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BEMIDJI 鈥� When Jackson Jutting returned home from college as a freshman the summer of 2021, he noticed something was missing.

鈥淢y dad got rid of the shooting stall in our garage,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll of the jerseys are tucked away now.鈥�

One of the jerseys hanging on the wall was signed by Trevor Bruess, a former Mavericks forward who scored a double-overtime goal on March 15, 2008, against Minnesota in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Jutting was by the tunnel waiting for an autograph from the man of the hour after the game.

The childhood memories of watching Minnesota State play in the WCHA are still clear for the Bemidji State men鈥檚 hockey fifth-year captain.

鈥淶ach Harrison scored a short-handed hat trick in that building,鈥� Jutting recalled. 鈥淭he picture is still up on the wall in the concourse area. That was a crazy one against North Dakota. I still remember it to this day 鈥� three short-handed goals, and the last one was an empty-netter. The place went absolutely nuts.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

The Jutting name holds a lot of weight in Mankato.

Troy Jutting played for Minnesota State from 1982-86. After a gap year, he joined the coaching staff in 1987 as a graduate assistant. Troy was promoted to assistant coach in 1989 before becoming the program鈥檚 head coach in 2000.

He held the position for 12 seasons and was a two-time WCHA Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2008.

Two of Troy鈥檚 brothers, Todd and Trent, also played for the Mavericks in the 1980s in MSU鈥檚 small-college era. His sons, Tyler and Ryan, were both raised in Mankato and played for Mankato West High 歪歪漫画.

Then there鈥檚 Jackson, Troy鈥檚 nephew. While the Savage native鈥檚 hockey career took place predominantly outside of Mankato, his ties to Minnesota State are still strong.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a huge part of my life,鈥� Jutting said. 鈥淚t was a special place to me throughout my childhood. I just remember going to almost every home game from the time I was born until Troy ended up moving on from Mankato. That building鈥檚 very special to me and it鈥檚 filled with so many memories. I try to take it all in when I go there. It鈥檚 a fun place to play and a fun team to play against.鈥�

Jutting鈥檚 collegiate career began at Colorado College in 2020-21. He spent two seasons with the Tigers before transferring to Bemidji State.

Courtesy / Brent Cizek Photography

Saturday鈥檚 Mason Cup Playoffs semifinal game between the seventh-seeded Beavers and top-seeded Mavericks at 7:07 p.m. will be the final time Jutting takes the ice at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, a building where he's scored three goals in six games.

鈥淚 love it,鈥� Jutting said. 鈥淓ver since I knew I was coming to Bemidji out of the transfer portal, every game (in Mankato) has been circled on my calendar. I love playing against them, I take pride in that rivalry.鈥�

But as Jutting鈥檚 collegiate career has moved to the win-or-go-home stage, his legacy won鈥檛 solely be his offense.

On Wednesday morning, the CCHA announced that the fifth-year center is the winner of the league鈥檚 Defensive Forward of the Year award. Jutting also won the honor last season.

鈥淲e talked about faceoffs, and that鈥檚 a huge part of it,鈥� senior Jere Vaisanen said. 鈥淲inning a D-zone faceoff, whether it be on the penalty kill or a crucial moment in a game, is huge. He competes well, plays physical, has great detail, stays on the right side of the puck every time. Those are the things that make him a great defensive forward.鈥�

Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore has a specific idea when determining who should be the CCHA Defensive Forward of the Year.

鈥淵ou have to have talent,鈥� Serratore said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have four points and be the Defensive Forward of the Year. You have to have a combination of both. What you look at is away from the puck and how valuable that player is in all situations.鈥�

Serratore also believes the award will traditionally go to centermen over time, and it鈥檚 hard to find many better than Jutting in all areas of the game in each of the last two CCHA seasons.

Jutting鈥檚 faceoff prowess is the statistical area where he jumps off the page. He鈥檚 taken 872 draws in 37 games this season, which is 125 more than St. Thomas鈥� Lucas Wahlin in second place.

Only three players in the CCHA have taken more than 700 this season and only one has won more than 400. Jutting won 445 for a season percentage of 51%.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun, I love being a center and taking those faceoffs,鈥� Jutting said. 鈥淥ver the last couple of years I鈥檝e been honing in on trying different ways to take faceoffs. We do a really good job, our assistant coaches and our centers, of just having different ways to win faceoffs.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Serratore doesn鈥檛 hide his cards when speaking of Jutting鈥檚 usage during important faceoffs.

鈥淚鈥檓 putting him over the boards in every critical situation,鈥� Serratore said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the first one over the boards on the penalty kill, he鈥檚 the first one over the boards on the power play. If we鈥檙e up a goal or down a goal, he鈥檚 on the ice in a critical situation. Critical draws in critical games, I have to put him out there.

鈥淗e has to play extended minutes. He has to play on the right side of the puck. He has to play a defensive game. He worries more about giving up a goal than getting a goal. Then you take a look at the other aspects of his game 鈥� his physicality, his strength, how he plays inside, how he plays in front of the net. 鈥� He wins a lot of one-on-one battles.鈥�

Serratore went on to say that he believes the epitome of the Defensive Forward of the Year award should go to the most clutch player in all areas of the game. On top of his faceoff workload, Jutting has 14 goals and eight assists this season.

鈥淟ook at the clutch goals he scores,鈥� Serratore continued. 鈥淚s he the most offensive forward or the most explosive? No, it鈥檚 (Rhett) Pitlick. But if you look at the goals he gets, take a look at game-winning goals, take a look at overtime goals, take a look at shootout goals, take a look at goals in the last two minutes of a game.

Kylie Macziewski / UST Photo Services

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to sit here and use all of these cliches but it鈥檚 all I know. He鈥檚 got ice water in his veins. He relishes that time to be on that ice. Some guys can play in those moments, some guys can鈥檛. That鈥檚 a unique quality.鈥�

Jutting more than relishes in the clutch moments.

Since transferring from Colorado College to Bemidji State, Jutting has worked to become the kind of player that seeks the moment. He called it the 鈥渄efining part鈥� of his game, and he鈥檒l bring it to Mankato one more time.

鈥淚 take pride in it,鈥� Jutting said. 鈥淎 big reason why I love playing in that building is how much pride that comes with the Jutting last name in Mankato. I think it鈥檚 just a special place to me and my family. My parents both went to Mankato. All of my uncles went there, I have cousins still currently there. It鈥檚 a special place for our family.鈥�