歪歪漫画

Carter Randklev thought he had it all figured out.

The 2018 Moorhead High 歪歪漫画 graduate and Mr. Hockey finalist was staying close to home to play junior hockey with the Fargo Force. He intended to play two seasons in the USHL before heading to North Dakota, his dream college hockey school.

Randklev grew up about an hour away from Grand Forks, N.D., and was offered by the Fighting Hawks in December 2017 after de-committing from Arizona State in high school.

Everything was going according to plan 鈥� until it wasn鈥檛.

On Dec 1, 2018, Randklev ending his first USHL season.

鈥淓verything was going in the right direction,鈥� Randklev recalled. 鈥淭here are many things in life that set you back a little bit or change your path. Injuries are a big thing in sports. Sometimes, it sets players back and takes them a little bit longer to kind of get back on the road that they were once on. Unfortunately for me, tearing my ACL and being a smaller person, it was quite the injury for me to have.鈥�

Ranklev鈥檚 stroke of bad luck did more damage than just putting him on the shelf for 10 months. The 5-foot, 8-inch forward forcing him to change his collegiate plans.

File Photo

However, Niagara still took a chance on him. And after 13 points in 33 games over his first two years in the Atlantic Hockey America conference, he broke out into the elite scorer he was once thought to be.

Now, Randklev is headed back to the State of Hockey through the transfer portal. He will play his fifth and final collegiate season at Bemidji State, where he feels like he鈥檚 getting back to his roots.

鈥淚 wanted to try to test myself, and I'm always trying to get better,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淚n my eyes, Bemidji is a really good program, so I just wanted to take a step forward and a step up. 鈥� My family hasn't really been able to see me play much in person (at Niagara). To have the opportunity to come back and only be two, three hours away from home gives them more availability to see me play.鈥�

Randklev admitted he wasn鈥檛 the same player after he tore his ACL.

鈥淏eing committed to North Dakota at one time and kind of having everything that I ever really wanted in hockey and in life, to be so close to family, and to have that kind of pulled away, it鈥檚 challenging,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淭he next thing I knew I was moving 18 hours away from family playing out in New York.鈥�

In his first season at Niagara, Randklev struggled to crack the lineup as a depth forward. He played in just 13 games and recorded three goals and two assists.

Courtesy / Niagara Photo Services

His second season saw marginal improvements 鈥� six goals and two assists in 22 games.

鈥淚'm extremely thankful for the coaches out in Niagara for sticking with me even through that injury,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淲hen I first came back, I wasn't the same player as I once was. You have to deal with the mental obstacles, not believing that you're supposed to be there and not believing that you're good enough. All of those thoughts go through your mind.鈥�

Heading into his junior year 鈥� three and a half years removed from his ACL tear 鈥� Randklev discovered a shift in his mental approach. He thought about hanging up his skates on more than one occasion. Then he found his confidence.

鈥淭he last couple of years, I really kind of found myself again,鈥� Randklev continued. 鈥淚 found out how I could get back from this injury and get back to that player that I once was, or at least somewhat close to it. 鈥� It鈥檚 me believing that college hockey is a place where I can be and play. I want to dominate in college hockey and be a difference-maker for a team. I think I'm more determined now than I ever been.鈥�

David Samson / The Forum

Randklev became Niagara鈥檚 leading scorer. He had 24 goals and 31 assists in his last 75 games with the Purple Eagles.

鈥淭here were so many other things and other crafts that I really had to hone into just to be able to play with these kinds of players,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淚 just kind of got back to my skill work, shot a lot of pucks and got into scoring areas. I shifted my focus from how I was playing hockey in my last year in Fargo and my first two years in Niagara because I had a realization that it wasn't working out for me.鈥�

Following Niagara鈥檚 18-18-3 season in 2023-24, Randklev entered the transfer portal as a graduate student. He didn鈥檛 know what to expect but hoped an opportunity closer to home would present itself.

鈥淭he process of being in the portal was quite hectic,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淚 really wasn't in there for that long. Bemidji State was actually one of the first teams that called me. With that initial conversation, they didn鈥檛 give me an offer. 鈥� I really had to be patient. But in my heart throughout the whole process, I was really hoping there was a spot for me in Bemidji.鈥�

Randklev鈥檚 first call came as the Beavers were preparing for the Mason Cup championship game against Michigan Tech. He didn鈥檛 receive his offer until the following week after BSU鈥檚 season ended.

Courtesy / Niagara Photo Services

Bemidji State checked every one of Radklev鈥檚 boxes. It鈥檚 a place where his family can watch him play more consistently while also providing a step up in competition. Randklev hopes to be one of the final pieces for a team hoping to get back to the NCAA Tournament next spring.

鈥淧laying at my home state and being so close to family, it was really a no-brainer,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淭he reputation that Bemidji State has and the coaching staff there, it鈥檚 amazing. I've always kind of been an outdoorsy type of guy, too, so it's super nice to be in a location like that where I can still hone in kind on the hockey side of things.鈥�

Randklev contemplated turning pro and playing in Europe, an option he鈥檚 still considering after his fifth-year season with the Beavers.

Regardless of where hockey takes him after college, Randklev will forever have a complex relationship with the sport that took everything away from him before giving it back.

Courtesy / Niagara Athletics

鈥淚 had to learn how to enjoy it and just live in the moment, focus on my hockey side of things,鈥� Randklev said. 鈥淚 thought about quitting. I've never been one to give up on my dreams and give up on something like hockey. It鈥檚 been my whole life. That's kind of all I've had, and it's something that I've always wanted to make a job out of."

Randklev added that it was his injury and recovery that pulled a love for hockey out of him that he didn't have before.

鈥淭here were so many times in those three years that I contemplated quitting, times I wasn鈥檛 really giving much effort," he left off. "It's really shown within my confidence and my production on the ice just how much love for the game I still have in me. So to come into Bemidji, I would say that I'm super confident.鈥�