing hockey, which is why the American team of the showcase has 13 Minnesotans in the distance, which is the most Minnesotans in any state. Twelve of these players are listed as Minnesota-born, and one of them was born in New Jersey but played hockey in Minnesota during his teenage years.
Not every Minnesota on every Minnesota list will advance when December arrives, but there is a couple that stands out and should advance. One of them has been on fire since the last World Junior Year and is likely to be in its best shape when the game rolls.
That’s Brodie Ziemer, who has a unique position from Minnesota, played for the University of Minnesota, where the showcase will be held part of the December Championship, where he will own the same head coach of Bob Motzko, who has both teams. He is also Teddy Stiga and James Hagens, which is also a key part of what is expected to be the top pick in the United States. Ziemers, the only Minnesota native on the line, spent some time talking about the experience with Mariah Stark, a hockey writer.
Showcase and tournament at home
Ziemer has a bit of a start compared to some of his teammates. Last season, they were all on strange territory because the display cabinet was held in Ottawa, Ontario, but this season was held on the University of Minnesota campus in Minnesota, Minnesota, and Ziemer last season in his college hockey freshman season. The only difference is that the display cabinet is held at Ridder Arena, where the Gopher women’s hockey team competes, while the men usually play next door to Mariucci.
Therefore, he is very familiar with the campus and he doesn’t have to face the tension that not only has to impress the coaching staff, but he doesn’t have to worry about not knowing where to go. Instead, he was able to focus on the game and he was able to relax on the campus he already knew. Additionally, he will prevail when the match begins in December, as some will be held at the men’s rink that Ziemer is very familiar with, and will also be held at the Xcel Energy Center across the river.
“Yes, it’s very special and it’s great to be at home and my family has to watch how I play. It’s fun to show everyone around campus,” Ziemer said of playing the showcase on Ridder, who continued to talk about the actual game in Minnesota and the real game in Minnesota, which is “Yes, it’s a great thing. Knowing that fans will be great, the whole family will be there, so I super pump.”
Coach Motzko USA
Not only did Ziemer perform comfortably on his college rink this summer, but he could also make his college coach the U.S. coach at his showcase and tournament in December. Last season, Denver head coach David Carle was the U.S. coach, but this season is Bob Motzko, who usually coaches the gophers at the University of Minnesota. However, this year he will be both gopher and American.
Likewise, just like playing on a college campus, Ziemer will be a big help to make his college coach an American coach. He knows what his coach expects from the players, the systems he runs and how his coach works under pressure. This will give Ziemer an advantage, but he can also help his teammates know what to expect.
“Again, it’s so good, very familiar, knowing the system and things like that. I know I can ask him questions and questions like that, yes, it’s good.”
Home may mean distraction
Showing and playing at home can be a great thing in terms of comfort and familiarity, but it can also be a distraction. Be able to bring family and friends to the player’s shoulders to increase stress, although some people thrive under this pressure, especially at this level, some people’s tension is shown.
Not only will a player like Ziemer have to deal with this pressure, but he will also have academics to keep up. Now, when the competition is in progress, most schools will be off for about a month on holidays, so he may not miss any actual games, but camping earlier this month may cause him to miss some classes. However, when asked, Ziemer seemed to have made a plan and knew he had to work forward.
Related: World Youth Summer Showcase Related to This Process
When asked how he would juggle homework and hockey, Zimmer said: “Just stay there, do his best, do my best, do my best.” He already had to juggle hockey and school in the regular season, but this game was a lot of games in a short time, so it was more intense and required a lot of focus.
Ziemer will be someone to watch
As mentioned above, Ziemer will probably be in the best shape with Stiga and Hagens in the United States. Even in a small part of the display cabinet they play, they are powers that cannot be ignored. There are a lot of strong players in the United States and it’s interesting whether they can bring back the third gold medal with Ziemer.
