Riley Tufte is always going to remember a 17-game stretch that kicked off his collegiate career.
He was an 18-year-old recovering from a broken wrist while playing against players four and five years his senior. The injury limited his ability to lift, so he couldn’t put on the desired muscle, and at the same time he was just unlucky on the ice.
As a first-round pick by the Dallas Stars and a Mr. Hockey Award winner — essentially the Hobey Baker Award of high school hockey in Minnesota — Tufte was expected by many to dominate right away at the collegiate level. Points where supposed to come easy for him, and he was supposed to be a shoe-in for the United States team at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
None of that happened.
Instead the wrist injury kicked off a perfect storm of frustration for Tufte. Even when he played well he wasn’t getting rewarded, and he didn’t score his first NCAA goal until his 17th game against St. Cloud State on Jan. 13, 2017.
“That was pretty tough on me,” Tufte said. “I was always worrying about making a mistake, I think that was one of my problems last year. I went out there thinking how not to make a mistake. Now I am trying not to worry about things like that.”
So far it’s worked well.
After he registered his first collegiate point, an assist, on Jan. 6, 2017 against Colorado College, Tufte has 23 points in his past 28 career games. He helped Minnesota-Duluth reach the Frozen Four last season and has seven points in eight games this season, that includes goals in back-to-back games this past weekend against Maine.
“It’s been really good,” Tufte said. “And getting to be with the team right away and starting fresh, that was huge for me. Just looking to keep that going.”
And Tufte said that he won’t allow himself to forget about the 17-game showing during his freshman season. When he struggles again, which will happen at some point, those past struggles will be a point of strength to draw on.
“I kind of said to myself that everyone goes through those droughts there,” Tufte said. “I just told myself it happens to everyone. You kind of have to move along and can’t read into too much what other people are saying about you. I think it’s important to not forget that.”
While Tufte has taken a straight-forward approach to this season, his play has turned him into a prime candidate to play for the Americans at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Buffalo. Tufte made it through the first round of cuts at camp this summer, and knows the coaching staff will be tracking his progress closely before final roster decisions are made.
“I kind of have a good idea that I could be on the team, but I’ve got to keep playing well. That’s the only thing I can control,” Tufte said. “I can’t control what the world junior coaches are thinking, so I’m just focussing on my game and playing my best and hope to make that team.”
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward is also excited about a potential long-term future with the Dallas Stars. This past weekend Les Jackson watched him play in Maine, while Rich Peverley came to a pair of games against Merrimack where Tufte had three points in a weekend sweep.
Tufte also keeps in contact with members of the Stars management through texts and calls.
“It lets me discuss and share things with them about how things are going here,” Tufte said. “It’s good to feel part of an organization already.”
The sophomore has followed the Stars closely this season. He purchased the NHL.tv package and watches most Stars games. Tufte said he likes the way the Stars have played, it’s a style he can buy into, and it’s been fun to watch Tyler Pitlick succeed.
Pitlick played against Tufte’s older brother, Gavin, in high school.
“I watched him growing up playing against my brother,” Tufte said. “So it’s been pretty fun to watch him and knowing that there is a familiar face on the team. It would be kind of cool to be teammates with him someday.”
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