BEMIDJI – There are thousands of collegiate hockey players across Divisions I and III in the men’s and women’s ranks.
Fourteen of them received
ADVERTISEMENT
The award, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary season, is presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community at large through leadership in volunteerism.
Kendra Fortin is one of those 14 players.
The Bemidji State women’s hockey senior defenseman has helped raise awareness for organ donation within her communities at BSU and in Thunder Bay.
“That girl puts so much time into that,” senior Makenna Deering said. “I know how important it is, not only for her but for her family to have the support from her teammates and coaches. The amount of time she puts into that is unbelievable. Every time we do organ donation I cry, it’s awesome. Getting awareness out there is huge. She deserves it.”
Fortin has helped organize the Organ Donation Awareness Game at Bemidji State for three consecutive years.
The Fortin family is a beneficiary of organ donation.
Cory Fortin, Kendra’s father, was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure in 2012. In 2017, he started peritoneal dialysis to help extend his life. Kendra created a “Kidney for Cory” campaign in 2020 to help raise awareness for organ donations and help find her dad a match.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kendra brought her efforts to collegiate hockey at BSU, coordinating yearly awareness campaigns that coupled with playing the game she loves.
“It’s awesome for her to be rewarded,” head coach Amber Fryklund said. “She’s taken initiative. It’s something she’s passionate about, and to see the work that she’s done with it here – and it’s not just about what she wants to do here, she wants to continue it when she leaves – what a legacy she leaves.”
Fryklund has since connected Fortin with people who were touched by her efforts.
“I had a person share a personal story about a family member that was impacted by organ donation,” Fryklund said. “Kendra’s story (resonated) with them, and they wanted to connect with her. It’s just the humanistic side of athletics that’s so special. I’m so proud of Kenny and her dedication and advocacy for organ donation.”
Fortin is one of four WCHA players to receive a nomination, joining Ohio State’s Makenna Webster, Minnesota’s Audrey Wethington and Minnesota Duluth’s Clara Van Wieren.
Late nights, long hours
On New Year’s Day, Ambery Fryklund helped coach Team USA to a 7-1 win over Czechia in a pre-tournament game in Vantaa, Finland. It was the American’s primer for the IIHF U18 World Championships.
Later that night, about an hour after the calendar flipped to Jan. 2, Fryklund logged on to the Big Ten Plus streaming service to watch Bemidji State take on No. 3 Minnesota U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Face-Off Classic at Lakeville Hasse Arena.
ADVERTISEMENT
There was an eight-hour time difference.
“The time difference was actually helpful,” Fryklund said. “For me, it was all about staying present in the moment of where I was. But also, in the opportunities I had to watch, I watched all of the (BSU) games. I made sure to stay connected to the players and the staff every day. It worked out, but watching online is a lot different than being on the bench.”
With the task at hand being to repeat as gold medalists, Fyklund, who served as an assistant coach, helped guide the Americans to a 5-0 start. Team USA outscored its first five opponents – Japan, Finland, Slovakia and Sweden twice – 25-2, which helped clinch a spot in the gold medal contest against Canada.
On Jan. 12, the Canadians shut out the Americans 3-0 to reclaim their gold medal status.
“The experience in Finland was incredible,” Fryklund said. “It’s certainly not the outcome we wanted, but it was a great experience with a great group of players and a great staff. Being in that kind of environment was special. I took that all in and enjoyed every moment of it.”
Fyklund said her trip to Vantaa fulfilled multiple purposes. She got the experience of coaching at an international level while also adding to her coaching repertoire.
“It’s working with different coaches and different ways to teach things and getting different ideas,” Fryklund said. “Working with elite athletes in an environment of what an international competition looks like – all of the things that go into that in those big-environment games – certainly, it was a great experience. I’m just taking all of that, all of the things I learned, and using that as I move forward as a coach.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Fryklund also experienced the growth of women’s hockey beyond the collegiate game first-hand.
“Every team over there was good,” Fryklund said. “Every game was competitive. The game we had with Sweden was close, you saw it with Finland. The women’s game continues to grow and get better. You saw that in this tournament at the U18 level. The women’s game continues to evolve, and the competition was great. Hopefully, that opens up more opportunities for international players to come over and play NCAA.”
The Beavers were more than happy to welcome Fryklund back to Bemidji.
“We’re so excited to have her back,” Deering said. “We’ve missed her. It hasn’t been too different. Sarah (Bobrowski) and Emma (Sobieck) have done a good job on the bench. Even with Fryk here, they all do well and share their own. We’re excited to have her back and so happy for her that she got to do that. Hopefully, it helps Bemidji get recruitments.”
Standout students
Bemidji State released the collective grade point average for every team during the first semester. The Beavers women’s hockey team had the highest average at 3.88.
Of the 25 players on the team, 16 of them have a perfect 4.0 GPA.
“It’s really special,” Fryklund said. “I’m certainly proud of our wins on the ice, but (the classroom) is certainly an area we focus on. Not only for our staff but our players to take pride in that, it’s been something with our team in recent years. We take it very seriously. They work hard in the classroom, they hold each other accountable. I’m really, really proud of that. .. I think it translates to who they are as people.”
