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M H J O N L I N E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 28 NHL Drafted Players Based on Place of Birth in the U.S. 69: St. Paul, MN 59: Minneapolis, MN 53: Edina, MN 49: Boston, MA 44: Detroit, MI 36: Buffalo, NY 33: Chicago, IL 29: Duluth, MN 28: Bloomington, MN 26: Anchorage, AK 24: Grand Rapids, MN 23: St. Louis, MO 23: Madison, WI 18: Rochester, MN 18: Roseau, MN 17: Pittsburgh, PA 16: Burnsville, MN 15: Rochester, NY 15: Warroad, MN 13: Denver, CO Credit: eliteprospects.com Unsung Heroes Every community has its very own tra- dition and unsung heroes. In Moorhead, his name is Dennis Bushy, who recently turned 70. Bushy has been running the rink or involved in youth hockey in Moorhead for 40 years. "Here's a guy that's been entrenched in one city and made his life's passion those young people he works with every single day," Cullen said. "I don't know if there are many as good or as committed to benefiting kids like Dennis Bushy." Bushy, though, acknowledges there are people like him from city to city all over the state of Minnesota that help keep each community's tradition going so kids and parents alike can fall in love with this wonderful sport. "We all kind of have our own lit- tle pocket of tradition, not just in Moorhead, but the Warroads and Roseaus and the Grand Rapids down to the Mankatos, Rochesters and now going into the Marshalls," Bushy said. "We all feel real close knit with all of our alumni players in the past, and it's like that pretty much all around the state and the goal is to have kids fall in love with hockey. "These alumni then have their own kids, and it just filters right down to them. In Moorhead, for example, we really started hitting our stride in the 90s and now all those guys have kids that are little Spuds. Now those parents are coaching and trying to hand down their same experiences. I'm seeing that now with this next generation. They're loving the sport just as much, and their talent level is even greater to the point I think our NHL numbers will just con- tinue to grow." Get Them Hooked The New York Islanders' Anders Lee is one of those 53 Edina-born all-time NHLers. He credits the coaching he received from the ground floor through high school. "My [Edina High School] coach, Curt Giles, had a won- derful career in the NHL and you have all these guys that come back—guys like Mark Parrish, Shjon Podein, Jamie Langenbrunner—and give back to the game and take over these teams and cities and give back to the kids and create a culture where hockey continues to grow," Lee said. Terry Cullen has 11 grand- children, many of whom have already hit the ice to maybe one day continue the Cullen hockey tradition to the NHL. The eldest Cullen says there's just something special about the sport of hockey. "Hockey has some intangi- bles that people love the game," Terry Cullen said. "I mean how many people will play the game at 40 years, 45, 50 years old and leave the house at 8:30 at night and get on the ice at 10 to go play a game for the love of the game? It's pretty special, and unless you've done it, I don't know that anybody else or any other state can understand what we have here in Minnesota. "We've always had this say- ing: Get them started, and get them hooked. And once they're hooked, they're hooked." After 12 seasons covering the Minnesota Wild for the Star Tribune, Michael Russo now cov- ers the Wild and National Hockey League for The Athletic (theath- letic.com/mn). He co-hosts the Russo-Souhan Show on mnspn. com and can be heard on KFAN (100.3-FM) and seen throughout the hockey season on Fox Sports North. Follow Russo on Twitter at @RussoHockey. "I don't know if there are many as good or as committed to benefiting kids like Dennis Bushy." – TERRY CULLEN P R E S E N T E D B Y Russo's Rants St. Cloud native Nate Schmidt is off to a strong start with the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights.