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"You could certainly make the argument that if you just plan to go to college for one year, why go?" Lucia says. "If you're that high end of a player and you're driven to be in the NHL, then maybe go to junior for one year and get drafted high in the NHL and go sign an NHL contract. "But for the majority, the opportunity to go to college, which are some of the best years of your life, and have a chance to train physically, have more practice time, develop longer, get your education, I think it's a real benefit and it's a great option for a lot of kids." Life After Hockey Even if you leave college early to turn professional, you'll eventually com- plete your degree. For instance, Ballard had 28 credits to go, returned to school 11 years later and now has a degree in sports management. Ninety percent of college hockey players will ultimately earn their degree. Plus, many players may get a cup of coffee in the NHL, so to speak, but how many are going to have a career? According to College Hockey Inc., more than 7,000 men have played in the NHL. Only 306 have played more than 1,000 games. More than 400 have played exactly one game. Of the 241 players taken in the 1996 draft, 99 played a game in the NHL, 44 played more than 300 games and only three are still playing, including Pittsburgh's Matt Cullen, the Virginia, Minn.-born, Moorhead-raised St. Cloud State alum who recently played his 1,300th game. "You have life after hockey," Lucia said. "Even if you reach the NHL, how many are going to play four, five, six hundred games or how many are going to make enough money where you're never going to have to work again? Or, maybe your hockey career's over at 30. You still have 30 more years to work. "You're not going to sit around and do nothing and be bored, so that's where having that college education really helps. That's where having your degree or being so close to your degree that you can go back and get it really helps." MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // DECEMBER.2016 26 RUSSO'S RANTS White Bear Lake's Justin Braun played four years at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst before debuting with the Sharks in 2010. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES PRESENTED BY 205 47 90% 11 22.8 of college hockey players will EARN THEIR DEGREE MINNESOTANS are playing Division I men's hockey, the most in the NCAA. Michigan is second with 145. SCHOOL IS COOL The average age of NHL rookies current NHL GENERAL MANAGERS played college hockey NCAA schools had at least 1 ALUM in the NHL 30% of all NHL players are NCAA alums 25 FORMER NCAA goalies played in the NHL last season, a new record 9 current NHL head coaches played college hockey