Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/641682
11 MARCH.2016 // MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM "AMSOIL HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. WHEN THEY BUILT THAT THING, IT WAS AMAZING. WITH EVERYTHING, IT WAS LIKE, WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO GO THERE?" MHJ // You were diagnosed with diabetes when you were younger. For those of us who don't know a lot about it, can you explain what that means? RT // I have Type I diabetes. Basically, my pancreas doesn't work anymore and that's what kicks out insulin. I have to give myself injec- tions when I eat or drink sugar, so I'm giving myself insulin. I was diagnosed when I was 11, when I was a first-year Peewee. I had some symptoms—I was getting thirsty a lot, I was using the bath- room a lot and I was losing a lot of weight. I think I lost 20 pounds. I was really tired and I'd come onto the bench for hockey and drink a whole bottle of water, which isn't normal. My mom took me to get checked out. I went in and the doctor said I was a Type I diabetic. I went to the hospital right away and they put me on IVs. I was in there for three days. MHJ // How did that impact or influence your hockey and just in life? RT // It doesn't hurt me at all. I actually think it kind of helps me because I know what I'm putting into my body. I try to stay as healthy as I can and stay on top of it. MHJ // Nutrition, diet and exercise are now so important to athletes now. RT // I know I have to eat healthy with my dia- betes, so it helps me with that. MHJ // You have about 1,500 Twitter follow- ers. What appeals to you about social media and are you aware of the impact it can have? RT // Yeah, I really watch what I put on social media. When I was younger, I didn't—but it's not like I put anything bad on there. I know social media can have an influence on your career and people are watching what you do. MHJ // What's your favorite social media channel? RT // I'm a big Instagram guy. Twitter and Instagram (follow him on both @RileyTufte27) are the ones I'm most active on. MHJ // When did you hit your growth spurt? RT // I've always been one of the bigger ones in my class, but in middle school, I shot up in sixth and seventh grade. My freshman year of high school I was 6-3 and between my junior and senior year I've gotten up to 6-5. MHJ // You'll likely be invited to the NHL Combine. Is there anything else you're more aware of with how you eat, how you work out and how you approach hockey with the draft coming up? RT // Like I said before, I've always watched what I eat. I'm going to train really hard, whether or not I get invited. Just concentrating on training hard and, outside of hockey, being a good person in the community. — Tufte on his commitment to UMD 1. 2. 3. 1. Riley (left) as a Mite with older brother Tanner. 2. Riley as a Squirt. 3. Riley (front left). Tanner (middle left), Nick Bjugstad (back left), sister Tessa and oldest brother Gavin (right).