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I t all started with John Mayasich. At least in my opinion, Mayasich began the trend of elite players in Minnesota. He put us on the map and showed the U.S. just how strong of a hockey state Minnesota really is. It's a trend that has only continued to grow as the State of Hockey continues to pro- duce elite player after elite player, each one with their own role model that came before them. For me those role models were Gary Gambucci and my brother Joe. The way they danced and dazzled with the puck, it was amazing. More often than not it eventually pushed me outside to the pond to try and practice the same thing. I wanted to be just like them—and the rest of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers of the 1970s for that matter. Guys like Steve Christoff, Rob McClanahan, Eric Strobel—they were hockey heroes to me and were part of a generation of players who laid the groundwork I hoped to improve on. I tried to follow in their footsteps and learned so much about the game from them. I think that's the same feeling most kids in Minnesota have. Growing up in the land of 10,000 frozen lakes, the amount of hockey superstars to idolize are endless. It filters down year after year, decade after decade. Players lead the way for the next group, and each group wants to improve on the path that was laid before them. We always try to follow the people ahead of us, and that's the tradition of Minnesota hockey. Consider the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. Every year, youth teams and associations fill the stands of the Xcel Energy Center to the brim to watch a spec- tacular display on ice. The state tournament is a foundation of star players year after year. We constantly watch as new budding legends emerge. For the young kids who witness this, it's their dream to go and play in the state hockey tournament. They see it and it feeds that hunger inside of them. They want to get there—and it's a feeling that's unparalleled to any other state's players. It's that feeling that makes a Minnesota player special, and it's that hockey education that they receive by simply learning from those before them that makes Minnesota players stand apart from the rest. Right now you have Zach Parise, Gigi Marvin and Ryan McDonagh showcasing the Minnesota Hockey model on the national and interna- tional stage. In college we have Hannah Brandt, Dominic Toninato and Joey Benik, and in high school there are players like Jaxon Nelson, Mariah Gardner and Riley Tufte to idolize. Next year there will be a new cream of the crop, and more after that. As long as we continue to embrace the rich hockey tradition within our communities, there will always be a new group of hockey stars who pave the way for the next generation of Minnesotans. And each year, the game will continue to grow as will the passion and hunger for more. As we learn more from those who came before us, I have no doubt that we will continue to produce the nation's most elite players in return. That's why I believe in the Minnesota player. Pat Micheletti is an iron ranger who hails from a long hockey bloodline. The former University of Minnesota Golden Gopher and Minnesota North Star now provides his hockey wisdom as an analyst on KFAN, Wild Fanline and American Sports Network. Follow him on Twitter @patmick262. MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // FEBRUARY.2016 BY PAT MICHELETTI FINAL BUZZER Why I BelIeve In the MInnesota Player 30 PHOTOS: MHJ ARCHIVES From top to bottom: John Mayasich, Neal Broten, Zach Parise, Hannah Brandt and Jaxon Nelson Growing up in the land of 10,000 frozen lakes, the amount of HOCKEY SUPERSTARS to idolize are endless.